My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Rock steady for tiny floral details

Lean a large pebble or rock in a glass display container

Lean a large pebble or rock in a glass display container.

This week in our email I show you how to prevent your glass containers from getting scratched by rough or heavy mechanics like rocks or pebbles. If you are not yet signed up (the sign up is below this post) I send out an email every Wednesday morning to let you know that the new design is ready for you to have a look at.... with a tiny craftsmanship detail for you so that you can get even more value out of our weekly flower lesson. You are welcome to reply to the email if you have a question... or say hi. It is always nice to hear from you.

Prepare the poppies to make sure it stays beautiful in your design

Prepare the poppies to make sure it stays beautiful in your design.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to condition poppies. You use a slightly different method when you design with the flowers in glass... but I show you both methods so that you can choose what suits you best.

Pour some water to fill the container around the pebble

Pour in some water to fill the container around the pebble.

Slip in the fresh floral details between the rock and the glass vase

Slip in the fresh floral details between the rock and the glass vase. I used buds, open flowers and seedheads in my design.

The tiny gap between the pebble and the glass keeps the flowers in place

The tiny gap between the pebble and the glass keeps the flowers exactly where you want to place them without crushing or constricting the stems.

Slip in a few blades of lily grass

Slip in a few blades of lily grass.

Book readers turn to page 288 where I show you how to manipulate grasses. For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman
but to get you started you will also find a Tutorial for another method below this post. Both work great, the one in my book is a bit more advanced and gives you tighter curls.

Weave two grasshoppers from palm leaves

Weave two grasshoppers from palm leaves.

The detailed Tutorial is below this post.

Curl the antennae to match the grass

Curl the grasshopper antennae to match the grass.

Add the grasshoppers to the design

Add the grasshoppers to the design.

Design tip: always give your accessories something interesting to look at... or to chat to. Nothing should ever look like they are desperately trying to get away.

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

26 June 2024 How to condition poppies... if you are designing with them in a glass container

Conditioning poppies for floral arrangements.

5 January 2011 Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies)

Weave grasshoppers or butterflies (or fireflies) from palm leaves

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

24 July 2018 Lemon Aid Container Stopper

Keep flowers in place by placing a lemon on the narrow rim of the container.

26 June 2024 Rock steady for tiny floral details

Lean a large pebble in a display container to keep your summer floral details exactly where you want them.

2 September 2020 Wrap a vine around a tiny vase to suspend it from a balanced twig

Using the design elements as mechanics to secure the design elements.

26 June 2012 Driftwood precariously perched on the edge of a pebble

Wire and glue the driftwood at an angle to balance on a pebble

8 May 2012 Nestled grass pebble

Weave a grass pebble for flowers to nestle in

31 January 2018 Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head

Create a contrasting base to lift the heavy flower-head to design in

26 August 2020 Create a tighter fit with pebbles so that you can wedge a twig securely into a vase

It all started with my twig being just too small to wedge into the glass vase tight enough to keep my orchid stem in place...

17 January 2018 Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements

19 February 2011 Pebbles

Cut and smooth pebbles out of Rainbow Oasis

25 June 2019 Stacking grass covered pebbles

Pebbles are a great way to weigh down or keep your floral material in place. Here's a way to dress them up a bit

27 January 2016 Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open

Related Designs

26 June 2024 It’s leaps of faith, grasshoppers

A sunny rock to make your design... not rock

25 July 2018 Lemon Aid

Use a lemon as a stopper to keep floral material in place

6 July 2022 Let’s play ball

Weave a spherical support to place long stemmed flowers into a bud vase.

26 June 2012 Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and...

2 September 2020 Last full Moon of summer

All natural design using the design elements as mechanics.

8 May 2012 Skipping stone

Weave a grass pebble for the orchid to nestle in.

31 January 2018 Rock, don't Roll

Balance the heavy Protea flower head to lean against a rock.

26 June 2019 “Ok wow”

A design so fine you can easily miss it... if it were not for the interwoven pebbles catching your eye.

26 August 2020 It starts with WHY

Add design elements that serves a purpose for a minimal summer inspired floral design.

27 January 2016 Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems