My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Scalable twig and Phalaenopsis orchid winterscape panel

This design can easily scale up or down by using larger or smaller pieces of wood to create a larger wall panel or make a few of these panels to stack as tiles to create a more easily manageable composite

Place two twigs on a flat working surface

Place two twigs on a flat working surface. The entire panel is build up in layers. It is important to keep in mind that every twig should connect at some point with three other twigs. Start to glue the side branches.

Add another twig and make sure to glue it to three other twigs.

Add another twig and make sure to glue it to three other twigs.

Keep adding twigs.

Keep adding twigs.

Make sure the connections are really secure.

Make sure the connections are really secure.

Slowly build up the panel.

Slowly build up the panel.

Blow any hot glue strands away with a hairdryer set on a warm setting.

I used hot glue to secure the twigs. Blow any hot glue strands away with a hairdryer set on a warm setting. Take care not to focus the heat so that the connections become weak but rather just melt the strands.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to blow away hot glue strands.

Hold the panel up to check for any weak connections.

Hold the panel up to check for any weak connections.

Glue in moss and sparkling beads

Glue in moss and sparkling beads

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I use a pin to place tiny crystals

Glue in the water source for the fresh flowers.

Glue in the water source for the fresh flowers.

See the Tutorial below on how I make my own tine test tubes using drinking straws

Glue in a sprinkling of artificial snow.

Glue in a sprinkling of artificial snow.

Your panel is now ready to design with

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

Tutorials

24 July 2012 Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.

7 December 2011 Encouraging Moss and Lichen to grow on a design

This time of year is best for starting a moss garden. It needs to be cool and wet. Lichen and moss becomes dormant when it is too hot and dry.

25 September 2013 Adding beads into a design

I wanted my beads to softly float above my snowball posy. If I glued the beads to some of the flowers it would just disappear in the mass of twigs and flowers.

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.

Related Designs

9 December 2015 On a Grand Scale

My article and a floral panel design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

8 June 2016 When the wind whisper

Glue a fantasy forest from Popsicle sticks, grape vine tendrils and willow tips

6 September 2017 One of those difficult questions

Glue a bunch of twigs inside a container to create a round stack

29 November 2017 Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider

2 May 2018 Over the rainbow

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30 May 2018 You see... here is the Thing:

Glue a grass snippet grid for shallow container design

6 February 2019 Tread softly on winter

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12 February 2020 Parallel Hang Ups

While waiting for the blossoms to open... why not weave in a touch of Valentine's Day love?

19 February 2020 The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.

28 April 2021 Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs

29 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most... Toast-iest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the sixth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. This week I will show you how to go overboard on...

5 January 2022 Slow Glow

A slow but glowing start to the New Year and the new design season

30 November 2022 Take a bough… it’s Christmas time!

A wool and twig snowflake design (made from candy canes!) that will last the entire Festive Season.

28 December 2022 Giving a nod

A scattering of winter decorating for wherever you might need it.

8 February 2023 Snow… drops

A late winter design for minimal floral styling.

12 April 2023 The word we are looking for is… fun

A leaning twig armature with both the first signs of Spring and the last signs of winter.

10 April 2024 (if only) I can see you

Tangle jasmine vines outside a vase for a transparent screen to display floral details on and around a sea horse vase to display floral details in.