My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Sealing water leaks

Petroleum jelly is both waterproof and not water soluble it creates a waterproof barrier to keep the water from leaking out of the vials when you hang it upside down. In fact, this trick work so well that you can use drinking straws or plastic tubes and seal it around the stem with the petroleum jelly

Cut a drinking straw into sections

Cut a drinking straw into sections

Scoop up a small bit of baby petroleum jelly on a spreader

Scoop up a small bit of baby petroleum jelly on a spreader

And smooth it around the flowers stem and inside the drinking straw to create a barrier

And smooth it around the flowers stem and inside the drinking straw to create a barrier

Fill the straw with water

Fill the straw with water

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I make a syringe with a tube to make it easier to fill the straws

And hang the flower

And hang the flower

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I use drinking straws to make flower vials

Sometimes regular plastic vials also need a little help to stop water from leaking out

Spread the thinnest layer of jelly around the cap

Spread the thinnest layer of Petroleum jelly around the cap. It should now be perfectly sealed to hang upside down

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to cut a plastic vial so that it is possible to top up the water in an upside down design.

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

Tutorials

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

16 August 2011 Fast way to fill a lot of test tubes in awkward places

I do not believe in arranging flowers without a water source of some kind. I want my flowers to remain as beautiful for as long as possible and I often get quite creative to...

7 September 2012 Hanging flowers rightside-upside-downside

I love hanging flowers to loosely dangle and move in a design

18 May 2016 Dangling flowers from blades of grass

Knot a blade of grass around a water source to create a free hanging design

Favourite Flowers

Zantedeschia

Calla Lily, Arum Lily

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

18 May 2016 Because I think I am making Progress

Create a floral ceiling