My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Single blade wrap armature

Measure a blade of grass or slender leaf.

Measure a blade of grass or slender leaf. It should be long enough to easily wrap around the small bowl or container.

Wrap the blade of grass around the container

Wrap the blade of grass around the container.

For my design I measured the blade of grass out so that it points upward

For my design I wanted a dramatic twist so I measured the blade of grass out so that it points upward. You can fold the end flat if you prefer. Secure the grass with a drop of glue or pin it with a sharp twig to keep it in place.

Line the containers up to display

Line the containers up to display.

Fill the containers with water

Fill the containers with water.

Snip the orchids from the stem.

Snip the orchids from the stem. You will notice I leave a bit of the green stem to help the flower absorb water better.

You can find more information on how and where to snip flowers from stems in my book, the effortless floral craftsman. I also have a more detailed Tutorial in the links below.

Make a tiny slit in the blade of grass with a pin.

Make a tiny slit in the blade of grass with a pin...

Slip the stem through the slit

Slip the stem through the slit.

Adjust the position of the flowers

Adjust the position of the flowers.

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

Tutorials

25 August 2011 Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.

16 August 2011 Cut spiked flower stems and foliage into short sections

Orchids grow in long flower spikes. It is great to use the entire stem but sometimes you need shorter section. There is a trick to cutting the stems without leaving a visible...

30 August 2011 Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills

The finish of every design should be flawless. Make sure there are no bits of glue visible in your design by carefully removing all traces of spills.

1 April 2015 Hana-kubari Bamboo

Hana-Kubari is an Ikebana flower mechanic. Only natural materials such as pebbles, sticks and branches can be seen to support the flowers. Traditionally no twine or wire, nails,...

28 March 2018 Stacked eggshell containers that won't topple over.

Balance a stack of eggshells with a magnet for a tiny Easter design

28 June 2017 Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf

22 April 2015 Dowel ring flower holder for the most delicate of stems

The most delicate of stems often disappear in a design. this is an easy way to display really delicate flowering stems without overwhelming them

Favourite Flowers

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, Boat Orchid

Related Designs

10 October 2018 From A... for Acer to Z… for Zantedeschia

This week we look at the design featured in the Flower Guide Chapter at the very end of my book

8 January 2020 Rest a bit here

Gently curve a shallow area with a leaf to showcase a gorgeous flower with a short stem in a water filled vase

7 June 2023 Be excited

Oh my! Picked from my balcony garden... after I thought I completely missed it blooming.

5 July 2023 The Wiggle Is Part Of The Plan

A easy going summer design that makes full use of the imperfections you harvest from your cut garden.

30 July 2014 See you around

Weave a few spheres to create a simple design

1 April 2015 The Space Between

Traditional Hana-Kubari flower mechanic

28 March 2018 Walking on eggshells

Fill eggshells with moss to create an upright container... with a surprising balancing trick.

28 June 2017 Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids

22 April 2015 Toiling

Convert a dowel stick into a container for delicate flower stems