My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

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

Cut a few sturdy sticks at a very sharp angle

This makes it easier to pierce the leaf without ripping it.

Roll the leaf. I used Dracaena leaves for my design

Skewer the leaf with the sharp stick

Skewer the leaf with another sharp stick

Place a tiny test tube to sit upright between the two sticks. Fill with water and add fresh flowers

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Tutorials
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Autumn Leaf Rosette
11 November 2012
Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.
Rolling leaf tubes
23 March 2013
Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature
Cut spiked flower stems and foliage into short sections
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 blunt stem.
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design
10 August 2016
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design

Cut short bamboo lengths to keep your flower material upright in a shallow and narrow container
Autumn leaf Roses
6 September 2011
Autumn leaf Roses

I used to make baskets full of these when I was a little girl. We had a big Acasia thorn tree and I used to spear my “roses” onto the tree pretending I was the fairy responsible for bringing blossoms.
Protect your “mercury” glass vases with a reusable lining when using wire as a mechanic
16 October 2024
Protect your “mercury” glass vases with a reusable lining when using wire as a mechanic

How to protect glass vases from scratching when using wire as a mechanic
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden
28 August 2024
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden

Give a summer look to a leaf roll by lifting the middle slightly out like an ice cream.
Firethorns join two leaves for an edgy support for a tall flower stem
14 August 2024
Firethorns join two leaves for an edgy support for a tall flower stem

Thorns are a great way to spear (and keep) design details into position.
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick
15 May 2024
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick

Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.
How to skewer foliage tubes for a lily bud swirl support
18 May 2022
How to skewer foliage tubes for a lily bud swirl support

Ombre designing with the smallest to the biggest lily buds in a shallow container.
How to position the tiniest Spring stems using the hole in the side of a beaker wall vase
20 April 2022
How to position the tiniest Spring stems using the hole in the side of a beaker wall vase

The tiny stems tend to flop about making it difficult to place your design... just so. This is such a great solution!
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones
30 March 2022
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones

Quick and easy design... perfect for something tiny to celebrate spring.... everywhere!
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design
6 January 2021
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.
Skewer and thread a double layer foliage ruffle collar to slip over a bud vase
27 May 2020
Skewer and thread a double layer foliage ruffle collar to slip over a bud vase

An easy to do and quick to add decorative detail to dress up contemporary floral designs.
Leaf-puddle for a short stem in a big vase
8 January 2020
Leaf-puddle for a short stem in a big vase

Add a leaf to a large-ish vase to create a small puddle of water for your short flower stem to rest in.
Autumn leaf Christmas tree stack
24 October 2018
Autumn leaf Christmas tree stack

Stack autumn leaves, from big to small to look like a tiny Christmas tree
Single blade wrap armature
10 October 2018
Single blade wrap armature

Fold a single blade of grass or slender leaf around a small container to stand your flower in position
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds
27 June 2018
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.
Stacked eggshell containers that won't topple over.
28 March 2018
Stacked eggshell containers that won't topple over.

Balance a stack of eggshells with a magnet for a tiny Easter design
Bubble raft to float flowers
3 January 2012
Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.
Related Designs
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class
12 April 2011
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class

Floral Sushi Dinner, for two
Happy Easter!
21 April 2011
Happy Easter!

Spring "Ice cream" posy with a Banana Leaf "cone"
Leaves by Hundreds came
11 November 2012
Leaves by Hundreds came

A rosette of fall leaves to celebrate the beauty of autumn
Today I'll be
23 March 2013
Today I'll be

Silhouette design using glasses filled with water
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
Saved up
10 August 2016
Saved up

Cut lengths of bamboo to place in a shallow container as a flower frog
And there you glow
16 October 2024
And there you glow

A glowing autumn display of vases to scatter around every here and there.
Soft Serve Swirl
28 August 2024
Soft Serve Swirl

A nod to a summer filled with flowers... and the quite possibly the last of the season flowers still there to be picked.
everything in one
14 August 2024
everything in one

Connect a unit of leaves... and a pretty floppy stem with thorns.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on
15 May 2024
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on

Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.
Because Why
18 May 2022
Because Why

Adding the smallest details to absolutely make the design.
Oh this? Yes! it is new
20 April 2022
Oh this? Yes! it is new

New growth... too cute to resist!
Cone of Gratitude
30 March 2022
Cone of Gratitude

Sweet spring design to hold some buds
I tip my (flower) cap!
6 January 2021
I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.
Take a Stab at it
27 May 2020
Take a Stab at it

Skewer a few leaves to turn a single carnation in a bud vase... into an occasion... all by itself!
Rest a bit here
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
It all stacks up
24 October 2018
It all stacks up

Quick and easy: Stack autumn leaves onto a wire for a... tiny table top Christmas tree.
From A... for Acer to Z… for Zantedeschia
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
Look deep
27 June 2018
Look deep

Curl foliage to use as a natural armature for delicate buds.
Walking on eggshells
28 March 2018
Walking on eggshells

Fill eggshells with moss to create an upright container... with a surprising balancing trick.
Somewhere in the Middle
28 June 2017
Somewhere in the Middle

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