Skewered Foliage Garland

I purchase a huge roll of sisal string to use... sometimes as string, but mostly I unravel it for the fibers

Wrap thin, glue soaked sisal fibers around a balloon or ball to create a barely there armature

The sturdy Protea leaves holds it shape even when dried when pinned into place

Customize sisal armatures by adding a wire skeleton and interesting bits of plant material

Create a garland that dries well with rolled up leaves

Peel away the tepals and bracts from a Protea flower hear to make a large composite flower orb

This is a fast and easy way to hang test tubes in a design

Up-cycle a pot scrubber to get a huge roll of very pretty copper wire

Make baubles from wire

curl wire to add to designs

Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant

When in doubt, always give your armature three legs. Two legs are simply not enough and four legs will wobble if it is even slightly off balance.

Add a dangling garland of twigs to the design

Thread thin wire with tiny beads

Using fruit, berries, flowers, leaves and grasses to naturally stain design details for floral art relies on the same techniques as using paint or any other dye.

Apart from avoiding the noise popping a balloon makes this is also a less violent way to deflate a balloon when you make Papier Mache items

Mix Sisal fibers and glue to make a bubble

Create a inflexible circle armature to hang flowers from

A design demonstration and workshop at the Floral Trends Design group in South Africa exploring how we emulate nature’s best biological ideas to solve our modern day design...

Looking back at the preparations and my Biomimicry design demonstration and workshop at the Floral Trends Design Group in South Africa

Skewer some Eucalyptus to suspend between the orchids

Tucked into the box with every advance copy of the book, the effortless floral craftsman is a packet of clips. This design and Tutorial is a bit of inspiration... what will you...

Quick and easy: Stack autumn leaves onto a wire for a... tiny table top Christmas tree.

Fold and thread an autumn leaf armature for a thankful Thanksgiving design

Skewer a few leaves to turn a single carnation in a bud vase... into an occasion... all by itself!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.

Adding the smallest details to absolutely make the design.

Creating a bit of space in a summer design to allow for the plant material to naturally fall as it wants.

A sticky shooting star made with gypsophila stems and fluffy dandelion seeds

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...

Glue a sisal bubble for a few delicate flowers to rest in

Create an armature design outside the vase

My RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 Limelight Floral Art Design. My Limelight design was inspired by a slice of lime. But I wanted it to look like it was spun by a butterfly. I used...

A sisal mat armature for fall twigs flowers and leaves