Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Just hatched willow twig egg armature

Craft a cracked egg shape armature for an Easter display.

Delicate snow willow twirl around a growing Slipper orchid plant display

Arrange sprouting willow twigs to twirl and frame a beautiful Paphiopedilum (slipper) orchid

Bring out the pretty spots on the lip of this tiny orchid with a dotted twig stump armature

Create a delicate floating and natural display without using floral foam with a twig frog armature.

Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!

Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.

Making light of a heavy, heavy pumpkin in double low containers for a zero waste kitchen pumpkin display… a few days before Thanksgiving

A great way to show off your Thanksgiving pumpkin before cooking it… keeping the pumpkin well above and out of the water so that it will not rot and you can easily remove it from the design when you are ready.

A green plaited willow way-over for small flower details

Here it is: the first of my first autumn harvest of willow from my willow coppice I am growing in my balcony garden. It is working spectacularly well!

Light as air puffy grass and elegantly curved gladiolus summer display that hints at all things pumpkin

Create two separate containers to minimize clutter in a light and airy floral display.

Curve fountain grass... a bit... or a lot... and how to choose grass that is straight for more height

Curving long and elegantly sweeping purple fountain grass

Figure eight willow spacer for a water tube in a double vase display

Create a bit of a buffer to keep a water tube upright in a light and airy suspended display.

Dangling Quaking Grass drops threaded through a hydrangea flower head for support

A quick craft with quaking grass to turn it into dangling droplets.

Coiled Spring and Wreath flower frog

Wind vines into an all natural armature to display your first of many... perfect... Spring flowers.

A secret and so pretty stay open support for a growing willow birdcage

Grow your own willow birdcage in a small pot to display Spring flowers in.

Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog

Create a little grid that fits the stems exactly to position them above and below water in a large container.

Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers

Placing gladiolus stems horizontally so that the stems... disappear.

Knot a vine wreath and ripped grass bug net

Simply easy design... with tiny design details to make your summer display unique.

Foxtail wreath frog with a leg in water

Twirl the fern into a wreath so that it can remain hydrated.

Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket

Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.

Willow disk frog

Dried willow shaped to create a disk to keep your floral details in place in a vase with water.

Using European OASIS floral glue to secure floral details… yes! It makes a difference

Securing the most delicate of design details successfully has a lot to do with what glue you use. But what glue is even more complicated than just brand.

Copper Pepper Berry Wreath

Wire pepper berries to a wreath

Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together

All you need is a few twigs to craft this design- it's a perfect floral meditation activity.

Baby’s Breath Wave Cascade

Easy and quick arrangement to do for summer in a vase... with just enough complexity to make you feel real good about yourself.

A radiating, gradient carnation design in a shallow container

A bit of Kenzan support for a floating shallow container design

Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath

Using branches pruned from a fruit tree... with a few dried flowers and just a few orchids to make a fresh Spring design.

Pot-scrubber copper wire curls and autumn twig twirls bud vase toppers

A quick solution for a minimal horizontal autumn display -on top of bud vases.

Floral wreath ring stem armature for a cute pumpkin patch in a stem vase design

Use a wreath to keep flower and a heavy little ghost pumpkin in place in a small vase.

Twig float for a single lemon blossom

This design is all about that line there where the water meets the lemon blossom stem...

Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.

Overgrown vine tangle to suspend flowers in a clear vase

A zero waste and sustainable floral design solution to keep your flowers exactly where you want them without using floral foam.

Knot a Lavender chain link necklace or floral crown

This is without a doubt the quickest and easiest floral project on my entire site. And rather fun to do. I make these.. all... the... time!

Impossibly delicate Dancing Lady orchid wreath

Weave a wreath around a cardboard circle to create an almost lace effect... perfect to capture those first signs of Spring!

Weave a small wreath in the side twig of a willow branch to keep a flower in place in your design

This is both a decorative and functional design solution. But most importantly, I think, there is absolutely zero waste.

Twig Dome Armature

Crafted from a hand full of twigs to give you a large design... even though you add only two stems of sweet peas.

Willow and Rose heart armature

Weave willow stems into a heart shaped armature.

Eucalyptus tinsel garland

Wire seeded Eucalyptus into a long tinsel garland.

Create a break in a willow twig to support a flower stem

Break a willow twig at and angle to support your flowers

Wisteria Wreath Vine

Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine

Wisteria Vine Wreath Armature

Create a barely there armature with sturdy end of season vines.

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

Tap in a Twig Support

Wedge snipped twigs into a glass vase to act as a support for your flowers

Acorn fork

Wire and glue a few acorns into the fork of a twig to create an Autumn armature

Pierce and stack fall leaves to rest on the edge of a container

Use one leaf to keep the next in place

Willow Paddle

Weave willow between the fork in a twig to create a paddle like armature

Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

Designing an odd one out wreath

Adding floral material to a wreath design

Three Twig Bundle Braid

Braid bundles of twigs to create an armature for flowers to dance in

A little nest for Easter chocolates that naturally hooks over the edge of a container

Weave a tiny nest with a twig hook so that you can hang it in a design

Chain-link string and twig armature

By removing every other twig you open up space for larger flowers to nestle in

"I found it this way" demonstration Floral art Structures: Twig Tangles

For my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club, I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles and we discussed the importance of a stable structure as a foundation to a structural design. The twig tangles create a basic armature for the designs to be suspended from. Each design is crafted that it almost looks like a foraged or ‘found” natural object

Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

Hanging Willow Nest

Bend and weave a nest shape from fresh willow stems

Weave green strips of willow bark into a nest

Strip bark from willow to eave and set into a shape

Stripping bark from willow sticks

Strip the green bark from the stems to expose the smooth wood

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

Free standing Willow twig armature with a hidden water source

Cut a few willow twigs to split to create legs for the armature

Willow Spring

Set willow tips into a spiral to create a spring design

Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open

Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

Twist ivy vines around a cardboard shape to create a lace fine Christmas tree mobile.

Willow Heart Wand

Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without breaking it.

Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave

Natural stem hook to hang plant material from

Side stems of branches can be used as hooks to hang floral material in a design.

Weave a willow twig blind

Weave twigs in parallel to create a twig blind with strong but natural horizontal lines.

Wind Spinner

My inspiration for my Harnessing the Wind design was a wind spinner.

I Break For Beauty

A cracked Easter Egg willow armature for hiding some treats...

Snow to report!

A snowy lady slipper plant displayed to enjoy for as long as possible.

Spot on!

Connect the dots with round willow cuts and the spotted lip of the tiniest mini miniature Phalaenopsis orchids

Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket

As light as a super thankful pumpkin

Create a almost wreath floral display that is light and airy... looking like it was just harvested.

Brewing some inspiration

Autumn harvest willow for a double the pretty plaited flower support

And what are you supposed to be?

... a hint of a pumpkin late summer floral display to show off the elegant curve of a gladiolus flower stem.

springy, Spring, spring

Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!

A Stay Open

Grow a willow birdcage... with a bit of a Spring flower support to get it started.

I mean… really!?!

Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.

Look at me… doing math!

Adding our own "bit" to our floral design work.

Catch and Release

Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?

everywhere IS nature

A lush wreath that remains green so that you can design once... and cut and cut and place your violas to make sure you have flowers all season long.

Short Cut

A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.

Of the shades to come

This design requires a bit of prep-time so it is perfect to make while waiting for the first autumn leaf to appear…

You Say Tomato I Say Tomato

Tiny tomato vine design to celebrate Summer.

Coppepeppepepper wreath

Wire dried pepper berries to a wreath with super fancy flat wire (okay... it's the humble wire from a copper pot scrubber but it still looks fancy!)

Linked This Way

A fun way to elevate a few bud vases into a display.

Making Waves

A quick and easy to do cascade design for summer.

It’s up there

Whether it’s a solid foot for floating flowers, the tips of new growth or the curve of a dried twig your design needs help to stay upright.

First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.

Because that is just how I roll

A tumbling fall leaf design making use of the autumn leaves that are already falling to the ground.

Let’s circle around to this one

Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.

Spare a Moment

A tranquil design that just takes a moment to do... when you need to take a moment to... breathe.

End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.

All Out

An all out effective way of keeping a flower stem in the exact spot you want it to be in a clear water vase design.

be MINDFUL of the invisible stuff you add

Left over flowers and off-cuts are ideal to transform into a quick floral crown or necklace. This is the absolute easiest design, yet!

On-Spring-dium

A almost impossibly delicate oncidium (dancing lady) orchid wreath.

Transition into Fall

A sustainable, absolutely no waste floral design using willow to suspend your flower head in your arrangement.

… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special

Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?

Pick Love

Craft a willow heart to display 12 red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day.

One New Year’s Wish

Wire a sparkling tinsel garland to dress up a single, elegant Arum lily.

Crafting

The second design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.

For just this moment… let’s take a break

Simplicity to showcase the perfection of the Lisianthus buds

Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines

Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in

Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.

How do squirrels Cache a tree?

Hoard a few acorns in the fork of a twig to show off a single oncidium orchid.

A Round

Create a delicate design that rests lightly on the edge of a container

When the pretty eyeballs you back!

Barely there skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyes for my Halloween design... Oh! and a Willow Paddle, which probably should have been the main Tutorial... but... well...

As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

Link

weave a few wreaths to link

Oh just...

Braid a few twigs to dance around your flowers

Well… we did it again!

Blossoms and chocolates for Easter

Look at you!

Tie twigs to shape a hanging armature

New Year's Wreath

Decorate an artificial wreath with fresh flowers and frosted twigs

There are Octobers

Autumn wreath

You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Practice

Weave a willow bird nest

One tug

Weave willow bark strips into a nest and weave a bird from flax

Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

That Will Be

Freestanding willow twig armature design

Celebrate!

A closer look at my design at the 20th anniversary of Canada Blooms and The Toronto Flower Show

Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems

Love Spell

Weave willow to create a heart shaped wand design

In a State of Flow

weave some willow to use as an armature

'Tis the Season

My article looking at contrasts and 6 winter lantern designs featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

Flower Girl’s Butterfly Net and Ring Bearer Bug Box

Two fairy tale design details that will capture the imagination of even the youngest members of your wedding party. A tiny bug box to carry your rings in for the ring bearer and a small butterfly net filled with confetti petals for a small flower girl to scatter down the aisle. This DIY projects were fashioned for the DIY Weddings Magazine

Three Drops of Floral Chocolate

The design drips down in three tiers each celebrating life, love and connection.

On The Street Where You Live

A floral design snapshot of what it looks like when walking down the streets of Vancouver this week.

Thanksgiving Harvest

Thanksgiving pumpkin with Chinese lanterns and spiral blossoms

Harnessing the Wind

Glass

A small pane of glass connects the top and the bottom of the design

"A New Age" Child's Midnight Meander (Avatar)

A New Age Child's Midnight Meander

The Plant Material used in the Demonstration

I wanted my design to feature mostly growing plants- creating a natural display on the supernatural wreath.

The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an attachment to my vine wreaths. This post features four designs using the same wreaths.

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

I wove three willow spheres for my Floral Art design Three Drops of floral chocolate.