Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Stripping foliage from weaving stems
- 11 February 2015
- click to send Christine a smile
- and more
Before weaving you want to remove all the foliage from the willow stems. This is the fastest way. Wear gloves if you need to strip many stems to protect your hands
Cup your hand lightly over the stem that you want to strip and move from the tip of the stem down to gently remove all the leaves and side shoots
The delicate stems bend down and simply snaps off cleanly
Sign up for my weekly newsletter
Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.
Favourite Flowers
Curly Willow, Chinese Willow, Tortured Willow, Globe Willow, Dragon's Claw, Hankow Willow
Related Designs
A floral design snapshot of what it looks like when walking down the streets of Vancouver this week.
The design drips down in three tiers each celebrating life, love and connection.
This was my first Floral Art Demonstration as a member of the South African Flower Union and the World Association of Flower Arrangers
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...
I wanted my design to feature mostly growing plants- creating a natural display on the supernatural wreath.
My article looking at contrasts and 6 winter lantern designs featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine
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...
Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
A closer look at my design at the 20th anniversary of Canada Blooms and The Toronto Flower Show
Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
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...
Hoard a few acorns in the fork of a twig to show off a single oncidium orchid.
Simplicity to showcase the perfection of the Lisianthus buds
The second design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.
Wire a sparkling tinsel garland to dress up a single, elegant Arum lily.
Craft a willow heart to display 12 red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?
A sustainable, absolutely no waste floral design using willow to suspend your flower head in your arrangement.
Left over flowers and off-cuts are ideal to transform into a quick floral crown or necklace. This is the absolute easiest design, yet!
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.
Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.
A tranquil design that just takes a moment to do... when you need to take a moment to... breathe.
Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.
A tumbling fall leaf design making use of the autumn leaves that are already falling to the ground.
Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.
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.
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!)
This design requires a bit of prep-time so it is perfect to make while waiting for the first autumn leaf to appear…
A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.
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.
Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?
Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.
Grow a willow birdcage... with a bit of a Spring flower support to get it started.
Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!
... a hint of a pumpkin late summer floral display to show off the elegant curve of a gladiolus flower stem.
Autumn harvest willow for a double the pretty plaited flower support
Create a almost wreath floral display that is light and airy... looking like it was just harvested.
