My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Sunflower heart autumn display

Place three bud vases in a display container

Place three bud vases in a display container. Fill the vases with water.

Pick out the petals of a sunflower

Pick out the petals of a sunflower... or three.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to expose the disk floret of a flower.

Measure the sunflower stems next to the vases

Measure and cut the sunflower stems. They should be short enough so that the flower head rests on the edge of the vases creating a platform.

Place the sunflowers in the vases

Place the sunflowers in the vases.

Place a pretty twig to cross over the sunflower

Place a pretty twig to cross over the sunflower.

As always, look at the twig. The colour mirrors both the red foliage I am gong to add and the green of the sunflowers- perfect to tie the design together.

For a dramatic look extend the twigs well beyond the flowers

For a dramatic look extend the twigs well beyond the flowers.

Glue in tiny water tubes

Glue in tiny water tubes.

Book readers: if you want more ideas of how to add water tubes to designs- not only positions but also creative things that you can use as water tubes, including one particular one that is sooooo fun that my editor wrote me a note saying "no way! I never thought of doing that!" turn to page: 184 to 197 (the tip that my editor wrote about is on page 197... the last one)

To learn how I make my own little water tubes see the Tutorial below.

Place the orchids in the water tubes to make sure they remain hydrated

Place the orchids in the water tubes to make sure they remain hydrated.

Glue in a red chilly and a green one

Glue in a red chilly pepper and a smaller green one.

Glue in dried Autumn leaves

Glue in dried Autumn leaves...

This week in my newsletter I show you my special tip for how I glue these needle thin stems to stay just so in my designs. Every week I take one aspect of my design and discuss it in more detail in my once a week notification email. This also gives you the opportunity to reply to the email if you have any questions or tips to share so that we can connect. Make sure you are signed up before next Wednesday when I send out the next email. These tips are only available to subscribers.

Finish the design by adding a few dew drop crystals

Finish the design by adding a few dew drop crystals... see the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions.

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

Tutorials

13 August 2014 Sunflower Disk Floret

Gently pull the petals ( Ray floret) from the seeded part of the sunflower

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

31 July 2019 Adding folded grass "jitters" to a Sunflower

Adding tension to a design with a grass frame and collar.

23 May 2018 Trailing Ceropegia woodii vines from a Heliconia flower

Set the rosary vines into the natural cavity of the flower head.

3 July 2012 Twig mushroom

Stack and wire a twig mushroom armature

8 May 2019 Fill a trumpet shaped flower cup with... more flowers!

A hidden water source small enough to fit into a dainty flower.

5 November 2014 Acorn inspired Autumn leaf armature

Dry fall leaves to create a ball shape structure

31 January 2018 Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head

Create a contrasting base to lift the heavy flower-head to design in

13 August 2014 Standing flowering stems in shallow puddles

Making a truss out of sunflower stems for a free standing design

31 October 2018 Spider-mum

Craft a spider from twigs and a chrysanthemum

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

21 October 2020 When it gets chilly

Use the heart of a sunflower as a platform to place your autumn floral details on.

14 July 2021 Light as a Kite

Spike a wire frame into a disk floret for a light summer design.

31 July 2019 Jitters!

Zig-zag grass details add a bit of tension to the design

23 May 2018 In Summer!

A contemporary cascade of rosary vine and dried petals.

3 July 2012 Twig-a-tude

Stack and wire twigs to create a twig mushroom with attitude for summer

8 May 2019 It takes more than one person to invent a trumpet!

Filling a trumpet flower cup... with more flowers!

5 November 2014 All In One

dry autumn leaves into an acorn shape

31 January 2018 Rock, don't Roll

Balance the heavy Protea flower head to lean against a rock.

13 August 2014 A leg to stand on

Create a upright design by supporting the flowering stems

31 October 2018 Scary stuff!

My Halloween design... with some scary stuff hidden if you can read between the leaves!