My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Tangle a perfect vine around two wreaths for a split armature

Weave two small wreaths

Weave two small wreaths.

Remove the foliage from a vine

Remove the foliage from a vine.

Place the vine in a bud vase.

Place the vine in a bud vase filled with water.

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Thread the vine through the first wreath

Thread the vine through the first wreath so that it extends to the other side.

Place the other wreath on the opposite side of the vase

Place the other wreath on the opposite side of the vase.

Make a wreath sandwich

Design note: You are basically making a wreath sandwich... with the vine in the middle.

Carefully curve the vine and slip it through both the wreaths

Carefully curve the vine and slip it through both the wreaths...

Pull the vine all the way through to wind it around the wreaths

Pull the vine all the way through to wind it around the wreaths...

Carefully curve the vine over the wreaths and again wind it through the wreath

Carefully curve the vine over the wreaths and again wind it through the wreath...

Wind the vine around the opening of the vase

Wind the vine around the opening of the vase...

And around the other side.

And around the other side so that the wreath rests on the vase and are held in place by the fresh vine.

Continue to wind the vine around the two wreaths

Continue to wind the vine around the two wreaths. Take care not to break off any flower buds or tendrils.

Design note: with any luck this vine will even root... if you keep topping up the water.

Make sure the tendrils are twirling freely

Make sure the tendrils are twirling freely and reposition any tendril so that they look healthy and flourishing.

Finish the design with a few dew drop crystals

Finish the design with a few dew drop crystals

Book readers: Turn to page 378 for a larger version of this design. Did you notice the floating crystals. On page 379 you can see how I did that.

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

Tutorials

19 February 2013 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...

1 November 2011 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...

25 March 2020 Finally! I found a perfect way to perfectly preserve a perfect passion fruit flower.

Yay everyone! I found the absolute best way to preserve passion fruit flowers. Here it is: how to dry flowers using Silica Gel.

10 June 2020 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.

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

4 May 2016 Loosened Wreath Armature

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

24 May 2017 Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

18 April 2018 Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

5 September 2018 Wisteria Wreath Vine

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

11 September 2019 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.

25 February 2015 Balancing a Twirled Willow Armature

Twirl twigs to create a balanced nest to display the beautiful orchids on

Favourite Flowers

Passiflora

Granadilla, passionflower, passion vines

Related Designs

19 August 2020 All round pretty sweet and short

Frame a passion flower in a vine wreath for a short lived but so pretty arrangement.

16 September 2020 The circle of making new things:

A wreath armature design for early Autumn... this takes the split armature Tutorial I showed you last month a little bit further.

7 April 2021 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.

23 June 2021 Over Easy

A cooling design to celebrate the summer solstice.

2 August 2023 here… from … my little corner… of the world wide web

Weave a web of jasmine vine to support orchid stems

18 September 2024 Finding balance

Balancing dried ribbons of foliage to craft a wind twisted floral display.

10 June 2020 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.

4 May 2016 Ring-a-round

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

8 March 2017 Piece of the forest

Standing roses upright in a shallow container

24 May 2017 Link

weave a few wreaths to link

7 February 2018 Up around the bend

Bend Equisetum into curves to wire into an open wreath shape

18 April 2018 Swing Vine

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

5 September 2018 Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines

11 September 2019 Transition into Fall

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

25 February 2015 Just So

Twirl a few willow twigs to create a balanced armature to display orchids