Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Tap in a thorn support for a delicate flower stem and twirling tendrils
- 2 July 2025
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Remove the foliage from a sturdy (thorn covered) rose stem
Measure your stem so that it fits into a thick walled glass display container.
... measure it again just to make sure.
Your stem should fit snugly in a water filled container. Make sure the display container can handle the stem kicking against the sides. Really wedge the stem in there so that it will not come undone. And press it down deep enough that the thorns are below the water line...
We will use one of the thorns to peg the flower into place.
Remove the foliage from a passion fruit vine...
Place the vine in deep water to allow the tendrils to curl.
These tendrils are wonderfully dramatic, right? I have a trick for you to grow them to be this dramatic. This week in our email I also tell you how you can trigger the tendrils to start twirling into a spiral. I send out a notification email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) to let you know when the latest design is ready to view and I include a small detail for you to use as inspiration even before viewing the design. The sign up is below this post.
Roll the fully hydrated vine so that it can be placed into the container at an angle without it flopping over.
Slip the rolled vine into the container and make sure the cut stem end is pointing down into the water so that it will remain hydrated.
Use the thorn to keep the flower stem in position. Be careful the rose thorn becomes wider towards the stem and will split the flower stem. Instead use just minimal force when pegging the flower stem and gently spear the stem just deep enough for the stem to remain upright. If you make a mistake cut the flower stem to give you a fresh start and try again.
If you are trying this for the first time, it might even be worth it to cut the stem too long. Pierce the stem and see if you like the position. Then when you are happy with how it will look cut the stem as long as you require and position it into the design.
Book readers turn to page 219, if you are curious about piercing plant material to add into a design. For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman
Add in another vine (if you feel you need a little something more...) and adjust the tendrils to complete the design.
I am finishing off my design with a few dew drop crystals.
See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions.
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