My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Tap in a Twig Support

Choose your container carefully. This technique puts a lot of strain on the vase and if it is not sturdy it will crack or break.

Cut fresh pussy willow twigs to fit snugly in a narrow container.

Measure each twig as you go along to make sure it wedges securely in the position you want it in.

For about half of my container I placed the twigs in a parallel pattern

For the rest of the container I placed the twigs to look like they were randomly scattered in the container.

Place the tulip stems so that they are supported by the twigs to gracefully drape over the container.

Adjust the position of the twigs by tapping it into position with a dowel and hammer...

Be careful to just tap the twigs lightly so that they do not pop out of position or crack the container.

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Tutorials
Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs
11 May 2011
Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs

Tulips continue to grow after being cut. Sometimes when you make a very small design or for competition or bridal work you want to minimize growth. The best way to do this is to divert their energy.
Prevent scratches, rust and water stains on display surfaces
17 July 2012
Prevent scratches, rust and water stains on display surfaces

This is a great, non permanent way to protect surfaces from damage
Contained rose twig stack
6 September 2017
Contained rose twig stack

Glue the twigs in a container to easily follow the round shape
Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave
28 January 2015
Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave

Weave a sprouting armature
Stripping foliage from weaving stems
11 February 2015
Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with
Sprouting willow armature
27 January 2016
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
Skewered Eucalyptus leaf line-up armature
10 May 2017
Skewered Eucalyptus leaf line-up armature

Thread leaves through wire
Baby’s Tears spill-over for a water-drop vase
7 May 2025
Baby’s Tears spill-over for a water-drop vase

Spend a bit of time styling the Pilea Glauca in your container... well worth it! It will root and you can simply replace the flowers (in their own secret water source) as needed.
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy
23 April 2025
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy

Gently pop the petals of a mature tulip back to open up the flower... to add another flower, of course!
A growing Paperwhite paperweight to secure twirling passion fruit vines under water
8 January 2025
A growing Paperwhite paperweight to secure twirling passion fruit vines under water

This design takes a few weeks to make... but lasts a few weeks longer growing and evolving all on its own.
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display
25 September 2024
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display

A tiny adjustment in a stem wedged into a vase mechanic to give you even more control over the placement of design details.
Use Firethorn spears for a Vine and Orchid twist support
17 July 2024
Use Firethorn spears for a Vine and Orchid twist support

Sharp thorns can be used to keep your floral details in place
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers
9 August 2023
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers

Placing gladiolus stems horizontally so that the stems... disappear.
Frond Support for short stemmed flowers
12 July 2023
Frond Support for short stemmed flowers

Create an all natural fern grid to arrange your flowers for a summer display.
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.
1 June 2022
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.

Glue an overgrown thorn armature to a container to display fully opened tulips
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design
19 January 2022
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design

Bring in some warmth with a tulip design that still hints at winter
Floral Raft in a Bottle
7 July 2021
Floral Raft in a Bottle

Float flowers in a bottle by giving each flower their own little bubble wrap raft-skirt.
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog
24 March 2021
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog

Craft an everything is still growing spring design to celebrate... what we love!
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design
20 January 2021
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring
Curve a feather
20 January 2021
Curve a feather

A small adjustment to the shape of the feather creates a more whimsical look.
Twig float for a single lemon blossom
5 August 2020
Twig float for a single lemon blossom

This design is all about that line there where the water meets the lemon blossom stem...
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem
1 April 2020
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem

A clever almost concealed wire support to keep a single tulip flower upright in a minimal bud design.
Stack a Stack of Stems to create a sturdy grid Armature... with some height
5 June 2019
Stack a Stack of Stems to create a sturdy grid Armature... with some height

Stack green lily stems to create an upright mechanic to keep shorter stems in place.
Willow and Rose heart armature
13 February 2019
Willow and Rose heart armature

Weave willow stems into a heart shaped armature.
Related Designs
So far so green
17 July 2012
So far so green

The only thing I needed to make these avocado green arums perfect was a small admirer...
Hide-and-go-peek
17 April 2013
Hide-and-go-peek

Create a soft light by making a leaf cocoon for a flameless candle
One of those difficult questions
6 September 2017
One of those difficult questions

Glue a bunch of twigs inside a container to create a round stack
In a State of Flow
28 January 2015
In a State of Flow

weave some willow to use as an armature
Well, I'll be
27 January 2016
Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
About a line
10 May 2017
About a line

Skewer and line up leaves to create an armature
A Buzzin’
23 April 2025
A Buzzin’

Just like a buzzing bee... give a mature Tulip a Phalaenopsis orchid buddy to keep it company.
this IS new
8 January 2025
this IS new

Growing a design... all new... and fresh and blooming well into New Year.
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn
25 September 2024
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn

Using summery floral details in a way that it gives you all the autumn feelings... when autumn details are not yet out.
Refresh-ing
17 July 2024
Refresh-ing

A tall vase for a short orchid stem summer design
Look at me… doing math!
9 August 2023
Look at me… doing math!

Adding our own "bit" to our floral design work.
Standing in frond
12 July 2023
Standing in frond

Standing your delicate flower stems in a fern frond.
Why When
1 February 2023
Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out
Found it!
1 June 2022
Found it!

A very secure thorn branch armature to hold overgrown Tulips in place
Thaw
19 January 2022
Thaw

It's Tulip Season! Perfect for that "it's still winter ... but is that something green I see...?" mood designs.
Do and Don'ts
7 July 2021
Do and Don'ts

One of my trusty tried and tested techniques. When the going gets hot... float your flowers!
To two too!
24 March 2021
To two too!

A Spring Tulip celebration design... with a special message
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
Spare a Moment
5 August 2020
Spare a Moment

A tranquil design that just takes a moment to do... when you need to take a moment to... breathe.
Hang in there!
1 April 2020
Hang in there!

Keeping this tulip upright requires less magic and more hot glue skills... but it looks magical never the less.
Add up!
5 June 2019
Add up!

Stacking green stems to create an armature for short stemmed flowers.
Pick Love
13 February 2019
Pick Love

Craft a willow heart to display 12 red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

Plaited tulips in my I’ve got my head in the clouds design.