My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Twig snippet pillar armature

Use a box or a Styrofoam shape as a template for your design size. Cut a large bunch of twigs into snippets to create a cage around the shape. You will need to glue two shapes to combine to create the design.

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on a really easy way to snap twigs without struggling to make the cut.

The idea is to follow the shape closely. Build it up by gluing twigs to other twigs at, at least three points to make sure it is strong enough to keep the shape and carry weight once the flowers are added.

Design Note: Glue the twigs to other twigs. Make sure not to get any glue on the shape so that you can lift away the shape easily without damaging the armature.

Glue more twigs to the one half of the shape and let it open up towards the other side. This is purely decorative. I wanted my pillar to have a visual gap in the middle.

Start to glue twigs to the bottom edge of the shape...

Design note: I am using these twigs to glue only 3 sides of each shape. Towards the end of the Tutorial I will glue in snow covered twigs to design the front of the shape.

Once the shape is filled in with twigs move on to the sides...

Again add less twigs as you glue them to the top part of the shape.

Remove the twigs from the shape and set aside so that you can start on the other half.

Pack and glue the twigs around the shape...

Following the edges carefully...

So that the shape is a neat box once you remove the twigs.

Lift the shape away...

To combine the two sides.

Glue in twigs that reaches over the gap... but only on the sides.

Make sure each twig is connected at three places to another twig to create a really strong armature.

Newsletter subscribers: I have a bonus tip for you this week about choosing the position of these twigs. It's one of those... "oh that makes a huge difference!" tips that disappears when you do it right but really distracts when you get it wrong. Make sure to subscribe if you are not yet receiving your weekly email.

Place twigs on the display container to create a platform for the pillar to stand on.

Again... remember to glue the twigs to the twigs and not to the container so that you can move it if need be.

Now that you have a solid platform it is easy to fit the pillar armature on the four twigs so that it stands upright on its own.

Slowly lower the twig pillar onto the four twigs and glue it where it naturally connects.

Glue in a few twigs to conceal the platform so that it forms a unit with the pillar.

Now the fun starts... it is time to put your stamp on your design. These are the tiny little details that matters the most. Book readers... this is your moment to shine. How do you show off your effortless style?

For my design I added more delicate branches to the front of my design... made even more delicate with a light dusting of snow.

See the Tutorial section below for more detailed instructions on how I add snow to the twigs.

Glue in the snow covered twigs to the front opening of the pillar shape.

Place the first few larger snow covered twigs to look like blossom branches leaving some gaps for you to add the orchids. You can again add twigs over the orchids to complete the design.

Book readers: Turn to page 276 where I mention how to really observe nature for a design example. This will help you see where to place these twigs.

Glue in water tubes to keep the orchids hydrated. I make these from drinking straws. See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to make your own.

Finish the design by adding the flowers.

Make sure you position flowers to sit to the front, some way to the back and some floating in the middle of the pillar to make full use of the dimension you create by boxing in the twigs like this. Glue a few snow covered twigs to shape around and over the orchids and add a few crystals (if it suits your design taste)

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Tutorials
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Adding snow to twigs
28 December 2016
Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs
Blow away hot glue strands
24 July 2012
Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
Twig Tumbler
8 January 2014
Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape
Square Twig Cube
21 May 2014
Square Twig Cube

Glue twigs together to create a cube armature
Jiyek Braiding a Pussy Willow Twig Blind
25 March 2015
Jiyek Braiding a Pussy Willow Twig Blind

A design inspired by traditional Jiyek braiding techniques
Twig Cell phone Charging Station Centrepiece
24 June 2015
Twig Cell phone Charging Station Centrepiece

Create an arched design to hide the electrical outlet for a cell phone charging station
Disk Twig Armature
29 July 2015
Disk Twig Armature

Glue a few wigs to follow the shape of a glass bowl to create a disk armature
Scalable twig and Phalaenopsis orchid winterscape panel
9 December 2015
Scalable twig and Phalaenopsis orchid winterscape panel

This design can easily scale up or down by using larger or smaller pieces of wood to create a larger wall panel or make a few of these panels to stack as tiles to create a more easily manageable composite
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals
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.
Contained rose twig stack
6 September 2017
Contained rose twig stack

Glue the twigs in a container to easily follow the round shape
Winter White Twig Screen
6 February 2019
Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry design.
Twig Dome Armature
17 July 2019
Twig Dome Armature

Crafted from a hand full of twigs to give you a large design... even though you add only two stems of sweet peas.
See through Jasmine Vine tangle support
10 April 2024
See through Jasmine Vine tangle support

This is a great way to explore using vines dried, soon to dry and fresh and hydrated to craft the thinnest possible transparent design.
Hover winter twig armature with an acetate platform
8 February 2023
Hover winter twig armature with an acetate platform

Crystal clear floral design for winter styling
Bundled up Rosehip Scatter twigs… for anywhere you need a small frosted winter decorating touch
28 December 2022
Bundled up Rosehip Scatter twigs… for anywhere you need a small frosted winter decorating touch

A delicate winter decoration to add sparkle to those in between Christmas and New Years Eve days.
Dendrobium orchid and grass snippet cone around a glass container
27 July 2022
Dendrobium orchid and grass snippet cone around a glass container

Craft a grass armature to suspend the orchids in deep water from around the outside of your container.
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
Sturdy, blossoming armature in a shallow puddle
16 March 2022
Sturdy, blossoming armature in a shallow puddle

If you know just a bit more about the "why" we do the things we do it is easy to discover new "how's". This week I show you why it is possible to design with blossoming twigs in a shallow puddle.
Lily grid for cradling the first spring sprigs in a small vase
9 March 2022
Lily grid for cradling the first spring sprigs in a small vase

Place a fully opened lily over the opening of your vase to help support more delicate stems
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature
27 October 2021
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature

Using dry and fresh floral material in one design without the dry becoming soggy and the fresh drying out.
Glue soaked stems cheeky angled grid for those first autumn leaves (with a dye soak up tip)
8 September 2021
Glue soaked stems cheeky angled grid for those first autumn leaves (with a dye soak up tip)

A barely there delicate grid to keep your flowers in place.
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers
11 August 2021
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers

Putting the focus on the flowers with an ever changing design.
A contained design for watching those pretty twigs get their leaves
28 April 2021
A contained design for watching those pretty twigs get their leaves

Careful manipulation of twigs in a shallow container. With a special note on how to use new growth.
Catch Blossom Petals in a Pussy Willow tray basket
2 March 2021
Catch Blossom Petals in a Pussy Willow tray basket

An easy to assemble yourself harvest basket to carry home and display Spring blossoms.
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature
14 October 2020
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature

Place the floral details strategically on the edge of sturdier parts of the armature to keep the reed grid from collapsing under the weight of the floral details.
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside
23 September 2020
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside

Preserve some floral material to design with when it is but not quite Autumn outside.
a Just-Replace-The-Flowers-When-They-Wilt freestanding bark armature
6 May 2020
a Just-Replace-The-Flowers-When-They-Wilt freestanding bark armature

Part of sustainable designing is designing with the entire life-cycle of your work in mind. Designing armatures is a lasting and ever changing design solution.
Related Designs
It's stick season!
8 January 2014
It's stick season!

Snap and stack an glue a few twigs to create a lace like armature
Square
21 May 2014
Square

Glue a stick cube to fit a cube vase
Pulling some Strings
25 March 2015
Pulling some Strings

Braid a twig blind armature
Staying connected
24 June 2015
Staying connected

My article and a floral cell phone re-charge station design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
Beautiful Things
29 July 2015
Beautiful Things

Glue a few twigs into a disk armature
On a Grand Scale
9 December 2015
On a Grand Scale

My article and a floral panel design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
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
Tread softly on winter
6 February 2019
Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special
17 July 2019
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special

Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?
(if only) I can see you
10 April 2024
(if only) I can see you

Tangle jasmine vines outside a vase for a transparent screen to display floral details on and around a sea horse vase to display floral details in.
Snow… drops
8 February 2023
Snow… drops

A late winter design for minimal floral styling.
Giving a nod
28 December 2022
Giving a nod

A scattering of winter decorating for wherever you might need it.
Wrong on the right, for a right
27 July 2022
Wrong on the right, for a right

A glued snipped to create a cooling cone for dangling orchids
Found it!
1 June 2022
Found it!

A very secure thorn branch armature to hold overgrown Tulips in place
Poised to Spring
16 March 2022
Poised to Spring

An "it's only 10 days to Spring" design to display some blossom buds.
…. Aaaaaand tick!
9 March 2022
…. Aaaaaand tick!

Ever wonder how I decide what I share with you? A fun design ticking all the boxes.
Ship Shape
27 October 2021
Ship Shape

The dry wheat stems are suspended from the outside of the container so that they remain dry and the flower stems can gently rest inside to remain hydrated.
A good September Soaking
8 September 2021
A good September Soaking

Exploring two soaking techniques for a subtle early autumn design
A bit Special... four dimensional designing
11 August 2021
A bit Special... four dimensional designing

Using that little something that is unusual about your flower to make the design stand out.
Here comes the sun...
28 April 2021
Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs
Spring Tray-ning
3 March 2021
Spring Tray-ning

A Spring basket design for catching falling blossom petals.
Stick it out… the creative spirit version
14 October 2020
Stick it out… the creative spirit version

Soft minimal Fall armature making it easy to replace the flowers as the season progress.
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing
23 September 2020
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.
Forever… incomplete
6 May 2020
Forever… incomplete

Craft a pretty armature that can be used again and again.
The Upside of being Inside
19 February 2020
The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design