My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Twig snippet vase armature

Cover a glass vase with cling wrap

Cover a glass vase with cling wrap. Smooth it down

Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape

Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape

Curve the snippets around the vase

Curve the snippets around the vase

Follow all the curves of the vase.

Follow all the curves of the vase.

Lift the first half of the twig vase away and set it aside

Lift the first half of the twig vase away and set it aside

Start on the other half as you did the first

Start on the other half as you did the first

Carefully build up the shape as you did with the first half

Carefully build up the shape as you did with the first half

Cover the shape with twig snippets

Cover the shape with twig snippets

Fit the two halves together to make sure the entire surface is covered

Fit the two halves together to make sure the entire surface is covered

Connect the two halves at one side with additional twig snippets

Connect the two halves at one side with additional twig snippets

Make sure to glue the twigs to both sides of the armature.

Make sure to glue the twigs to both sides of the armature.

Wiggle the twigs to make sure it is secure

Wiggle the twigs to make sure the shape is secure. Add twigs or glue down twigs where needed.

Slip your fingers between the vase and the twigs to release the shape

Slip your fingers between the vase and the twigs to release the shape

Lift the twig shape away from the vase.

Lift the twig shape away from the vase.

Place the vase upside down on a working surface

Place the vase upside down on a working surface

Glue twigs to create the base of the vase shape

Glue twigs to create the base of the vase shape

Overlap the twigs to create a secure shape.

Overlap the twigs to create a secure shape.

Lift the twig snippets from the vase

Lift the twig snippets from the vase

And fit it to the twig armature to make sure it is the right size

And fit it to the twig armature to make sure it is the right size. Add twigs if necessary. Do not glue it down yet so that it is easier to design the flowers in the vase part of the armature.

I made the clear part of the armature by melting plastic

I made the clear part of the armature by melting plastic.

Plastic shapes

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to melt plastic into curved shapes

Gently open up the twig shape.

Gently open up the twig vase shape.

Place some of the plastic shapes in the twig shape

Place some of the plastic shapes in the twig shape

Glue in a few tubes to keep the flowers hydrated.

Glue in a few tubes to keep the flowers hydrated.

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I make my own test tubes from drinking straws

Fill the tubes with water and add flowers

Fill the tubes with water and add flowers

Add a few more plastic shapes so that the flowers peek through

Add a few more plastic shapes so that the flowers peek through

Continue to add plastic shapes and tubes to spill out of the twig vase armature

Continue to add plastic shapes and tubes to spill out of the twig vase armature

Add in longer plastic shapes to tumble down

Add in longer plastic shapes to tumble down

Close up the open side of the twig snipped vase

Close up the open side of the twig snipped vase

And glue in twigs to secure

And glue in twigs to secure

Fit the bottom piece of the twig snippet vase and secure with twigs

Fit the bottom piece of the twig snippet vase and secure with twigs

Finish the design with a few more flowers and grass snippets for contrast

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

Tutorials

29 January 2011 Melt plastic Soda Bottles into the "water" shapes

Heat makes the plastic distort creating fantastic shapes

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

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

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.

6 September 2011 Twig collar

Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

23 July 2014 Twig Chain Garlands

Knot stems into decorative swinging chains

18 September 2012 T- Pin blades of grass

Make a small grass "propeller" by pinning blades of grass into the design

Related Designs

11 May 2016 Pour

Glue a twig vase and melt some plastic to create a tumbling design

24 August 2016 Details

Glue twigs to create a vase shaped armature

6 September 2017 One of those difficult questions

Glue a bunch of twigs inside a container to create a round stack

11 October 2017 giving a thanks

A wire and acorn thanks

6 February 2019 Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.

23 September 2020 Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.

9 June 2021 Making Waves

A quick and easy to do cascade design for summer.

4 August 2021 Counting Raindrops

Grass crisscross that makes you want to lean in closer to count the late summer raindrops around these gorgeous roses.

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.

9 February 2022 Pouring

Place a small fishbowl vase at an angle to look like it is pouring out flowers and twigs.

27 July 2022 Wrong on the right, for a right

A glued snipped to create a cooling cone for dangling orchids

18 January 2023 Getting the Band Back Together Again

Glue a band of snow dusted twigs to create a delicate armature for winter treasures.

3 May 2023 Spring Row

Viola and chives cleverly dancing upright in a row.

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.

3 February 2016 Connect the dot

Connect snippets of grass to create a shelter for your flowers

9 December 2015 On a Grand Scale

My article and a floral panel design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

25 November 2015 So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

29 July 2015 Beautiful Things

Glue a few twigs into a disk armature