Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Twig snippet vase armature
- 11 May 2016
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Cover a glass vase with cling wrap. Smooth it down
Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape
Curve the snippets around the vase
Follow all the curves of the vase.
Lift the first half of the twig vase away and set it aside
Start on the other half as you did the first
Carefully build up the shape as you did with the first half
Cover the shape with twig snippets
Fit the two halves together to make sure the entire surface is covered
Connect the two halves at one side with additional twig snippets
Make sure to glue the twigs to both sides of the armature.
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
Lift the twig shape away from the vase.
Place the vase upside down on a working surface
Glue twigs to create the base of the vase shape
Overlap the twigs to create a secure shape.
Lift the twig snippets from the vase
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.
See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to melt plastic into curved shapes
Gently open up the twig vase shape.
Place some of the plastic shapes in the twig shape
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
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
Add in longer plastic shapes to tumble down
Close up the open side of the twig snipped vase
And glue in twigs to secure
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
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Tutorials
Heat makes the plastic distort creating fantastic shapes
When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need. If you can't find a suitable drinking straw... I also have an upgrade: tiny food grade pipe water tubes.
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.
Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.
Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase
Make a small grass "propeller" by pinning blades of grass into the design
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My article and a floral panel design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
