My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter

Pick out some florist tape to match the leaves as perfectly as possible

Pick out some florist tape to match the leaves as perfectly as possible.

Bind two Monstera leaves with a sliver of florist tape

Bind two Monstera leaves with a sliver of florist tape.

Cut the stems shorter so that the leaves rest on a water filled vase

Cut the stems shorter so that the leaves rest on a water filled vase.

Fan the leaves open

Fan the leaves open.

Cover wire with florist tape

Cover wire with florist tape.

Cut the wire to fit halfway up each leaf and bend it into a u shape

Cut the wire to fit halfway up each leaf and bend it into a u shape.

Add a thin layer of floral glue all the way down and up the wire

Add a thin layer of floral glue all the way down and up the wire.

Glue the wire to the leaves with floral glue fitting the middle to the opening between the leaves

Glue the wire to the leaves with floral glue fitting the middle to the opening between the leaves.

Smooth the leaves into a curve that follows the wire

Reach under the leaves to loosely cup the stems in your hand and smooth the leaves into a curve that follows and adhere to the wire.

Gently roll the tip of the leaf into a tube

Gently roll the tip of the leaf into a tube...

To curl the leaf

To curl the leaf... More about this in our email.

I send out an email each Wednesday morning to let everyone know that the new design is ready. I also add a bit more information that I think will be helpful to read about before looking at the design and Tutorial. And I do so in an email so that you can reply if you have questions or comments... or just want to say hi. This way I can reply to your specific question and we can discuss how this apply to you and your design style. The sign up is below this post if you are not subscribed.

Work your way all around and inside to curl the leaves to look like they are still unfurling

Work your way all around and inside to curl the leaves to look like they are still unfurling.

Slip the flower stems through the opening between the two leaves and the wire

Slip the flower stems through the opening between the two leaves and the wire.

Design note: oh yes, lovely hellebore. If you struggle to condition your flowers I have a trick for you on page 94 of my book.

For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman

Add in a few jasmine vines

Add in a few jasmine vines...

Not to conceal the wire but rather to distract from it

Not to conceal the wire but rather to distract from it.

Add in a few dew drop crystals and sprinkle in some artificial snow to finish the design

Add in a few dew drop crystals (see the Tutorial below for instructions on how I do that) and sprinkle in some artificial snow to finish the design.

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

Tutorials

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.

8 January 2020 Leaf-puddle for a short stem in a big vase

Add a leaf to a large-ish vase to create a small puddle of water for your short flower stem to rest in.

22 August 2018 Vein Veil For Freesias

Cut a slight veil to frame your flowers with

16 August 2017 Criss-cross Monstera lace-up

Glue short sections of rosary vine into the natural gaps in the Monstera deliciosa leaf

2 June 2021 Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids

Create a shallow puddle in a larger container to keep your flowers in place.

4 February 2015 Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf

17 March 2021 Cone shaped leafy puddle for a short stemmed flower

Take all the usual ingredients for a budvase design- a flower, a leafy green something and roll it into something unusual to display.

13 July 2022 Suspend a tiny flower over a large water filled container in a sandwich knot support

You don't have to design with a bud vase when you have a bud vase sized flower.

30 March 2022 Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones

Quick and easy design... perfect for something tiny to celebrate spring.... everywhere!

6 April 2022 Create a design gap with two leaves to create shivering whiskers for your Spring design

Adding design details to create tiny gaps for more design details.

27 June 2018 Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.

Related Designs

11 January 2023 Maybe Still Maybe

... a something to look forward to design that makes you lean in closer to see what might still be.

5 July 2023 The Wiggle Is Part Of The Plan

A easy going summer design that makes full use of the imperfections you harvest from your cut garden.

8 May 2024 I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.

5 June 2024 hang out with.. you know… floristically speaking

Making what makes your floral details unique the focal point of a design

12 June 2024 Just about enough space

Create a little bit of space to keep a few thin stemmed floral treasures upright in your design

3 July 2024 Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.

22 August 2018 Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

22 August 2018 FreestyleFreesia

Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled ...

16 August 2017 Making Ends Meet

Criss-cross corset style connect the gaps in a Monstera deliciosa leaf

8 January 2020 Rest a bit here

Gently curve a shallow area with a leaf to showcase a gorgeous flower with a short stem in a water filled vase

2 June 2021 Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.

17 March 2021 A scoop of pretty

A tiny budvase design that rearranges basic ingredients, such as a single leaf and an orchid to create a new design concept.

26 May 2021 From all sides

An all on one side design to admire roses from all sides.

11 May 2022 Is this new…?

Giving old ideas a new twist to refresh it for Spring

25 May 2022 Grateful Heart

Frame a single perfect Bleeding heart flower in a leaf dot.

13 July 2022 Blue…

The tiniest flower adds some much needed coolness to a summer floral design.

30 March 2022 Cone of Gratitude

Sweet spring design to hold some buds

6 April 2022 Gaps between those in-between Spring days

Give a minimal design a few grass "whiskers" to feel that Spring breeze.

27 June 2018 Look deep

Curl foliage to use as a natural armature for delicate buds.