My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Washi Wasp Nest

Washi: Wa means Japanese and shi means paper. Rakusui Washi is made by dripping water on the paper while it's being made. These sheets were made by hand in South of Japan on Shikoku Island

For the wasp nest you will need three washi Papier Maché bowls, one slightly smaller than the next. See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to make the bowls by using a balloon as a basic shape

I like to slowly release the air from the balloon rather than pop it. A violent pop might rip the delicate paper. See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how I do this

Glue test tubes around the edge of the bowl

Set the slightly smaller bowl inside the large bowl, glue in test tubes and set the smallest bowl inside these two and add the water tubes

Pierce the twig tangle through the paper to suspend the wasp nest. For mote detailed instructions on how to make the twig tangle the design was displayed on see the Tutorial below

Add bits of dried Spanish moss to create texture

The Washi Wasp Nest is now ready to design with

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Tutorials
"I found it this way" demonstration Floral art Structures: Twig Tangles
21 September 2016
"I found it this way" demonstration Floral art Structures: Twig Tangles

For my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club, I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles and we discussed the importance of a stable structure as a foundation to a structural design. The twig tangles create a basic armature for the designs to be suspended from. Each design is crafted that it almost looks like a foraged or ‘found” natural object
Papier Mache
2 June 2011
Papier Mache

I save all the thin tissue paper or un-printed newsprint papers that are wrapped around the flowers that are delivered to me to make batches of Papier Mache with. These sheets make fantastic Papier Mache because it is designed to be super absorbent and colour fast.
Just Hatched Papier Mache Easter Eggs
7 April 2012
Just Hatched Papier Mache Easter Eggs

Glue newsprint paper to balloons to make large egg shaped containers to design in
A Neighbor friendly way to deflate a balloon
7 April 2012
A Neighbor friendly way to deflate a balloon

Apart from avoiding the noise popping a balloon makes this is also a less violent way to deflate a balloon when you make Papier Mache items
Related Designs
I found it this way: Wasp nest design
28 September 2016
I found it this way: Wasp nest design

This was the second design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration