My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud

A great contemporary design idea that plays with the proportions of a single flower in a bud vase. Without the grass platform the flower would have appeared too short. Adding the grass platform extends the visual height of the design to include all the plant material with only the bottom most clear part of the vase... looking like the vase. This is a great "space-keeper" for using really tight bud tulips that will grow into the vase height as they open.

Measure the inside of your bud vase

Measure the inside of your bud vase by rolling a blade of grass and fitting it into the mouth.

Make the circle slightly smaller before rolling up the rest of the grass blade

Adjust the circle slightly smaller so that you can roll the rest of the grass blade around this and it would still fit snugly into the opening of the bud vase.

Fit the grass into the opening of the bud vase

Fit the grass into the opening of the bud vase.

Turn the vase over so that the base points up

Turn the vase over so that the base points up. This is an easy way to measure out and weave the core of the platform.

For the first few blades use a tiny bit of floral glue to secure the grass

For the first few blades use a tiny bit of floral glue to secure the grass. Make sure to glue the grass to the grass and not to the bud vase.

Start to add grass to radiate out from the vase

Start to add grass to radiate out from the vase.

Start to weave in grass

Start to weave in grass. Secure it with glue where needed.

Leave a gap for the tulip stem in the grass weave

Remember to leave a gap for the tulip stem in the grass weave.

Bend the grass sharply down the bud vase to bend the grass at an angle

Bend the grass sharply down the bud vase to bend the grass at an angle

Book readers: I have a whole section in my book about bending grass. Turn to page 310 to read more. The example also shows a peg which might be a fun alternative to this bend.

Make sure the grass bends neatly to create the sharp effect

Make sure the grass bends neatly to create the sharp effect.

Cut the grass shorter so that it fits in the vase

Cut the grass shorter so that it fits in the vase.

Slip the grass into the vase so that it is between the grass circle and the glass

Slip the grass into the vase so that it is between the grass circle and the glass.

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Push the circle back into the bud vase to keep the grass in place

Push the circle back into the bud vase to keep the grass in place.

Bend more grass at a very sharp angle

Bend more grass at a very sharp angle...

And weave it into the platform

And weave it into the platform...

Making sure it extends out around the opening of the bud vase

Making sure it extends out around the opening of the bud vase.

Slip the grass end into the vase so that it can remain hydrated

Slip the grass end into the vase so that it can remain hydrated.

Remove the bottom foliage from a tulip in tight bud

Remove the bottom foliage from a tulip in tight bud.

Thread the tulip stem through the gap

Thread the tulip stem through the gap.

Add in more grass to finish the design

Add in more grass to finish the design...

Make sure you conceal any visible glue bits

Make sure you conceal any visible glue bits so that the magic you used to keep this design together remains.... magical.

Add a few blades of grass that compliments the natural curve of the tulip

Add a few blades of grass that compliments the natural curve of the tulip... and a few sparkling dew drop crystals... just because.

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Tutorials

11 May 2011 Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs

Tulips continue to grow after being cut. Sometimes when you make a very small design or for competition or bridal work you want to minimize growth. The best way to do this is to...

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 June 2011 Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in...

21 January 2015 Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems

21 March 2012 Where to cut Tulips to condition

Here is a trick to make sure your tulips will condition thoroughly

13 March 2013 Grass shelter for a glass bubble vase

Weave a shelter around a glass vase

3 March 2011 Reflex Tulip Petals

Tulip petals can be opened or reflexed to create a fuller bloom

12 August 2015 Messy edged basket

Weave a loose basket to display flowers

25 June 2019 Stacking grass covered pebbles

Pebbles are a great way to weigh down or keep your floral material in place. Here's a way to dress them up a bit

13 July 2016 Woven lily grass parachute armature

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.

Favourite Flowers

Tulipa

Tulip

Related Designs

26 February 2020 To top it all off

This is a great "space-keeper" design. The tulip will continue to grow into the vase height as they open... but until then the grass platform part of the design diverts your...

1 April 2020 Hang in there!

Keeping this tulip upright requires less magic and more hot glue skills... but it looks magical never the less.

24 March 2021 To two too!

A Spring Tulip celebration design... with a special message

16 June 2021 Dream Rescue

Weave the most delicate grass shelter veil for a gorgeous lily.

2 March 2022 The thing!?! Do you remember the thing?!?

A design that visually plays with good proportions to allow the sheltered flower to be the focal point.

23 March 2022 Chockablock!

Luxuriously filled design... filled with flowers... filled with grass. But most fun, for us as designers filled with hidden techniques

1 June 2022 Found it!

A very secure thorn branch armature to hold overgrown Tulips in place

6 July 2022 Let’s play ball

Weave a spherical support to place long stemmed flowers into a bud vase.

24 August 2022 Hot air balloon

A grass bubble to frame two of the most beautiful calla lilies.

1 February 2023 Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out

21 January 2015 Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water

1 March 2011 FLOAT

Reflex Tulip and Passion Fruit Tendrils in a wax disk

22 February 2017 Perfect!

Tulips are so perfect just as they are all that is needed is to simply drape their graceful leaves around the flowers

3 February 2011 I've got my head in the clouds

Wax and Rainbow Oasis keep the flower heads in place.

1 October 2012 How to catch a dew drop:

Weave a sphere from grass to catch a precious and exquisite and perfect glistening early autumn dew drop

12 August 2015 Catch of the Day

Weave a loose basket to display a single flower... or three

26 June 2019 “Ok wow”

A design so fine you can easily miss it... if it were not for the interwoven pebbles catching your eye.

13 July 2016 Woven

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature for orchids to perch on

15 August 2018 Bursting with excitement

Loosely weave grass to create a decorative grid keeping flowers in place over a square container.