My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Where to cut Tulips to condition

Because the growers pull the flowers from the bulbs when harvesting you will notice a white end on all the stems. This white area is very firm and prevent the stem from loosing moisture but also from taking up moisture. Cut the stem at an angle just above the white area. Place the stems in cold water to condition.

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Tutorials
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy
23 April 2025
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy

Gently pop the petals of a mature tulip back to open up the flower... to add another flower, of course!
How to condition poppies... if you are designing with them in a glass container
26 June 2024
How to condition poppies... if you are designing with them in a glass container

Conditioning poppies for floral arrangements.
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.
1 June 2022
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.

Glue an overgrown thorn armature to a container to display fully opened tulips
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl
23 March 2022
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl

so many techniques rolled into one rather pretty tulip nest. Perfect to celebrate new beginnings: Spring and my book birthday... and my online workshop!
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design
19 January 2022
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design

Bring in some warmth with a tulip design that still hints at winter
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog
24 March 2021
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog

Craft an everything is still growing spring design to celebrate... what we love!
Float a swirling vine nest in a small vase to help keep your flowers in place
10 February 2021
Float a swirling vine nest in a small vase to help keep your flowers in place

Turn a flower vase into a bud vase by floating a smaller container inside the larger one.
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design
20 January 2021
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring
Curve a feather
20 January 2021
Curve a feather

A small adjustment to the shape of the feather creates a more whimsical look.
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem
1 April 2020
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem

A clever almost concealed wire support to keep a single tulip flower upright in a minimal bud design.
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud
26 February 2020
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud

Tulips continue to grow as they open. This means you not only have to be mindful of their proportions as they are now... but also as they will be once open.
Sprouting willow armature
27 January 2016
Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open
Braiding three Tulip stems
21 January 2015
Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems
Bubble raft to float flowers
3 January 2012
Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.
Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs
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 divert their energy.
Reflex Tulip Petals
3 March 2011
Reflex Tulip Petals

Tulip petals can be opened or reflexed to create a fuller bloom
Related Designs
A Buzzin’
23 April 2025
A Buzzin’

Just like a buzzing bee... give a mature Tulip a Phalaenopsis orchid buddy to keep it company.
Why When
1 February 2023
Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out
Found it!
1 June 2022
Found it!

A very secure thorn branch armature to hold overgrown Tulips in place
Chockablock!
23 March 2022
Chockablock!

Luxuriously filled design... filled with flowers... filled with grass. But most fun, for us as designers filled with hidden techniques
Thaw
19 January 2022
Thaw

It's Tulip Season! Perfect for that "it's still winter ... but is that something green I see...?" mood designs.
To two too!
24 March 2021
To two too!

A Spring Tulip celebration design... with a special message
My valenVine
10 February 2021
My valenVine

An... everything is moving... design. The tulips are growing and the small vine filled vase is bopping around in the water. And if you lean them against each other just right it grows and bobs in place!
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
Hang in there!
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.
To top it all off
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 attention to fix any issues you might experience with the proportions right now.
Perfect!
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
Be My Twig-Heart
10 February 2016
Be My Twig-Heart

Glue an upright twig heart for a freestanding Valentine's display
Well, I'll be
27 January 2016
Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
Tiptoe through the Tulips
21 January 2015
Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water
Scattered
30 April 2014
Scattered

Scatter some dried grass to make a floral armature
A Floral Fable: Mood Design
21 March 2012
A Floral Fable: Mood Design

This is a detailed look at my first Floral Fable demonstration design
It's Tulip Time!
11 May 2011
It's Tulip Time!

Tulips continue to grow once the stem is severed from the bulb. More often than not you can use this growth to create an ever changing design. But sometimes you want that tulip to stay in the position it is placed.
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

Plaited tulips in my I’ve got my head in the clouds design.