My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Winter Solstice Kalanchoe and Berry twig Lantern

Set a display surface down on your design table

Set a display surface down on your design table. It can be a tray or a plate or a shallow vase... or even some wood.

Place a candle in a glass vase and set it on the display container

Place a candle in a glass vase and set it on the display container.

Scatter a sprinkle of artificial snow around the bottom of the display container

Glue a delicate twig to the top and bottom of the container. Scatter a sprinkle of artificial snow around the bottom of the display container to keep it from sticking to the display surface.

My email tip for you this week is all about that sprinkle of snow. Make sure to sign up for the notification email if you are not yet receiving your once a week design tip. I send out my email every Wednesday morning so that you can look at the tip first... and then reply to the email if you have questions or comments. Or just to say hi. The sign up is below this post.

Move around the vase and glue in delicate twigs

Move around the vase and glue in delicate twigs...

Creating a lantern of twigs for the light to shine through

Creating a lantern of twigs for the light to shine through.

Scatter a dusting of snow inside the vase

Scatter a dusting of snow inside the vase.

And settle the candle on the snow

And settle the candle on the snow.

Snip holly berries from the branch

Snip some holly berries from the branch...

And glue the berries to the twigs

And glue the berries to the twigs

Glue in a few kalanchoe flowers

Glue in a few kalanchoe flowers- the delicate looking flowers are so robust! They will last weeks without a water source, perfect for designs like these.

Place some artificial snow on the twigs

Place some artificial snow on the twigs.

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I do this. And if you are unsure of where to put the snow have a look at section Crafting An Illusion (from page 273 onwards) where I discuss how we create realistic looking floral effects.

For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman

And finish the design with a few dew drop crystals

And finish the design with a few dew drop crystals. I place the crystals with a pin. For more detailed instructions on how to place the crystals without disturbing the delicate design details see the Tutorial below.

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.

28 December 2016 Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs

13 December 2017 Long lasting bark and Kalanchoe sleigh

Kalanchoe flowers last weeks without a water source and is the perfect way to dress up a bark and silver bell sleigh

21 December 2016 Bark Christmas Stocking

Cover a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

6 December 2017 Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

14 December 2016 Bark and Cotton Candy Cane

Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature

28 December 2016 A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath

Cover a wreath frame with bark strips and fluffed out cotton

20 December 2017 Twinkle and Pine Christmas Star

Use a cardboard shape to craft a simple wire Christmas star

12 December 2012 Piled Pine Needle Tabletop Wreath

Use wood glue to make a light as air table top wreath from pine needles

2 December 2015 Silver bell Christmas Greenery kissing ball

Use delicate sprigs of cypress or juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus, ivy or a combination of them all to create a winter themed kissing bough

4 December 2019 Eucalyptus collar for a snow-covered Christmas candle

Not only will your home smell wonderful while crafting this design you will also have a ethereal and long lasting design to enjoy.

23 November 2022 Snowy Pinecone with green tomato berries and Kalanchoe flowers

A snowflake covered design that will hang on to well past Christmas.

30 November 2022 The coziest Wool, Holly and Kalanchoe Table Top Candy Cane Snowflake

A fuzzy wool and twig snowflake that starts out as a handful of candy canes.

7 December 2022 A berry and kalanchoe sleigh… to carry your twig tree home, of course

A snowy Christmas scene crafted from a handful of twigs... and a few kalanchoe flowers.

14 December 2022 Sparkle Spool and Velvet Magnolia Table Top Christmas Tree

A pretty way to warm up your living space with the luxurious velvet texture you find on the underside of Magnolia leaves.

Favourite Flowers

Kalanchoe

Christmas Kalanchoe, Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë

Related Designs

21 December 2022 Let it

A happy December Solstice or the Winter Solstice lantern.

28 December 2022 Giving a nod

A scattering of winter decorating for wherever you might need it.

15 November 2023 Freeze… just for a moment!

Not quite winter but also a bit late for autumn design that is somewhere between sparkle and flying leaves.

3 January 2024 A Very Merry Gilded Paper Ornament and Yule Log Trendy Christmas/New Year’s Cheer

Paper snowflakes to display small snippets of Festive flowers on.

21 December 2016 A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

6 December 2017 While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree

14 December 2016 A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane

28 December 2016 A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Cover a wreath frame with bark and cotton for a textured Christmas wreath design

20 December 2017 A Very Merry Christmas Star

A wire Christmas star with a secret plan to hide the twinkle

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12

2 December 2015 Stacking the odds in your favour

Cover a wire frame for a winter kissing bough.

27 December 2017 Can it be?

Craft a pine tube to display a soft and snow filled winter scene

7 November 2018 Grab your party mittens, flower buds… it’s Book Launch Day!

Celebrating my book launch by knotting floral mittens using the design Tutorial from my book and the template from the free gift template booklet.

4 December 2019 A Very Merry eucalyptus-collar-candle Christmas!

An easy and naturally fragrant winter white candle decoration to bring nature into your house this Christmas.

12 January 2022 All That Potential

Softly glowing winter twigs for a minimal display

23 November 2022 Ways to Merry a Christmas

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to hang about the whole Festive Season.

30 November 2022 Take a bough… it’s Christmas time!

A wool and twig snowflake design (made from candy canes!) that will last the entire Festive Season.

7 December 2022 Making spirits bright

A twig sleigh... to collect your twig Christmas tree, of course!

14 December 2022 Joyf'ly

Table top Christmas tree with a fairy light twig trunk.