My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Wrap lily grass around bits of vine

Place the cup shaped armature over a shallow container

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to make the cup shaped armature

Glue a blade of grass over a grapevine twig

Wrap the grass around a stem close to the first one

Fold the stem up and around the next twig in a zig zag pattern.

Fill a few more gaps with zig zag blades of grass.

Glue each blade of grass to secure

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Tutorials
Cut a vine wreath into sections to create a cup shaped armature
16 November 2016
Cut a vine wreath into sections to create a cup shaped armature

Cut a coiled vine wreath into sections to create an delicate armature to frame a few perfect chocolate cosmos flowers
Weaving a twig wreath
1 November 2011
Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave
Midelino Cane Coil Globe Cup
14 January 2013
Midelino Cane Coil Globe Cup

Weave a loose, round floral art armature
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening
19 February 2013
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without breaking it.
Willow flower crown
7 September 2016
Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown
Perking up roses (Please... don't ever do this, anywhere but at home, and only for yourself!)
14 May 2014
Perking up roses (Please... don't ever do this, anywhere but at home, and only for yourself!)

This trick works really well, but it is a temporary fix to extend the life of drooping roses and is not a substitute for good quality fresh flowers. It is great to know this trick so that you can inspect the roses you want to buy, for the tell tale sign that they have already been "perked up" and might look fresh but would really not last well.
Related Designs
Piece of the forest
8 March 2017
Piece of the forest

Standing roses upright in a shallow container
The last Vine Wreath
20 January 2011
The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an attachment to my vine wreaths. This post features four designs using the same wreaths.
Large Open Weave Twig Basket
8 April 2011
Large Open Weave Twig Basket

Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration
Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
11 April 2011
Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions
Beginning
2 March 2016
Beginning

Glue a Midelino Cane Coil Globe Cup to display beautiful Gloriosa lilies
Unthinkably good things
10 April 2013
Unthinkably good things

Oncidium orchids hiding in a woven grass cup. This Design Tutorial is featured on The Conna Flower and Garden Club (Ireland) website. It is part of their Floral Art Lessons program that demonstrates new techniques, ideas and principles of Flower Arranging by International Designers.
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Snipped into Sections
16 November 2016
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Snipped into Sections

This was the second design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration
Words Matter.
24 April 2012
Words Matter.

Braiding and plaiting and knotting hair is a huge trend in hairdressing at the moment. Intricate little plaits are draped over long flowing hair to add complexity and quirk. It’s a lovely design trend to add to floral art.