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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Tutorials

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.
Lining containers to make them waterproof
1 June 2011
Lining containers to make them waterproof

If you use Papier Mache, terracotta or clay or any precious container that might scratch, rust, or discolour or disintegrate when it's in prolonged contact with water it is best to line the container with plastic before you add wet foam.
Wire apples and seal the insertion point
20 May 2011
Wire apples and seal the insertion point

Adding whole apples to a hand-tied or wired design is easier if each apple is wired to craft stems that can bend and twist into place. For an arrangement I would recommend using picks or sticks instead of wires
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.
Add flowers to the Copper wire Tiara
5 May 2011
Add flowers to the Copper wire Tiara

Decorate the wire tiara with florets, curls and baubles
Wire curls
5 May 2011
Wire curls

curl wire to add to designs
Wire baubles
5 May 2011
Wire baubles

Make baubles from wire
Wire Tiara
5 May 2011
Wire Tiara

Bend and wrap the Tiara out of wire.
Unravel wire from a copper pot scrubber
5 May 2011
Unravel wire from a copper pot scrubber

Up-cycle a pot scrubber to get a huge roll of very pretty copper wire
Natural stem hook to hang plant material from
26 April 2011
Natural stem hook to hang plant material from

Side stems of branches can be used as hooks to hang floral material in a design.
Weave a willow twig blind
26 April 2011
Weave a willow twig blind

Weave twigs in parallel to create a twig blind with strong but natural horizontal lines.
Test tube on a stick
22 April 2011
Test tube on a stick

Include a single floret (such as an orchid) or bundle a few weaker stems (such as lily of the valley) into an arrangement or hand tie by wiring a test tube to a stick.