My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

How to make an early Spring

How to make an early Spring floral art design

You have to… roll

Willow spring

and wind,

Willow and grape vine coil

and coil

Dendrobium orchid, willow and grape vine tendrils

and fold

Dendrobium orchids

and curl

Dendrobium orchid, willow and grape vine tendrils spring for Spring

and twist it... a whole lot

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

24 February 2016 Wire Wrapped Willow Garland

Make a continues length of flexible willow to weave or design with by wrapping the delicate stems with thin wire

24 February 2016 Willow Spring

Set willow tips into a spiral to create a spring design

10 July 2013 Wrap a twig with wire

A quick way to add a bit of colour to a natural looking design

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...

13 October 2011 Spiral Wire Cages

The cage spirals to form a basket that wrap around the plump ripe berries (or you can slip in a flower) to hang as connections between the twigs.

15 October 2014 Thanks Weaving Hat

This is the basic pattern used to weave a hat

25 January 2012 Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

Favourite Flowers

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

Curly Willow, Chinese Willow, Tortured Willow, Globe Willow, Dragon's Claw, Hankow Willow

Related Designs

1 February 2017 Not yet Spring, Spring but a spring

Coil wire and grass to create a spring

24 May 2017 Link

weave a few wreaths to link

27 September 2017 As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

18 April 2018 Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in

18 September 2019 It’s a sugar rush!

A perfectly imperfect wild willow wreath to display the first Autumn treasures of the year.

4 November 2020 Because that is just how I roll

A tumbling fall leaf design making use of the autumn leaves that are already falling to the ground.

7 April 2021 First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.

12 May 2021 It’s up there

Whether it’s a solid foot for floating flowers, the tips of new growth or the curve of a dried twig your design needs help to stay upright.

23 June 2021 Over Easy

A cooling design to celebrate the summer solstice.

4 May 2022 Wonderful and Enough

That incredible moment when you realize that one good idea for your design really is enough...

27 September 2023 this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list

Autumn bud vase collar made from gladiolus foliage.

4 October 2023 So Into Fall

Keep you fresh plant material hydrated in water... and your dried plant material suspended to keep it from falling into the water.

6 March 2024 A Stay Open

Grow a willow birdcage... with a bit of a Spring flower support to get it started.

3 April 2024 springy, Spring, spring

Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!

14 January 2011 Inspired by Nature

Flax leaves are ripped with a kenzan and wrapped with copper wire and small blue beads to create a rope to weave into a delicate spider web.

19 October 2011 In an Oriental Manner

I wanted my parasol design to be thoroughly me, and thoroughly contemporary yet respectful of the guiding rules and methods shared by the different schools of Ikebana.

22 February 2012 Nuts and Bolts of Floral Art Mechanics

My design entered for evaluation at the Floral Trends Design Group meeting in South Africa

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. ...

1 May 2012 Center the more adventurous design ideas on your centerpieces

Designing adventurous Contemporary Floral centerpieces Article in the Canadian Florist Magazine.

8 August 2012 Stringing in the rain

A veil of green wool, Spanish moss and dried hydrangeas hang over white lilies

13 April 2011 Harnessing the Wind

3 July 2013 Of trust… and belief… and stars…

Weave and wrap and twirl and knot a summer floral nest

23 July 2014 Chain of Thought

Knot small stems into decorative chain garlands

15 October 2014 Thanks-Weaving

Weaving a hat with an autumn leaf and rose hip garland

8 July 2015 How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature