My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Look at you!

“chrysanthemum” is also the word used to describe a firework pattern with spreading sparks that looks just like the flower petals...

Look at you floral art design

Vibrantly bold

Chrysanthemums

Exuberantly memorable

Chrysanthemum buds

Dazzlingly colourful

Chrysanthemums and early buds

Strikingly lively

Chrysanthemums fireworks

Impressively vivid

… can’t argue with that.

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

Tutorials

26 April 2011 Weave a willow twig blind

Weave twigs in parallel to create a twig blind with strong but natural horizontal lines.

18 January 2017 Chain-link string and twig armature

By removing every other twig you open up space for larger flowers to nestle in

18 January 2017 T-connect twigs to shadow a design

Split a twig to create a t connection to hover a twig over the design

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

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

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

31 July 2013 Ladder-frog

Lash the orchid stems together to create a ladder for the flower to rest on.

30 April 2015 Willow twig Corsage Platform

To create a layered look for a corsage tie a foundation of twigs with fresh willow stems

17 February 2016 Stack a Twig Enclosure

Loop and tie a few stacked twigs to create an enclosed floral armature

25 March 2015 Jiyek Braiding a Pussy Willow Twig Blind

A design inspired by traditional Jiyek braiding techniques

8 January 2014 Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape

11 February 2015 Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

1 April 2015 Hana-kubari Bamboo

Hana-Kubari is an Ikebana flower mechanic. Only natural materials such as pebbles, sticks and branches can be seen to support the flowers. Traditionally no twine or wire, nails,...

20 April 2016 Free standing Willow twig armature with a hidden water source

Cut a few willow twigs to split to create legs for the armature

19 October 2011 Hana-Kubari chopsticks

Splitting the chopsticks or a wooden branch, such as a willow twig creates a natural (and glue-less!) clamp.

Favourite Flowers

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum or "mums"

Related Designs

15 February 2017 Step Along

Create twig steps to display the orchids

29 November 2017 Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider

3 January 2018 Happy Coincidence!

Some designs really do just make themselves. I received this tiny vase for Christmas from Marius (thank you, Marius!) and while cleaning out my design room I found this little...

25 April 2018 Get in line!

Line up a few pussy willow twigs for a hanging armature

3 March 2021 Spring Tray-ning

A Spring basket design for catching falling blossom petals.

18 August 2021 At Play

A quick-to-do-but-looks-impressive way to display a beautiful cut garden vine for an effortless summer design.

23 October 2012 Everlasting

Design Inspiration Video: Take a few twigs, snippets of air plants and succulents and combine both traditional wire and tape techniques with more contemporary methods to embed a...

30 March 2016 Floral Designs From Around The World

A demonstration presented at Canada Blooms, Toronto, Canada I was invited to share the stage with designers from Bermuda, United Kingdom, France, South Africa, Barbados, United...

29 April 2015 Crafting Corsages in three ways with BoutStix Magnet Stix

Use the same floral ingredients, willow twigs, Lichen, Spanish Moss, Kalanchoe and Gypsophila to make three distinctly different contemporary corsages

30 March 2016 A Point of Support

My contemporary floral art design demonstrated at the Canada Blooms flower show in Toronto.

13 October 2011 Direct Contrasts

I have always been fascinated, as a designer, by the idea that there is a point when extremes or direct contrasts flip into its opposite.

25 April 2011 Drinking straws become flower test tubes

Design 2: Up-cycle drinking straws to make tiny test tubes to hold the orchids on my willow twig blind.

1 April 2011 A Floral Art Demonstration by Floral Trends Design Group

A Floral Art Demonstration by Floral Trends Design Group with music, narration and pictorial presentation.

1 April 2015 The Space Between

Traditional Hana-Kubari flower mechanic

20 April 2016 That Will Be

Freestanding willow twig armature design

2 September 2015 Happy Dance

Split a few bamboo sections to create a happy water source for miniature orchids

30 April 2015 Layer

Design One from my Inspiration Video: Use the same floral ingredients, willow twigs, Lichen, Spanish Moss, Kalanchoe and Gypsophila to make three distinctly different contemporary...