My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Protea Composite

This design was part of my 2010 Fusion Flowers Magazine Designer of the year competition portfolio

This is the kind of thing I used to do as a child. I would spend every possible moment in the garden playing with flowers. I loved weaving and creating a magical world.

Protea Composite made out of 9 Protea flowers

Protea Composite flower with Palm Butterflies is a Bridal Orb Bouquet, to be carried in the hand like a ball.

Protea orb.

To create this huge Protea I took apart nine Protea flower heads and glued the tepals and bracts back on to a polystyrene ball to create a large Protea composite flower that is similar in shape to an African clay vase used in wedding ceremonies.

As a romantic accent I made two palm leaf butterflies with Protea bract wings to cuddle on top of the flower.

Palm Butterflies cuddling on a composite flower made from Protea flowers

Palm Butterfly on top of the design

Protea

To get an idea of the size- look carefully at the center where the Butterflies are: this is one full size Protea flower!

Protea Composite

Protea Composite

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Tutorials

5 January 2011 Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies)

Weave grasshoppers or butterflies (or fireflies) from palm leaves

5 January 2011 Peel a Protea flower

Peel away the tepals and bracts from a Protea flower hear to make a large composite flower orb

Favourite Flowers

Protea

Protea (but each variety also has a common name)

Related Designs

20 January 2016 A lots of stuff and things

Sticks and twigs create a resting spot for palm and rose butterflies

25 May 2016 Half the Fun

Cut a cabbage to create a design platform

11 January 2017 As special as an almost never find

Sometimes you find such a beautiful plant that you just can't bring yourself to cut it. This design explores using the entire plant, pot and all, in a design

18 October 2017 On the inside

For a softer autumn leaf pod turn the leaves so that the bright side faces in when making the pod.

24 February 2021 Picked up some proper Pruning

An early Spring design with a twist on using an old favourite: composite flowers.