My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Roll a folded leaf coil

Stack three fall leaves

Stack three fall leaves

Fold the leaves over and stitch together

Fold the leaves over and stitch together with a needle and thread

Stack and fold three more leaves

Stack and fold three more leaves

Nestle them in the first three leaves and stitch

Nestle them in the first three leaves and stitch

Keep nestling in leaves and stitching them together to create a long garland

Keep nestling in leaves and stitching them together to create a long garland

You will need quite a long garland

You will need quite a long garland for this design so keep going.

Start to roll the garland.

Start to roll the garland.

Roll the first bit loosely

Roll the first bit loosely...

Tighten the roll

Then tighten the roll as you go along so that it keeps it's shape

While the roll is still small it is easy to manipulate

While the roll is still small it is easy to manipulate. Keep the bottom folded part perfectly in line as you go along

Continue to roll the leaf swirl

Continue to roll the leaf coil

When the swirl becomes to big to easily handle place it in a flat container

When the coil becomes to big to easily manipulate place it in a flat container

Continue to wrap the leaf garland around the swirl

Continue to wrap the leaf garland around the coil

Wrap the garland

For visual interest, vary the tension. Wrap the coil tightly around and next time loosely.

Press the swirl down so that the bottom folded edge remain flat

Press the coil down so that the bottom folded edge remain flat.

Continue to roll the swirl to fill the container

Continue to roll the coil to fill the container

Fill the entire container so that it is tight and will dry in this coiled shape

Fill the entire container so that it is tight and will dry in this coiled shape

Cover the outside of the leaf coil with a glued garland so that you cannot see the stitching

Fold a leaf in half

Fold a leaf in half

Fold a second leaf over it

Fold a second leaf over it

Add another leaf and secure with tiny drops of glue

Add another leaf and secure with tiny drops of glue

Continue to add leaves to create a new garland

Continue to add leaves to create a new garland

Slip the glue garland into the stitched garland

Slip the glue garland into the stitched garland and wrap the garland around the coil to cover the stitched area

Carefully lift the swirl out of the container to perfectly match the edges

Carefully lift the coil out of the container to perfectly match the edges

Autumn leaf swirl ready to design with.

Autumn leaf coil ready to design with.

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

Tutorials

6 September 2011 Autumn leaf Composite Flower

Glue a round Autumn leaf Composite Flower.

6 September 2011 Autumn leaf Roses

I used to make baskets full of these when I was a little girl. We had a big Acasia thorn tree and I used to spear my “roses” onto the tree pretending I was the fairy responsible...

11 November 2012 Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.

18 September 2013 Autumn leaf ballet slippers from scratch

Pick up a few fall leaves to glue on paper to make fairy slippers

Related Designs

22 October 2014 Stand Around

Fold and roll leaves to create an Autumn swirl

5 October 2016 I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This was the third design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration

30 January 2019 Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.

16 November 2022 All your Christmases…

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to roll us in to the Festive Season.

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

Autumn bud vase collar made from gladiolus foliage.