My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Barely there Wreath armature

Cut a large circle out of cardboard

Cut a large circle out of cardboard. Cut another circle to create the wreath shape. I made mine slightly off centre to add visual interest.

Cut strips of cardboard as thick as you want the wreath to be

Cut strips of cardboard as thick as you want the wreath to be

Glue the strips of cardboard to create a long strip that can go around the cardboard circle

Glue the strips of cardboard to create a long strip that can go around the cardboard circle

Start to glue the strips to the inside edge of the cardboard wreath shape

Start to glue the strips to the inside edge of the cardboard wreath shape

Follow the shape closely and secure to the edge

Follow the shape closely and secure to the edge

Cut away any leftover strip and glue the shape closed

Cut away any leftover strip and glue the shape closed

Do the same with the outside of the circle

Do the same with the outside of the circle

Cut away any leftlover cardboard and glue to secure the shape

Cut away any leftover cardboard and glue to secure the shape

Line the cardboard wreath shape with a thin layer of plastic

Line the cardboard wreath shape with a thin layer of plastic

Cut the tiny flowers away from a huge bunch of dried Baby's breath

Cut the tiny flowers away from a huge bunch of dried Baby's breath

Dip the stem in wood glue thinned with water

Dip the stem in wood glue thinned with water

And place it in the cardboard wreath shape

And place it in the cardboard wreath shape

Keep adding stems

Keep adding stems

I wanted my wreath to have a rolling effect so I kept all the stems pointing in the same direction

I wanted my wreath to have a rolling effect so I kept all the stems pointing in the same direction

Lightly add stem after stem without pressing it down

Lightly add stem after stem without pressing it down

Set the glued wreath shape aside to dry completely

Set the glued wreath shape aside to dry completely. Once dry, inspect the shape by wiggling the stems.

Glue any bits that can be wiggled with more wood glue.

Glue any bits that can be wiggled with more wood glue.

Set the shape aside to dry overnight

Set the shape aside to dry overnight

Wiggle the wreath from the plastic

Wiggle the wreath from the plastic...

Lift the shape away from the cardboard and again check that it is secure

Lift the shape away from the cardboard and again check that it is secure

Glue in a few twigs to make the wreath stand upright.

Glue in a few twigs to make the wreath stand upright. The barely there wreath is now ready to design with

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to make twig tangles

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

Tutorials

12 December 2012 Piled Pine Needle Tabletop Wreath

Use wood glue to make a light as air table top wreath from pine needles

26 October 2016 Folded Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath Armature

Glued Baby's Breath Wreath, folded in half to create a moon shaped armature

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.

4 November 2015 Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath

Glue a radiating wreath from bleached Gyp

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

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

21 September 2016 "I found it this way" demonstration Floral art Structures: Twig Tangles

For my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club, I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles and we...

Related Designs

30 November 2016 All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Worth a second look

This was the fourth (and last) design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration

30 August 2017 If

Place a water tube at an angle in lumber so that the Zantedeschia float just above the base to show off the delicate grass snippets scattered up the stem

27 December 2017 Can it be?

Craft a pine tube to display a soft and snow filled winter scene

7 February 2018 Up around the bend

Bend Equisetum into curves to wire into an open wreath shape

8 November 2023 A warm up

An almost Christmas... Christmas wreath featured in the winter edition of Flora Magazine.

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12

26 October 2016 Harvest Moon

Fold a fine twig wreath in half to create a moon shaped armature

25 November 2015 So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

4 November 2015 Delicate

Bleached Gypsophila wreath with delicate autumn touches

26 August 2015 Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils