My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Bark Bowl

Pour some clear drying wood glue into a bowl.

Pour some clear drying wood glue into a bowl.

Thin the glue with warm water

Thin the glue with warm water

Pour the bark chips into the glue mixture to soak

Pour the bark chips into the glue mixture to soak

Stir the bark into the glue

Stir the bark into the glue

Cover a round bowl with cling wrap

Cover a round bowl with cling wrap

Place the bark onto the shape

Place the bark onto the shape

Slowly build up the bowl shape by adding the sticky bark chips one by one

Slowly build up the bowl shape by adding the sticky bark chips one by one

Keep adding the bark pieces like you would build up a puzzle

Keep adding the bark pieces like you would build up a puzzle. Fitting the shapes but staying true to the form

Add more bark

Once the entire bowl is covered in bark, set it aside to dry completely. Add more bark, once it is dried to fill in any gaps

Glue in twigs and place the flowers in test tubes and arrange in the bark bowl

Glue in twigs and place the flowers in test tubes and arrange in the bark bowl

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

Tutorials

10 July 2012 Bark covered heart

Cover cardboard with bark to create a heart shaped log

22 January 2013 Bark Veneer Cardboard Floral Cake

Glue a stack of cardboard circles to create a log-like floral cake

22 January 2013 Bark Veneer Cardboard Cake stands

A quick and easy way to make a cardboard cake stand

Related Designs

17 September 2014 Still

My bark bowl design and tutorial featured in the Centrepiece Wedding Magazine

15 June 2016 One tug

Weave willow bark strips into a nest and weave a bird from flax

21 December 2016 A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

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

15 March 2017 Wedding Welcome

My article and wedding direction board design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

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.

13 December 2017 Just hear those sleigh bells jingling

Craft a bark sleigh that will last for weeks.

18 November 2020 Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Yule log

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box Yule log… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being...

10 November 2021 … any day now

Using dried floral material is so trendy right now. But the longer lasting the design elements the more effort you have to put in to stop it from looking lifeless.

11 October 2023 Plenty Glow to Harvest

Glow and sparkle bark armature to celebrate the first signs of Autumn