My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

Draw two circles on a sturdy cardboard sheet.

Draw two circles on a sturdy cardboard sheet.

Cut the cardboard

Cut the cardboard

This will be the guiding shape of the wreath

This will be the guiding shape of the wreath

Cut some sun baked sweet pea vines.

Cut some sun baked sweet pea vines.

Remove any leaves and dried petals and damaged pods

Remove any leaves and dried petals and damaged pods

Start to wrap the vine around the cardboard

Start to wrap the vine around the cardboard by bending it over the edge. Be careful not to break the fragile stem

For more detailed instructions on how to bend and manipulate stems see the Tutorial below

Secure the stem by wrapping the vine over the stem end

Secure the stem by wrapping the vine over the stem end

Wrap the stem around the cardboard closely following the shape.

Wrap the stem around the cardboard following the shape.

Add another stem by hooking it under the previous stem and continue to wrap

Add another stem by hooking it under the previous stem and continue to wrap

Add more stems to cover to create a sturdy wreath

Add more stems to cover to create a sturdy wreath

Set the wreath out to dry completly in the sun

Set the wreath out to dry completly in the sun

Design note: I wanted my wreath to be pale in colour. If you want to preserve the green of the stems do not place it in the sun to dry.

To remove the cardboard soak the wreath in a water bath

To remove the cardboard soak the wreath in a warm water bath

The cardboard will become soggy making it easy to rip away

The cardboard will become soggy making it easy to rip away

Move around the wreath and rip out the soggy cardboard

Move around the wreath and rip out the soggy cardboard

Carefully lift the wreath from the water and set aside to dry out

Carefully lift the wreath from the water and set aside to dry out

Dried Lathyrus wreath ready to design with

Dried Lathyrus wreath 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

19 February 2013 Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without...

7 December 2011 Hang a wreath on a door without knocking nails into the door face

I use two methods (or a combination of both) to attach a wreath to a door.

12 August 2012 Twist your own Wire Wreath frame

Make a wire wreath frame with wire and cover it with growth mesium or moss to design on

3 September 2014 Glued Twig Snippet Wreath

Small little twigs are glued to create a lace-like wreath

26 July 2011 Wire Tendrils

Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant

Related Designs

26 August 2015 Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

16 December 2015 Christmas Waves

Twist a Kalanchoe and Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

17 August 2016 Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on

19 October 2016 There are Octobers

Autumn wreath

26 October 2016 Harvest Moon

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

20 December 2017 A Very Merry Christmas Star

A wire Christmas star with a secret plan to hide the twinkle

7 February 2018 Up around the bend

Bend Equisetum into curves to wire into an open wreath shape

12 September 2018 Hole-ding it’s breath

Craft an almost Autumn armature from dried sweet pea vines

21 November 2018 Rules!

The first design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.

21 November 2018 The effortless floral craftsman, a floral crafter's guide to crafting with nature Book Launch Demonstration

My book launch demonstration was hosted by my flower-buddies from the Capilano Flower Arranging Club. We looked at what influences our own effortless style... that "thing" that...

11 March 2020 On-Spring-dium

A almost impossibly delicate oncidium (dancing lady) orchid wreath.

25 March 2020 How to lay a little bit low

A flat-lay to celebrate finally finding the perfect way to dry passion fruit flowers... and my book's first birthday but mostly the drying of passion fruit flowers thing.

24 June 2020 End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.

7 October 2020 Let’s circle around to this one

Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.

7 April 2021 First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.

3 November 2021 Coppepeppepepper wreath

Wire dried pepper berries to a wreath with super fancy flat wire (okay... it's the humble wire from a copper pot scrubber but it still looks fancy!)

4 May 2022 Wonderful and Enough

That incredible moment when you realize that one good idea for your design really is enough...

7 September 2022 Of the shades to come

This design requires a bit of prep-time so it is perfect to make while waiting for the first autumn leaf to appear…

5 October 2022 Tail End Of The Season

A display armature for a delicate autumn display.

4 October 2023 So Into Fall

Keep you fresh plant material hydrated in water... and your dried plant material suspended to keep it from falling into the water.

24 January 2024 I mean… really!?!

Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.

20 January 2011 The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an...

7 December 2011 Forest Filigree Christmas Wreath

I wanted my Hazel twig wreath to look like forest filigree: mysteriously overgrown, tangled with age and dappled with moss and lichen. The wreath is also dressed with fresh and...

30 March 2011 Garden Wreath Workshop and Demonstration

Contemporary Wreath Design demonstration as part of the Durbanville Garden Club's annual Garden Festival, Western Cape, South Africa