My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This is the third design I did for my "I found it this way" Floral art demonstration at the Capilano Flower Arranging Club .
As the temperature starts to cool down here in Vancouver and we are heading into early autumn, we are all starting to spend more time indoors, we looked at nests crafted outdoors.

Wrapped leaf nest floral art design

During the summer months the Emperor butterfly enjoys the fruits from the tree...

Leaf nest for succulents

... and in late fall caterpillars make nests by "sewing" the leaves together and to the tree

Succulent leaf nest

The caterpillars move into the nest over weeks

Hot glue web to secure the leaves to the armature

As the leaves drop from the tree, only the nests stay behind

Nestled succulents

Over winter the nests deteriorate...

Rolled leaves to create a nest for the succulents

... come Spring they crawl from the nest, ready to eat the new fruit and grow

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Tutorials

5 October 2016 Folded leaf nest

Leaf armature made of rolled mini Monstera leaves

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...

4 February 2015 Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf

22 October 2014 Roll a folded leaf coil

Fold and then stitch a long fall leaf garland to roll into a coil

23 March 2013 Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes

28 March 2011 Spinning a Hot Glue Spider Web or silk for a Floral Cocoon

How to spin (and remove) hot glue spider web or floral cocoon

24 July 2012 Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.

Related Designs

22 August 2018 FreestyleFreesia

Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled ...

22 May 2019 Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.

6 January 2021 I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.

2 June 2021 Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.