My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Personal Preference

This is the third of my 4 demonstration designs I did for my book launch at the Capilano Flower Arranging Club. To read and see more pictures of the demonstration: The effortless floral craftsman, a floral crafter's guide to crafting with nature Book Launch Demonstration

Personal preference floral art demonstration design

I prefer more naturally crafted designs…

Floating orchids

... using nature as an inspiration.

With that being said: my best known design tutorial? Using Bubble-wrap to make flowers float! A few years ago I wanted to create a design for just after Christmas. Something minimal. I called the design Going Cold Twinkle Turkey ... and it just took off! It is probably the furthest away from "natural" you can imagine.

Making flowers float with bubble wrap

But it does appeal to my love for minimal designs.

Using nature as inspiration for floral design

I like each flower to shine in it's own right...

... rather than collected to create a massive display.

Minimal flowers for the maximum impact in flower arranging

That's my personal...

Floral art inspired by nature

... preference

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

Tutorials

5 December 2018 Long Lichen branches to dress up a curvy vase

Secure two lichen covered branched to rest around the neck of a curvy vase.

3 January 2012 Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.

13 April 2012 Drying Mushrooms for Floral Art

I use edible mushrooms in my designs. To preserve them I press a tiny stake into the base and let them air-dry.

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

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

20 December 2017 Secret Battery holder

Sometimes the best way to hide something in your design is right in the open

24 July 2012 Stacked Twig Roundabout

This is a great way to use all those bits of twigs and sticks in your design room to make a floral armature

29 June 2016 Reed Cradle Armature

Glue reeds on a wire frame to create a dimensional armature to suspend orchids in

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

4 May 2016 Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

4 September 2019 Gently down the stream

A mindful summer craft using banana leaves to create a floating arrangement.

20 May 2020 Whatever floats your boat

This is one of my best known and still my go-to core techniques for floating flowers.

7 July 2021 Do and Don'ts

One of my trusty tried and tested techniques. When the going gets hot... float your flowers!

20 December 2017 A Very Merry Christmas Star

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

18 December 2013 Jingle Belling

Glue a stacked twig round-about to use as a Christmas table top wreath

29 June 2016 Make the design

Weave a reed cradle to suspend orchids from

4 May 2016 Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

24 May 2017 Link

weave a few wreaths to link

3 January 2012 Going Cold Twinkle Turkey

Is it better to go Cold Twinkle Turkey and embrace the minimalist living room or rather ease into it?

19 March 2014 One of one of everyone

Float flowers using a bubble wrap raft

24 September 2014 Leapfrog

Fold and weave a frog from grass

15 July 2015 So Fine

Use transparencies to create floating devices for the flower material