My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

What's done is done

My article and lace fine wreath design featured in the Autumn issue of
DIY Weddings Magazine

Glued twig wreath design

One of the biggest challenges for every DIY bride and groom, is to actually find time to make all those things that you dream about.

You want everything to be perfect but those last few hours before the wedding is just so busy, and that is exactly when you need to do the fresh floral designs.

Phalaenopsis orchids and Chinese lantern sepals

Luckily, Autumn is the perfect time for any DIY bride to use dried elements in your floral designs. Pods, guards, autumn foliage and twigs are abundantly available, can be prepared and assembled long in advance, and offer the perfect contrast to the fresh flowers.

Skeleton Physalis pods

Designing your basic design structure from dried material, well ahead of your big day, makes it easier for you to add a few fresh flowers or leaves just before the event, but it poses a planning challenge.

Lace like twig wreath

Planning a wedding is stressful and it is reassuring to mark something as "done," so that you don't have to think about it again.

Phalaenopsis orchids and skeleton Chinese lantern sepals

Starting with a dry arrangement helps to make progress, but you can't mark it as "done," even though you have worked hard on it.

There is a trick you can use to get around this frustration, and all you need is a few coloured index cards.

Need to get done

Make a list of all the arrangements you need for your big day. Then list each step, one per index card, needed to get them "done," and arrange them as shown in the illustration above.

Now you can ask specific people to take responsibility for specific cards, and you can have the satisfaction of marking things as "done," during preparations.

Butterfly orchids and skeleton pods

Using these two techniques, one for planning and the other for designing you are now set up to spend as much time as you can (or like to) on your basic floral design elements whenever you have a moment to craft without having to put it off to the last moment to ensure the designs are fresh and vital.

Whats done is done twig wreath design

The longer lasting twigs and pods create the perfect backdrop for any fresh flowers you add making them stand out even more.

Christine de Beer article in DIY Wedding Magazine

Thank you DIY Weddings Magazine for inviting me to contribute.

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

Tutorials

3 September 2014 Glued Twig Snippet Wreath

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

3 September 2014 Skeletonize Physalis Pods

Remove the pulp from the papery pod (sepal) covering the little berry of Chinese lantern plant so that only the vain framework remain

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

18 January 2012 Butterfly hairclip claws to hold twigs in place while glue dries

Butterfly hair clips are the perfect little claws to help you hold tiny items in place while you wait for glue to dry

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

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

23 March 2012 Drying Physalis sepals

Every Autumn we see the beautiful Physalis pods everywhere but they are easy to dry and preserve to use year round.

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Physalis

Chinese lantern, cape gooseberry, Peruvian cherry, Inca berry

Related Designs

17 August 2016 Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on

26 January 2022 Carry On

As sturdy as it is delicate basket made from off-cut stems and grass.

28 September 2022 Inside my world

Cut open a Chinese Lantern to show off that shiny berry inside.

5 October 2022 Tail End Of The Season

A display armature for a delicate autumn display.

29 November 2023 Fall into Christmas

Want to make your Christmas greenery last... this is perfect!