My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

An almost not even there grass grid

For a more detailed Tutorial on how to create a sticky tape grid see the Tutorial below. Also notice how I usually update this technique by turning the tape sticky side up.

Tap a grid over your container

Tap a grid over your container.

This is one of my core techniques. You will also find more information about this technique in my book The Effortless Floral Craftsman Amazon Canada
Amazon.com
Amazon UK

Carefully bend the grass without snapping it

Carefully bend the grass without snapping it.

Again, you will find a lot of information about manipulating (bending, curling, weaving...) grasses in my book.

Place the bend so that it is in line with the edge of the container

Place the bend so that it is in line with the edge of the container.

Add another blade of grass

Add another blade of grass. Make sure it touches the side of the container with the bend at the height of the edge of the container.

Keep adding blades of grass

Keep adding blades of grass. Keep in mind where you want to add your flowers so that most the grass point in that direction.

Weave some of the grass so that it created a visually interesting grid

Weave some of the grass so that it created a visually interesting grid.

Move around the edge of the container and add grass from all sides

Move around the edge of the container and add grass to be visible from all sides

Add a few mature grass curls to mirror the sun colour of the orchids

Add 3 mature grass curls to pick up on the the sun bleached colour of the orchids. (a bit of a nod to our friends on the other side of the world who is celebrating autumn right now). See the Design Tip below.

Design Tip: If you let plant material mature to create an effect in a design make sure that absolutely everything else you include are in peak condition so that your design looks intentional and deliberate.

See the Tutorial below for a way to curl grass. I have also found another fun way to curl grass in smaller more precise ringlets... it's in my book!

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

Tutorials

2 April 2014 Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog

Tape a grid over a vase to keep the floral details in place

2 July 2014 Clearly invisible taped Grid

This is the easiest way to keep flower in place

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

16 August 2011 Cut spiked flower stems and foliage into short sections

Orchids grow in long flower spikes. It is great to use the entire stem but sometimes you need shorter section. There is a trick to cutting the stems without leaving a visible...

10 July 2013 Wrap a line grid to support plant material in a shallow, stemmed container

Fishing line creates an invisible grid over a shallow glass cake stand to support the plant material

13 September 2017 Tape a grid around the edges of a container for a table top wreath

Suspend flowers with an almost invisible taped grid

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.

Favourite Flowers

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, Boat Orchid

Related Designs

1 May 2019 Can you see the tiny hint of Sunshine on the tips of the grass?

I left the grass to mature so that the tips mirror the sun bleached yellow of the orchids.

3 February 2021 here’s the catch

Weave an all natural net to place over a vase to keep your flowers above water.

23 August 2023 Note to Self

An easy to weave natural grid for summer floral arrangements.

6 April 2016 Take it for a Spin

Make a clear grid to suspend plant material on

10 July 2013 Pink

Weave an invisible grid to float the plant material on

13 September 2017 Around again

Tape a grid at the edge of a container

15 July 2015 So Fine

Use transparencies to create floating devices for the flower material

7 June 2017 Dream, Job

Create a grid to rest some plant material so that it floats and some with their stems to rest in the water below