My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Floral wreath ring stem armature for a cute pumpkin patch in a stem vase design

Weave a small wreath

Weave a small wreath...

Just big enough to fit over the mouth of a small vase

.. just big enough to fit over the mouth of a small vase.

If you need more detailed instructions on how to weave a wreath I have a Tutorial for you to look at. See the Section right below this post.

Fill the vase with water

Fill the vase with water.

Slip a flower through the wreath so that the stem is at an angle

Slip a flower through the wreath so that the stem is at an angle.

Turn the vase and add more flowers all around

Turn the vase and add more flowers all around crossing the stems as you go.

So that the stems form a platform to rest the pumpkin on

So that the stems form a platform to rest the pumpkin on.

Make sure the stems are in water so that the flowers remain hydrated

Make sure the stems are in water so that the flowers remain hydrated...

... but make sure the pumpkin rests above this waterline. Newsletter subscribers I have a tip for you this week on the placement of the pumpkin. Make sure you are subscribed to my once a week... the-moment-my-design-is-up notification email for advance access to the latest design and the exclusive weekly tip where I point out that one tiny detail that I feel is the most important thing for the design to succeed and we can discuss how you can use it.

Place the pumpkin in the design

Place the pumpkin in the design.

Book readers please turn to page 98 of my book to make sure you keep the flowers and pumpkin looking fresh as long as possible. And also to page: 199 for some additional notes on how to use fruits, pods, gourds and vegetables in floral designs.

Lift out and reposition all the tendrils so that it gives the design more height

Lift out and reposition all the tendrils so that it gives the design more height...

... and add a sparkling crystal for some Autumn magic. See the Tutorial below for an easy way to add a delicate crystal exactly where you want them.

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

Tutorials

1 November 2011 Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...

4 October 2017 Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin

For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.

27 September 2017 Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin

21 October 2015 Rolled up Autumn leaf wreath

Create a textured wreath with Chrysanthemums and rolled up Autumn leaves

26 August 2015 Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered

26 October 2016 Folded Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath Armature

Glued Baby's Breath Wreath, folded in half to create a moon shaped armature

1 November 2017 Pierce and stack fall leaves to rest on the edge of a container

Use one leaf to keep the next in place

11 February 2015 Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

23 October 2019 Floating Filigree Pumpkin Patch

String up pumpkins and glass seahorse vases to craft an autumn mobile design.

6 November 2013 Leaf Swirls

Cut fall leaves to create continuous swirls

2 September 2015 Hana-Kubari Bamboo Stilts with a Hidden Water Source

Split bamboo stems to create a water source for dancing orchids

28 October 2015 Besom Broom

The word ‘Besom’ derives from the old English ‘besma’ meaning ‘bundle of twigs’.

Favourite Flowers

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum or "mums"

Passiflora

Granadilla, passionflower, passion vines

Related Designs

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.

13 October 2021 Gratitude

A minimal Thanks Giving design that is a modern take on a wreath

14 September 2022 Overgrown S-Autum-mer Swirl

Designing for somewhere not still summer not yet autumn weather...

12 October 2022 Ahead

Oh my... a corn leaf mummy head for autumn... looking ahead to Halloween styling.

4 October 2017 Whipped up in the autumn breeze

Give a loosely woven wreath legs to stand on to hover lightly around a pumpkin

27 September 2017 As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

21 October 2015 Watch the leaves turn

Roll autumn leaves to create a wreath

26 August 2015 Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

26 October 2016 Harvest Moon

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

1 November 2017 A Round

Create a delicate design that rests lightly on the edge of a container

23 October 2019 As pumpkins do this time of year

Hanging pumpkins and tiny vases to create a Autumn mobile floral design.

6 November 2013 This is the Fragrance of November

Weave a wreath to thread a dome for an Autumn leaf design

2 September 2015 Happy Dance

Split a few bamboo sections to create a happy water source for miniature orchids

19 October 2016 There are Octobers

Autumn wreath

28 October 2015 On Pumpkin Coloured Days

Create a besom broom to sweep up those Autumn leaves