My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Sliced Grassy Cabbage

Let the cabbage rest on a working surface to find it's natural balance point

Let the cabbage rest on a working surface to find it's natural balance point

Slice a chunk away from the cabbage

Slice a chunk away from the cabbage on the opposite side of the stem so that the head stays intact.

Cut open a lemon and rub it over the cabbage to prevent it from going brown

Cut open a lemon and rub it over the cabbage to prevent it from going brown

Place the plant material in the leaf cavities

Place the stems of the plant material in the leaf cavities

Thin stems can be hydrated by sinking thin drinking straws filled with water in the cavities

Thin stems can be hydrated by sinking thin drinking straws filled with water in the cavities

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how I make a water source from drinking straws

Press the firm part of a blade of grass between the cabbage leaves to make it stand upright

Press the firm part of a blade of grass between the cabbage leaves to make it stand upright

Work from one side and slowly add blades of thin grass

Work from one side and slowly add blades of thin grass

Adding blade after blade to almost completely cover the surface

Adding blade after blade to almost completely cover the surface

Gather the grass and let it curl over your hand

Gather the grass and let it curl over your hand

Coaxing it into a permanent curve

Coaxing it into a permanent curve

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

Tutorials

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

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

8 October 2011 Pumpkin legs

I wanted my pumpkin to lift its head slightly so that it is easy to see the beautiful sepals inside. Making tiny legs also prevent the pumpkin from rolling.

14 January 2011 Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

10 September 2012 Braid a Celtic heart knot

Braid or knot a traditional Celtic heart with foliage

18 September 2012 T- Pin blades of grass

Make a small grass "propeller" by pinning blades of grass into the design

6 November 2012 Ripped Grass Frame

Create a sheltered or veiled design by framing the outer edge of your armature (in this case thick cardboard) with long strands of grass

Favourite Flowers

Ceropegia woodii

Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts

Related Designs

25 May 2016 Half the Fun

Cut a cabbage to create a design platform

8 July 2020 Super Cute!

A simple placement of bud vases... with the tiniest of lemon coloured twist that makes them unusual.

21 July 2021 High-Strung

String up a tiny hammock for a dreamy summer vacation design

16 February 2022 Hang on, love

A hanging heart design to celebrate love this Valentine's Day.

15 June 2022 Take a swing at it

A cooling design for early summer days with swinging ripped grass and more than enough water for thirsty hydrangeas.

5 January 2011 Protea Composite

To create this huge Protea I took apart nine Protea flower heads and glued the tepals and bracts back on to a polystyrene ball to create a large Protea composite flower that is...

11 April 2011 Kitchen Garden

Kitchen Garden Design. South African Horticultural Society Show 2009

11 April 2011 Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions

29 September 2011 Pick-Up Sticks

A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect

7 October 2011 Thanksgiving Harvest

Thanksgiving pumpkin with Chinese lanterns and spiral blossoms

26 October 2011 Trick a levitating Treat

A fun Halloween ghost pumpkin design

26 June 2012 Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and...

21 August 2012 Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Too Cold!

My first design in my demonstration at the BC Floral Art Society meeting

10 September 2012 Tying the knot

Gypsophilla design with Celtic love knots featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

18 September 2012 Tying the knot and loosening those curls

Romantic rose centerpiece with just a bit of an edge featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

6 November 2012 Mr. Stalk, the Seriously Terrifying Scarecrow, on his Day Off

An easy going design of ripped grass and calla lilies. But look a bit closer. See if you can find Mr. Stalk relaxing somewhere between the blades of grass.