My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Sparkling Eucalyptus Tabletop Christmas tree

Roll a large sheet of thin cardboard into a sharp cone shape

Roll a large sheet of thin cardboard into a sharp cone shape

Secure the cone with tape

Secure the cone with tape.

Cut the wide open end of the cone flat

Cut the wide open end of the cone flat.

Fit the cone on a display container

Fit the cone on a display container.

Cover the display container with plastic to catch drips of glue

Cover the display container with plastic to catch drips of glue.

Rip up silver tissue paper

Rip up silver tissue paper.

Thin wood glue with warm water.

Thin wood glue with warm water.

This is to create a base layer for the cone shaped tree. For a more detailed instructions on using Papier Mache see the Tutorial below.

Paint the cardboard cone with thinned glue and smooth on the tissue paper

Paint the cardboard cone with thinned glue and smooth on the tissue paper.

Cover the entire shape with glue and paper

Cover the entire shape with glue and paper.

Set the cone shape aside to dry for about 20 minutes

Set the cone shape aside to dry for about 20 minutes.

You can craft any base colour for your design. We craft a base colour because as the dried leaves are shriveled and curl leaving gaps for small bits of the base colour to peek through. The glue also dries making the shape become stronger and sturdier to carry the weight of the plant material.

Cut the Eucalyptus leaves from the twigs leaving the stem on the leaves.

Cut the Eucalyptus leaves from the twigs leaving the stem on the leaves. I used dried leaves so that I can follow their natural shape to craft the tree.

Glue the leaves to the cone shape

Glue the leaves to the cone shape. I glued mine stem side out for extra visual interest.

Glue leaves around the cone shape

Glue leaves around the cone shape.

Overlap the leaves slightly

Overlap the leaves slightly in a roof tile pattern.

Once done with the first row start a second row of leaves.

Once done with the first row start a second row of leaves.

Place the leaves so that they curve up slightly to avoid it looking like it is droopy

Place the leaves so that they curve up slightly so that the tree looks vibrant and not like it is wilting.

Cover the cone shape

Cover the cone shape, row by row.

All the way to the top

All the way to the top.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to remove hot glue strands.

Remove the glue strands

Once the glue strands are removed the cone armature is ready to design with.

Glue in some sparkling snowflake crystals

Glue in some sparkling snowflake crystals.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on an easy way to glue in crystals.

Glue in some seeded Eucalyptus

Glue in some seeded Eucalyptus.

Finish the design by adding a few winter twigs to break up the roof tile pattern of the leaves

Finish the design by adding a few winter twigs to break up the too neat roof tile pattern of the leaves.

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

Tutorials

2 June 2011 Papier Mache

I save all the thin tissue paper or un-printed newsprint papers that are wrapped around the flowers that are delivered to me to make batches of Papier Mache with. These sheets...

24 July 2012 Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.

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.

25 December 2013 Leaf snippet gift cube

Cover Styrofoam with leaf snippets to create a gift box design

16 December 2015 Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

Twist ivy vines around a cardboard shape to create a lace fine Christmas tree mobile.

14 December 2016 Bark and Cotton Candy Cane

Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature

21 December 2016 Bark Christmas Stocking

Cover a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

21 December 2016 Add a Cotton pod Cuff to the Bark Christmas Stocking Armature

A fluffy cuff lines the top edge of the bark Christmas Stocking

19 June 2012 Up-cycle Styrofoam packaging to create a low pave design

Polystyrene or Styrofoam makers ideal shapes to pin or glue plant material to.

28 December 2016 A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath

Cover a wreath frame with bark strips and fluffed out cotton

10 May 2017 Skewered Eucalyptus leaf line-up armature

Thread leaves through wire

6 December 2017 Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

12 December 2012 Eucalyptus Snow Flakes

Glue seeded eucalyptus snow flakes

Related Designs

19 December 2018 Oh Florist-tree

Craft an Eucalyptus Christmas tree

11 December 2019 A Very Merry eucalyptus bauble Christmas!

For this year's Christmas tree I wired and glued a wild and wintry twig armature... but... these little eucalyptus baubles are just the cutest!

18 December 2019 A Happy, Merry, Jolly (easy as that!) Eucalyptus Christmas wreath

Now this is quite a discovery! And it honestly is the easiest and quickest way to go from "I still want to decorate for Christmas" to "... aaand I am done, I made our wreath"

17 June 2020 Lei-way

Allow for a bit of variation by crafting a sturdy armature.

23 December 2020 Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: wired snowball pom pom for a woven grass Christmas tree

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. Some cardboard to wrap the string around… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard...

15 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Christmas Tree of all!

This is the fourth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Paint copper to add a beautiful patina to a...

9 November 2022 All Pumpkind Out

A physalis husk pumpkin to celebrate the last bright rays of Autumn.

14 December 2022 Joyf'ly

Table top Christmas tree with a fairy light twig trunk.

6 December 2023 A Very Merry Dark and Moody and bring it in from the Woods Trendy Christmas Cheer

From now to a bit after New Year's Eve I will show you my take on the trends for Christmas 2023. This week I start with natural styling with a handcrafted twig candy cane.

13 December 2023 A Very Merry Naked Tree and Woodland Woodsy and Oversized Flowers Trendy Christmas Cheer

From now to a bit after New Year's Eve I will show you my take on the trends for Christmas 2023. This week I am continuing with a garland bowl and a cone and twig reindeer.

20 December 2023 A Very Merry Dark chocolate Velvet Texture of Yore, Tall and Trendy Christmas Cheer

Tall and velvety Christmas tree... with a starlight garland

25 December 2013 A gift for gifting

Christmas gift design

19 June 2012 Designing a Feeling

The emotions your designs inspire give real meaning to your work. My article in the Canadian Florist Magazine

16 December 2015 Christmas Waves

Twist a Kalanchoe and Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

14 December 2016 A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane

21 December 2016 A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

28 December 2016 A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Cover a wreath frame with bark and cotton for a textured Christmas wreath design

10 May 2017 About a line

Skewer and line up leaves to create an armature

6 December 2017 While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12