Palm Leaf Cross Directions
Many sects of Christianity observe Palm Sunday, the Sunday that falls before Easter. According to the Bible, this is when Jesus made his way into Jerusalem on a white donkey. The citizens were so joyful to see him that they laid their cloaks and palm leaves down on the street so his mount would not have to walk in the dirt. Today, many Palm Sunday traditions include hanging dried palm fronds somewhere in the home, either leaving them as they are or weaving them into a cross. This craft also can make a good Sunday school activity for children as you talk to them about the meaning of Palm Sunday and Easter.
Instructions
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1
Make sure your palm frond is at least ¼ inch thick and 20 to 24 inches long. If it is thicker than ½ inch, cut in half by snipping the wider end with scissors and gently pulling it apart. Choose the flattest fronds you can find.
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2
Hold the frond up so the widest end is pointed toward the floor. Bend the pointed end back, away from you and straight down so the crease falls about 4 inches above the bottom of the frond. The frond should be longer at the back of the fold than at the front.
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3
Turn your frond around so you can see the back. Grip the frond about an inch below the folded end with your thumb and forefinger. Fold the long part of the frond up and to the right so that it makes a small, diagonal fold right below your thumb. Pinch to flatten.
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4
Pinch the diagonal fold between your thumb and forefinger. The pointed end of the front should be pointed to the right. Fold the frond away from you, making a crease about 2 inches away from the tip of your thumb. The point of the frond should now be pointing left.
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5
Fold the pointed end of the frond back toward you, making a second crease about 2 inches from your thumb. All the arms of the cross should now be formed.
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6
Bend the frond gently up in a diagonal fold so that the pointed end sticks out between the top of the cross and the right arm. Fold the point down and away from you so that the point sticks out between the bottom of the cross and the left arm.
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7
Gently press the palm frond across the bottom arm of the cross where it meets the left and right arms. The point should be below and parallel to the right arm of the cross.
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8
Fold the frond up and away from you on a diagonal so the point sticks out between the top of the cross and the left arm. Fold the point toward you and down, slipping the point through the fold that you made in step 7. Turn the cross over; it is complete.
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References
- Photo Credit palm frond 3 image by Vonora from Fotolia.com
