How to Make a Cross Out of Palms
Palm Sunday is a religious holiday celebrated by Christians all over the world. On that day, many people use the palm leaves that are given out during church services to make crosses. For the novice, making a cross out of palms may seem like a difficult task, but it can be done. Making a cross out of palm leaves involves folding the leaf into a cross and securing it with some of the excess that is left over. A palm leaf cross can last about a week before drying out.
Instructions
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Get at least two palm leaves for this project. You normally only need one leaf to make the cross but you can use the second leaf for practice. Get leaves that are at least two feet long.
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Place the palm upright, standing on end. Fold the top part of the palm toward you. The website Fish Eaters states that the crease should be 5 to 6 inches from the bottom of the palm. Continue by taking the part of the palm that points toward you and make another fold so that it points to the right. Make this crease 2 to 3 inches from the original bend.
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Leave two inches of the part of the palm pointing to the right, for the right arm of the cross, and fold the rest behind the vertical part of the palm. Continue by folding the section that is now behind the palm around to the front again to make the left arm of the cross. There should still be some excess length pointing right.
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Fold the leftover section over the center of the cross, where the vertical and horizontal elements intersect. Wrap that section around the upper right corner of the center. Wrap the rest of that section behind the center and around the lower left corner of the center, and continue wrapping in this diagonal pattern until the leftover leaf is almost completely wrapped around the center, securing the cross.
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Tuck the excess into one of the folds. Pull it down gently, so the tuck can stay in place. Cut off the tip of the leaf if it is sticking out.
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References
- Photo Credit John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
