One A4 sheet of thin yellow card, (this will make 7 palm
crosses), ruler, pencil, a pair of scissors. Cut the card into
strips 1.5cms wide and 29.6cms long. You will need 2 of these
strips for each palm cross.
To make the crossbeam of the palm
cross:
On one of the strips mark from the left 2cms, 4cms, 10cms and
20cms. Fold neatly from the right along the 20cm line and then
the 10cm line.
Turn the piece of card over and fold forward along the 2cm line
and then the 4cm line. This makes the centre of the crossbeam.
Flatten.
To make the cross:
Now take the other strip of card and insert one end under the
top layer only of the centre of the crossbeam. Do not go all the
way through.
Fold the long piece of card behind the crossbeam and then thread
it up in front of it and through under the top layer of the
centre of the crossbeam. Pull this through and flatten it.
Finally thread the long piece of card back under the centre of
the crossbeam stopping when a cross shape is made.
How to
make Palm Crosses to tuck into holy picture frames...
1. Take a palm that is about 2 feet long and 1/2" wide (if it tapers at
the top, this is good!).
2. Hold the palm upright, so the tapered end points toward the ceiling.
Then bend the top end down and toward you so that the bend is about 5 or
6 inches from the bottom of the palm.
3. About a third of the way from the bend you just made, twist the
section you've pulled down to the right, forming a right angle.
4. About an inch or inch and a half away from the "stem" of the cross,
bend this arm of the palm back behind the palm so that it is now facing
to your left. Make the bend at a good length to form the right arm of
the Cross.
5. Folding that same section at a point that equals the length on the
right side, bend it on the left side and bring the end forward over what
is now the front of the cross.
6. From the very center of the Cross, fold that arm up and to the upper
right (in a "northeast" direction) so that it can wrap around where the
upright post of the Cross and the right arm intersect.
7. Fold this down and to the left behind the Cross, and then fold it
toward the right so that it is parallel and under the transverse arms of
the Cross.
8. Bring it up behind the Cross again, this time folding it up toward
the "northwest" direction.
9. Tuck the tapered end into the transverse section you made in step 7.
10. Turn the Cross over; this side will be the front. Trim the tapered
end if necessary, remembering that the palm is a sacramental and any
part you trim away should be kept and respected as a sacramental! Use
that piece for burning during storms.
Making Palm Crosses
~ Style 2 ~
How to make the knot :
1. Hold the palm horizontally.
2. At about the half waypoint fold the palm up towards the ceiling to
create a ninety-degree angle.
3. Take this piece and fold it tightly down towards the floor. (Do not
try to make the cross. At this point you are making the square in the
middle).
4. Still using the same piece of palm, fold it back up toward the
ceiling.
5. Take the other piece of the palm and fold it across the square you
have been creating.
6. You will now take this same piece of palm and thread it through the
small square you have created. This square is at the back of the cross
and you will see the right angle you originally created in this square –
thread the palm under this right angle piece.
7. Pull tightly and you should have a completed knot that does not need
to be held.
To Form the Cross...
1. Take the palm that points towards the ceiling and fold it down toward
the floor and thread it through the square you have created at the front
of the cross. This will be the top of your cross.
2. Still using the same piece of palm thread up back up through the same
square you used in the previous step to create the bottom of the cross.
3. Turn the half made cross around so that the remaining horizontal
piece of palm is to the right. You should have a vertical square in
front of you and a horizontal piece of palm to your right. Take the
unwoven piece of palm and thread it through this square to create one
side of the cross.
4. Take the same piece of palm and thread it through the same square you
used in the previous step making certain to thread it behind where you
had previous threaded. You should have a cross that still has some palm
pieces hanging out either on top and sometimes in the sides of the
cross.
5. Cut the strands that do not belong in your cross.
