To make palm crosses, follow these general steps based on detailed tutorials:
- Prepare the Palm Frond
- Use a fresh palm frond and split it into a strip by peeling or tearing along the spine to get a manageable length and width. Remove any stringy or hard sections that might make folding difficult
- Make the First Fold
- Find the halfway point of the palm strip. Bend it slightly to form a right angle (about 90 degrees), pressing gently to create a crease without sharply folding it
- Create the Square Center
- Fold the bottom part of the strip up, then fold the top part back behind to start forming a square shape.
- Wrap the side strip around the back of the square and thread the tip through the pocket formed at the side, pulling it tight to lock the square in place
- Form the Cross Arms
- Take the side strip and fold it partially back through the pocket to form one arm of the cross.
- Flip the strip behind and fold it again to form the other arm
- Complete the Cross
- Fold the remaining bottom part of the strip back and thread it through another pocket at the back to secure everything.
- Pull the ends snugly to keep the cross tight and stable
- Optional: Dry and Preserve
- To keep the palm cross flat and preserved, lay it under a book for a couple of days until dry
This process creates a neat palm cross suitable for Palm Sunday celebrations. Visual guides and videos can be very helpful to follow the folding steps precisely
