Layer construction paper palm leaves around a cardboard circle to make a wreath.
While palm leaves may be used in settings such as a beach, the palm leaf plays an important part in the Easter story from both scripture and Christian tradition. Crafts relating to the palm leaf may be as simple as starting with a coloring page for younger children to creating palm leaf crosses and wreaths for older children.
Coloring Page Plus
Print a coloring page with palm leaves on the page. Have children color the page with crayons, markers or with paint. Add texture by providing plastic or actual greenery from a palm leaf. Let the children glue the real greenery over the palm leaf on the coloring page. After the children color the picture, give them palm leaves cut from green construction paper or provide a template and let the children cut out palm leaves. Use a fastener to attach the green palm leaf to the appropriate place on the page so it can be moved back and forth. Have children use crayons to color the picture. Lay the pages on paper towels, soak a cotton ball in baby oil and saturate the page. Let dry. Add dowel rods to top and bottom. Add yarn to the top rod to hang for a stained glass-look.
Make a Palm Leaf
Print out the outline of a large palm leaf on plain cardstock. Have the children cut out and color the palm leaves with crayons, adding glitter around the edges. Glue on foot-long dowel rods so the children can hold and wave the palm leaf. Create the palm leaf from wide green ribbon. Start with a strip of wide ribbon as a base. Add a green pipe cleaner down the center to stabilize the base ribbon. Cut a series of shorter lengths of the spine-like parts extending from the stem for the children to glue onto the base, angling downward to look like a palm leaf. Fold pieces of green construction paper. On the fold draw a long, wide oval. Cut wide, angled fringe along the edges, leaving two inches along the fold. Open and glue a green pipe cleaner to the center to finish the palm leaf craft.
Palm Leaf and Cross
If the palm leaf craft is used to celebrate Palm Sunday or Easter, combine the palm leaf with the cross. Print copies of the Celtic cross for the children. Have them decorate this cross with silver crayons or silver glitter. Give them a palm leaf template to cut from green construction paper. Glue the palm leaf at an angle across the Celtic cross. Provide plastic or actual palm leaves for the children -- two each. Glue the palm leaves together to form a cross. Add a Bible reference banner across the center piece. Create a large semi-circle out of card stock. At the bottom add the text, "Christ the King." Cut out a series of palm leaves and display them above the text on the semi-circle. Punch a hole and add a ribbon tie for hanging.
Palm Leaf Wreath
Make a round wreath shape out of cardboard or Styrofoam. Cut a series of palm leaves from green construction paper. Add stems with a black marker. Layer the palm leaves around the wreath. Use real palm leaves to make a wreath. Long, curved palm leaf branches can be fastened together at the top and bottom to make a long, oval wreath. Make a banner wreath from a length of white flannel. Cut palm leaves from green flannel. Glue a wreath shape onto the white flannel background. Add text above and below as desired with fabric pens. Glue a dowel rod to the top and add ribbon or thin cord to the dowel rod ends for hanging.
Tags: palm leaves, palm leaf, construction paper, from green, green construction, green construction paper