How To Fold A Palm Cross In 10 Easy Steps

This is a Catholic classic, and must be added to the library of Catholic crafts here at Catholic Icing. 😉 There are so many amazing ways to fold palms from Palm Sunday Mass, and I have a list of 10 things to do with your Palm Sunday palms here. Today I’m going to show you how to fold a palm cross in 10 easy steps! 

how to fold a palm cross for palm sunday the easy way

Also, at the end, I am going to share a superstar tip with you to keep your crosses looking good after they are dry! You don’t want to miss this tip!

I also now have this video to show you how to make a palm cross, or you can scroll down and see the still pictures below.

Before we dive into it, I would like to share an amazing Holy Week resources with you! 

Try celebrating all the days of Holy Week with my new cookbook for families– The Symbolic Holy Week & Easter Cookbook! This cookbook includes 23 recipes that point to the true meaning of Easter. It only includes 29 pages of bonus printables! You do not want to miss this amazing resource. 

How To Fold A Palm Cross- Start Here

You start with 1 palm. Most of them are actually 2 connected together, so if it easily splits into 2 palms like so, separate them completely.

Your palm will be really long like this. I can’t show the whole thing in every picture, but this will give you a feel for the length.

1. Fold the palm down. The length of the short side will be the length of your completed cross.

2.Turn it over so the long side of the palm is facing you. Fold the long side back at a 45 degree angle. This will make one arm of your cross.

3. Fold the long side of the palm back at the length you want the arm of your cross to be.

 

4. Fold the long side of the palm forward at the length you want the other arm of your cross to be.

Now you have your basic cross shape, and you just need to secure it with the amount of palm that’s left. You’re basically going to make an “X” around your cross to hold it together now.

5. Fold the pointy end of the palm up at a 45 degree angle.

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6. Fold the palm down around the back.

7. Now, fold the end up parallel to the arms of the cross.

8. Fold it across the back again at another 45 degree angle.

9. Now, bring the tail of the palm down and thread it under the little piece in the back.

how to fold a palm cross 16

10. Wind the tail around and around that same piece until there is not enough left to wind it anymore.

how to fold a palm cross 17

Turn it around and look at your awesome palm cross from the front!

how to fold a palm cross 18

Each cross is going to look a little different because each palm is a little different, and that’s ok. They all take on a different personality.

Secret Tip To Make Your Palm Cross Lay Flat

If you want your cross to stay looking nice (rather than curling up as it dries) you can put it under something heavy, such as a large book. This is similar in concept to pressing a flower. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess like this…

 

You can find my list of 10 things you can do with palms here.

Also, I have a tons of resources for celebrating Palm Sunday with your family here! Kicking off Holy Week with a strong Palm Sunday is a great way to prepare for Easter.

The Symbolic Holy Week & Easter Cookbook is sure to bless your family in the upcoming seasons! Read more now.

You’ll find all of my Lenten resources for kids here

Comments

  1. Thank you for posting this! I’m always stressed on Palm Sunday dealing with my boys and those palms. Yea, this year will be better 🙂

  2. Thank you so much for the instructions on how to make a cross using palms. I went to Mass on Saturday evening before Palm Sunday Mass and I have always wanted to make a cross with my palm. Thanks to your simple instructions, I was able to. 🙂

  3. Christine says

    Thank you! I always wanted to know how to make a cross with our palms.

  4. Lucia Silva says

    Thanks for this idea! I was always wondering, ‘How can we do this? I think it’s like this…’ and I was right how to do it! Haha, well, except for the tieing part…

  5. Patrick H. Miller says

    Thank You !!! That was very HELPFUL

  6. Claudette says

    Thank you for the instruction how to make a cross ,I really like it
    Claudette

  7. Stella davis says

    Just got home from church and found your instructions to make a cross from my palm. It worked!! Many thanks ✝️
    Stella

  8. It gets difficult with the last arm of the cross. It seems too thin. Alittle lopsided. I will have to get a thicker palm. The palms are just too thing on top.

  9. Episcopalians do this too, but mine never turned out very well. Thanks for the clear directions!

  10. Nice to learn this. Thanks so much

  11. Thanks for the instructions!

  12. My mom and grandma used to do fancy braiding with palms. A woman at our church used to make these and I always wondered how. Now I know. Made several this afternoon after Mass Thank you!

  13. Thank you so much! I got mine close enough to perfect with my second cross. The key may be to size up the larger end such that it does not narrow very much before you start creating the X’s. Mom loved it, thank you!

  14. Very nice teaching on palm cross.

  15. LauraSue Gutierrez says

    It’s 2022 and this is my first palm cross. Thank you for the simple instructions. I am very pleased, it is now pressed within a book. This means a lot to me, thank you and God bless!