Last year on Palm Sunday I tried a new way to “braid” with the palm branches. Really, this is more like weaving! Here is a picture of one of the woven fish I created last year:
I used the tutorial in the video below to create my palm fish. The lady in this video uses paper, but I recreated the same thing using strips of a palm branch.
Please note: I discovered that the fish looked better if I place the fins of the fish under a few books till it was dry. This helped to keep the fins from curling.  Also you may need to tighten the weaving as the fish dries over the course of a few days. So these may seem like a little more work, but they are a cute Christian symbol to have around the house.
More Ways to Create with Palms
Here are a few other ways to braid palm branches:
The 2-Part Braid
It looks like 4 but really it’s made with 2 parts.
View a past post and instruction video HERE.
Crown of Thorns made from a Palm
You can also make a crown of thorns with a palm branch.
(using half the “sword” as I did in the 2-part braid video).
This is the same technique as the Paper Crown of Thorns, click here to see that post. The only difference is you tie the two ends together.
4-Square Braid
You also might like to see this post on how to make a 4 square braid

**Note: Please don’t throw the scrap pieces into the trash!! They are blessed! The proper way to dispose of them is to bury them, burn them, or return them your church so they can burn them and use them next Ash Wednesday.

After you have braided your palms place them at your family altar or use them as decorations around your home.

Storing palms until you can braid them

If you can’t braid your palms within an hour or two after Mass, place your palms in a zip-loc bag with a tablespoons of  water, seal it, shake it, and place it in the fridge. That will keep it from drying out until you can braid it! They should keep that way for a few days.
Have a blessed Palm Sunday
~Jen-Marie

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