Braiding Your Sunday Palms: A Tutorial

Every year on Palm Sunday, I braid our palms from mass in a traditional Polish braid.

Here are our freshly braided palms from this morning.

Today, I will show you how to braid your palms.

You must do them soon, before they start to dry out.

A dry and brittle palm cannot be braided.

I braided these in the car this morning after mass.

The penny is there so you can understand the scale of the braid.

Larger braids can be more uncontollable.

It is much easier to split your palms into more narrow pieces before beginning.

This will make your braid easier to manage, especailly for a beginner.

Step 1:

Take your palm and split it into two pieces.  Try to make sure they are about the same size.

Step 2:

Make each palm into a loop (near the bottom of the flatter edge).

Let the top tapered edges be free for now.

Step 3:

Insert one loop into the other.

Hold securely.

Everyone still on board?

This is where it gets tricky.

Step 4:

Take the one end and loop it.

Insert THAT loop BACK INTO the other one.

Step 5:

Hold securely as you go or it will all pop open.

Get ready to tuch and insert another loop.

Step 6:

Tuck the loop in.

Step 7:

The braid is getting established now.

Keep holding securely and tuck again.

Step 8: Con't progress...

Keep making a loop and tucking it into the other loop.

Photos on continued progress...

Hold tightly as you go...

Here's a snapshot of what you should have so far.

Your braid should be growing...

Step 9:

When you're getting ready to end it,

insert the TIP of one end into the loop and PULL.

Step 10:

Crease that little part you just pulled so it's secure and will no longer unravel.

Now, what do we do with these bottom ends?

Step 11:

Tuck one end in.

Step 12:

Pinch and crease that bottom corner so that piece does not pop out.

Step 13:

Tuck the last end behind a woven one and insert.

Step 14:

Pinch and crease those last rounded loops so they don't unravel.

When you flip it over, you now have a beautiful woven palm.

Display your palms all year as a reminder of your King of Glory.

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