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Writer's pictureLynne Wardach

A Festal Wreath: Decorating the Holy Cross in Your Family's Icon Corner

As the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross, on August 1st, grows closer here's a fun and easy project that your children can do on this rainy afternoon to make something beautiful to decorate your family icon corner.




Craft: Make a wreath to adorn the cross

Items needed: Chenille (pipe cleaners), green is best, but any color will do

felt: green, red, purple

glue: fabric glue works, but hot glue is better


There is a wooden crucifix, given to us as a wedding present, which is the focal point of our family icon corner. One year, the children had made a wreath of felt flowers to adorn our cross for the feast of the Procession of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross and it turned out so well, that I'd like to share the idea with you and yours. We use it to this day to adorn the Cross during the Dormition Fast, a period of 14 days following the feast, as well as on other holy days that honor the Cross.


First, they made a frame, using chennille pipe-cleaners, to fit the dimensions of our particular Cross, fashioning two "hooks" which will be used to attach it. As each family's cross will be a different size, you can fashion the frame as you see fit.


Next, they cut leaf shapes from some green felt and we hot-glued these to the frame. My girls were 11 at the time, and because they were experienced with a hot glue gun, I wasn't too worried, but I WAS nearby. Please use caution, or school glue, if there's a shred of worry or doubt about their safety!


Next, they cut strips of red felt and purple felt, cutting some special edges on one side of each strip. They used pinking shears for some, and cut scalloped edges on others, and fringed some as well, to achieve the look of different flowers such as carnations, roses or mums. It was fun to watch them be so creative!

Then they ran a line of glue down one side, the straight-edged side, and rolled them up to look like flowers, and then hot-glued them to the wreath.


This can be as elaborate or as simple as you and your children like, with as many or as few flowers as they choose. I'm a true fan of children's handmade crafts and I love to display them! Here's how ours turned out:


Our Festal Wreath


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