May Day Crowns

It’s May Day! If these were “normal” times, and we weren’t all sheltering in place, I’d say GO OUT and get some raffia from your local craft store! Venture outdoors and gather some fresh spring blooms! Braid the raffia, slip the flowers in, and get together with 40 of your closest friends to frolick around a maypole!

And it would look like this:

But given that things are a little different this year, and not everyone is lucky enough to have a backyard garden overflowing with primroses and peonies — (I certainly don’t — dead grass and weeds MAYBE) — here’s an tutorial on making a flower crown out of paper. It channels all those spring vibes and celebrates the arrival of a new season of awakening and regrowth in its own beautiful way.

What you’ll need:

Watercolor paints (both liquid or solid are fine)
Watercolor paper
Ribbon
Scissors
5 buttons
Needle and thread (embroidery thread works well)
A hole puncher (but you can also make do without.)

STEP 1

(We’ll be going for watery, light, flowy colors, and you’ll be using more water and less paint than perhaps you’re used to. IN OTHER WORDS, you might want to line your table with some newspaper before starting.)

Start by prepping your first sheet of watercolor paper for painting. Using a sponge or paper towel dipped in water, gently wet the paper.

A smooth back and forth motion works well. The paper should be wet, but not puddled or dripping.

STEP 2

Starting with greens, blues and yellows, wet your brush and move the colors around the paper. Using long slow strokes, let them flow into one another. This can super-relaxing for a child, so pour yourself a cup of tea, and let them take their time and get lost in the movement of dreamy colors.

STEP 3: When the watercolor is dry, flip the paper around and measure out a strip 2.75” wide x 12” long.

Step 4: Using this as your guide, draw a wavy strip.

STEP 5: Cut out the wavy strip. This will be the headband of the crown.

STEP 6: Now for the flowers! Wet a second piece of watercolor paper and paint a big rainbow. This is what your flowers will be cut from.

STEP 7: Draw a flower shape on some stiff paper, about 3 inches wide. This will be your stencil.

(Using a nickel to create 5 overlapping circles helps. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Flowers come in all wonky shapes.)

Step 8: When that second painting is dry, use your stencil to trace 5 flower shapes.

STEP 9: Cut out your flowers…

STEP 10: Punch a hole in each end of your handband.

STEP 11: Eyeball where your 5 flowers will go. Use a pencil to roughly mark a dot under each flower center.

STEP 12: Using your needle and thread, sew the flowers in place, putting a button in the center of each one.

STEP 13: Thread two pieces of ribbon through each of the holes of your headband and tie them on.

Fasten in the back, and let the May Day celebrations begin!