Remembrance Day Poppies

Remembrance Day Poppies

By Caitlan

Use these simple poppies to make Remembrance Day pins, to decorate children’s Remembrance Day school projects or to make a Remembrance Day flower wreath. Remembrance Day, held on the 11^th of November to coincide with the end of World War I, is a day for remembering all those who have served and fallen in war. The poppy has become a symbol of remembrance following the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae written in May 1915. The poem describes the thousands of poppies that bloomed above the graves of the fallen soldiers who were buried throughout Flanders.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

For this project you will need: ·         Red cardstock or paper ·         Scissors ·         Glue ·         A pin if you wish to wear it as a     badge ·         Cut out Poppy Template ·         Something to make a black centre, e.g. black glitter, black beads, black pencil, texta or crayon or even black nail polish!
1.       Trace your templates onto your red cardstock on the side you don’t want to be visible whilst wearing your poppy.
2.       Cut out your two flowers.
3.       Gently fold each of the petals up, don’t be too severe with the fold you don’t want them sticking up at right angles, just gently curled. See the next image for how it should look
4.       Repeat these folds with the second flower
5.       Place a dob of glue in the centre of the larger, five petal flower.
6.       Place the smaller, 4 petal, flower in the centre of the larger flower, press down firmly into the glue.
7.       Now you will create the centre of the flower. If you are using pencil, texta or crayon simply draw it on. If you are using glitter or beads place another dob of glue in the centre of your flower.
8.       Sprinkle on your glitter or seed beads. Gently shake off any excess back into the container.
9.       If you are using your poppies to decorate a school project or wreath you are all finished! If you want to wear it as a broach, follow on. To add a broach fitting place a strip of glue, the length of your broach piece, on the back of your flower. PVA glue will work fine but if you have access to a hot glue gun now is the time to use it!
10.   Place your broach piece onto the glue. Allow to dry, and then wear it on Nov 11th!