A crown fit for a princess

I love making Daisy chains in the summertime. I have fond memories of making them as a child and now I’ve taught my children how to make them. We enjoy fashioning them into necklaces, bracelets, anklets and crowns. Mum chains are a great way to take a break from raking leaves on a fall day or to help celebrate an outing of pumpkin or apple picking. Did you know that Mums (short for Chrysanthemum), are in the same family as the Daisy? Their stems are incredibly similar to Daisies, which helps to explain why they work so well. There are a few ways to make Mum chains. I would like to share how I learned to make them as a little girl.

Slits like this one will help to form the flower chain and attach the flowers to one another.

With your fingernail, about 2 inches down from the flower on the stem, very carefully make a small slit in the middle of the stem with your fingernail. Do not cut into the lower 1 inch of the stem. If the stems are tough, sometimes an X-ACTO knife works well. Never allow any children to use an X-ACTO knife and keep it safely out of reach when not in use.

Open wide! Very carefully insert the top of the first flower into the final flower’s slit.

To connect the chain, make the slit in the last flower a bit larger than the previous slits avoiding the last 1 inch of the stem. This hole will need to be large enough to accommodate the very first flower’s bloom that you will push through this final slit.

When making your chains, try using assorted colored Mums and any other blooms with thicker stems similar to Daisies. The possibilities and creations are endless.

Photo Credit: Tilly’s Nest