Make a Daisy Chain

A daisy chain immediately brightens your day. Wear it on your head as a flower-filled crown or give it to someone as a symbol of friendship. Learn how to make a lovely daisy chain in just a few minutes.

Steps

Using Slits

  1. Pick your daisies. Look for daisies with thick stems at least 4 inches (10 cm) long. Look for healthy, fully open flowers for a more beautiful chain.
  2. Slit the stem with your thumbnail. Cut a small slit through the middle of the stem, without breaking it in half. You can cut this just below the flower, or halfway down the stem.
    • If your fingernails are too short, use a plastic knife.
  3. Thread the stem of another daisy through the slit. Push the base of the stem through, until the flower is snug against the slit.
  4. Repeat with any number of daisies. Make a slit in the next daisy and push the third stem through it. Repeat until you've made a bracelet, crown, or necklace. When you think your daisy chain is long enough, cut a second slit through the first stem. Push the last daisy through this slit to make a loop.
  5. Air dry the daisy (optional). To keep your daisy chain for a long time, hang it up to dry in a windy area. It might wither or change color, but it should stay together.[1]

Braiding a Chain

  1. Pick the tallest flowers you can find. The longer the stems are, the easier the braiding. Daisies work wonderfully, but you can use any flower with a long, flexible stem and no thorns.
  2. Strip off leaves (optional). Pinch the stem under the flower and moving your fingers rapidly downward. Repeat until the leaves are torn off. This will make it easier to see what you're doing.
    • After you've made a couple chains, you can try keeping the leaves.
  3. Choose three flowers with strong stems. Place three flowers in a row on a flat surface. Pinch the stems together, just below the blossoms.
    • If any of these three stems break, you'll need to start over. If later stems break, you're probably okay.[2]
  4. Bring the right stem to the middle. Press your thumb down over the point where the stems cross. Pick up the stem on the right and bend it in between the other two.[3]
  5. Bring the left stem under the right stem. Move the left stem over the new middle stem, and under the stem on the right. Pull the stems gently to make the braid tight. Don't pull too hard or it might break.
  6. Continue braiding. Move the right stem into the middle. Bring the left stem over the middle and under the new right stem. Repeat this braiding pattern three or four times.
  7. Add more flowers as you go. After a few braids, pick up another flower. Lay it down next to another stem. From now on, braid as though those two stems were one thick stem. Add another flower every 2–5 crosses, depending on how clustered you like them.
  8. Tuck in the end of each stem. When you come to the end of a stem, tuck it into a gap between the others. Keeping them all well-tucked makes the chain less likely to unravel.
  9. Finish with plain stems. Once you're reaching the length you want, stop adding new flowers. Keep braiding until you've got about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of bare stem. Bring this back to the beginning of the braid. Gently pull apart a couple flowers near the beginning, and wrap the two ends together several times.[2]

Tips

  • For the last flower, choose one with an extra-long stem. Wrap it around the beginning several times for extra strength.
  • You can use fake flowers for a long-lasting chain.
  • If your flower stems are stiff, leave them to dry for about 30 minutes. They'll become more flexible.[4]

Warnings

  • It is illegal to pick wildflowers in many public areas of the US, unless you have a permit. On private land, ask the owner for permission first.[5] In the UK, picking non-endangered flowers is allowed, as long as you don't uproot the plant.[6]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/homegrownprojects_daisy.shtml
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://blog.schoolprojectprintables.com/2013/05/07/diy-real-flower-crown/
  3. ↑ http://www.creativegreenliving.com/2013/07/how-to-make-daisy-chain-flower-crown.html
  4. ↑ http://www.christinedebeer.ca/braiding-three-tulip-stems
  5. ↑ http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5344082.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/mar/16/rules-picking-wild-flowers

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