Laurel Wreath Craft Kit: Cut, fold, wear — history on your head
The Laurel Wreath Craft Kit from Pukaca is a paper craft kit for children aged 6 and up and adults: 4 printed sheets made from 100 % recycled FSC paper for cutting, folding and gluing, in three sizes (S/M/L) for head circumferences from 53 to 58 cm, with no glue or scissors included. The finished piece is wearable, plastic-free and completed in about an hour.
Four sheets, three sizes, two thousand years of history:
The DIY laurel wreath at a glance
The Laurel Wreath Craft Kit from Pukaca is a paper craft kit for children aged 6 and up and adults: 4 printed sheets made from 100 % recycled FSC paper, which are assembled by cutting, folding and gluing into a wearable laurel wreath in three selectable sizes (S, M, L) for head circumferences from 53 to 58 cm, with no tools required other than scissors and glue.
Why a laurel wreath and not another one
In ancient Rome, laurel was not just any greenery. It belonged to Apollo: the god of poetry, prophecy, healing and light. The association came from the Greek world, passed into Rome through cultural adoption and remained there more enduringly than almost any other symbol. When the first Roman generals rode through the city in triumphal procession, they wore a laurel wreath. Not because it was beautiful, but because it meant: this man has won under Apollo’s protection.
From there, the corona laurea developed in every direction. Augustus had himself depicted on coins and busts with a laurel wreath and anchored the symbol so strongly in the imperial image that it survived two millennia. Every Roman emperor from Augustus to Constantine followed this visual language. The laurel wreath became the most compact sign of power, victory and divine legitimacy that the Roman world knew.
What makes it so present even today? It is simple. A circle of leaves: no gemstones, no gold, no effort. The form itself is the statement. Whoever wears it does not need to explain anything further. The Romans knew that. Every child who puts on a laurel wreath and instantly becomes an emperor knows it too.
Four sheets, one pair of scissors, one wreath
The craft kit at a glance
The Laurel Wreath Craft Kit from Pukaca comes as a flat pack: 25.5 × 17.5 × 0.5 cm, 100 grams. Inside are four printed paper sheets on which all parts of the wreath are pre-drawn. Cut along the lines, fold along the dotted edges, glue along the tabs. The finished piece looks like a real laurel branch: green leaves with veins on a braided stem, bent into a closed wreath. Wearable, sturdy, surprisingly convincing for a piece of paper.
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Contents: 4 paper sheets, instructions
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Material: 100 % recycled, FSC-certified paper, chlorine-free, heavy-metal-free
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Tools required: Scissors and glue (not included)
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Recommended age: 6+ (not suitable for children under 3 years)
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Difficulty level: 2 out of 5
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Time required: approx. 1 hour
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Sizes: S (16 × 14 × 9 cm, head circumference 53/54 cm), M (18 × 16 × 10 cm, 55/56 cm), L (20 × 17 × 10 cm, 57/58 cm)
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Packaging: 25.5 × 17.5 × 0.5 cm, 100 g
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Made in Portugal | 100 % plastic-free | compliant with the EU Toy Directive
Who puts on a laurel wreath, and why this one in particular?
The laurel wreath is one of the few historical symbols that needs no explanation. Every child knows it. Every adult recognizes it. In the classroom and in museum education, that is a head start that should not be underestimated: you do not need to build up context before you can begin.
In school lessons, the craft kit is equally suitable for history, Latin and art. Making the wreath is not an end in itself, but an entry point: Why laurel? Why Apollo? Why did Augustus wear it on coins? Anyone who has built it and worn it asks these questions differently from someone who has only seen a picture in a textbook. Three sizes mean that an entire school class can craft together without size differences becoming a problem.
In museum education and at Roman festivals, the set is a direct hands-on object. No passive watching, no distance behind glass. The wreath is made on site, put on, photographed and taken home.
For children’s birthday parties and private events, the set offers a structured creative activity of about one hour that requires no preparation and no special materials. The only requirement: scissors and glue.
One practical tip from us: for children under about 8 years old, adult assistance is recommended when cutting out the finer leaf shapes.
Who is the craft kit worth it for, and who is it not for?
Anyone planning a Roman unit in class, preparing a school festival or designing a museum tour with a hands-on station will find the Laurel Wreath Craft Kit to be the simplest possible introduction to the topic. No prior knowledge required, no special materials, no setup. The set arrives flat, fits in any school bag, needs only scissors and glue, and in the end delivers an object that can be worn, photographed and taken away.
Anyone who needs several wreaths for a group should order several sets accordingly. One set makes one wreath. That is clearly communicated and not a hidden drawback, but it is a point that group organizers should keep in mind.
Anyone looking for a laurel wreath for an authentic reenactment portrayal in which the material itself matters, however, is not ideally served by this set. It is a paper product designed for educational use and playful experience, not for historical material accuracy.
What Apollo promised the laurel tree
The story of the laurel wreath does not begin in Rome, but with a transformation. Ovid tells it in the Metamorphoses, Book I: Apollo pursues the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus. She calls to her father for help, and he transforms her into a laurel tree. What Apollo then says appears in lines 558 to 563:
“Tu ducibus Latiis aderis, cum laeta Triumphum vox canet et visent longas Capitolia pompas; postibus Augustis eadem fidissima custos ante fores stabis; utque meum intonsis caput est iuvenale capillis, tu quoque perpetuos semper gere frondis honores!”
„You will stand by the Latin leaders when the joyful voice proclaims the Triumph and the Capitol beholds the long processions; you, the same most faithful guardian, will stand before the doors of Augustus; and just as my head is forever youthful with unshorn hair, so you too shall forever bear the honor of unfading leaves!“
Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book I, lines 558–563, around AD 8
Ovid writes this around AD 8. Augustus is still alive. What Apollo promises the laurel tree has already been fulfilled at the very moment Ovid writes it. And two millennia later, children are recreating this exact symbol out of paper.
Laurel wreath, paper and open questions: what buyers want to know
From what age is the craft kit suitable?
From age 6. For younger children, adult assistance is recommended when cutting out the finer leaf shapes. Not suitable for children under 3 years because of small parts. The manufacturer rates the difficulty as 2 out of 5: manageable, but not trivial.
Which size should I choose?
The set contains all three sizes. S fits head circumferences of 53/54 cm, M fits 55/56 cm, L fits 57/58 cm. If you are unsure, measure once around the forehead with a tape measure. The finished piece is not adjustable, so the size must be chosen before crafting.
Do I need any special tools or materials?
No. All you need is a pair of scissors and glue. Neither is included in the set, but both are available in every household and every classroom. Instructions are included.
Can I use the set for an entire school class or group?
One set makes one wreath. For a group, simply order several sets accordingly. Since all three sizes are included in every set, there is no need to order different versions: each person chooses the suitable size while crafting.
Is the product really plastic-free and sustainable?
Yes. The set is made from 100 % recycled, FSC-certified paper, processed without chlorine and heavy metals, completely plastic-free and compliant with the EU Toy Directive. Made in Portugal.
Fear of lightning and other reasons to wear a laurel wreath
The laurel wreath had a practical secondary function in Rome, one that Ovid does not mention and Augustus greatly valued. In his Life of Augustus, chapter 90, Suetonius reports that Augustus always wore a laurel wreath during thunderstorms because he was convinced that laurel protected against lightning strikes. Laurel was considered a lightning-resistant tree: in the Naturalis Historia, Book XV, Pliny the Elder explains that laurel is never struck by lightning. This was not a superstition of the common people, but a belief that reached into the natural science of antiquity. So the most powerful man in the world put on his laurel wreath during every thunderstorm, not out of dignity, but out of fear of the weather. The paper craft kit cannot guarantee this protective function. But as a conversation starter for Roman history lessons, it works reliably.
Sources
Title: Metamorphoses, Book I
Author: Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)
Publication: Michael von Albrecht (ed.), Ovid: Metamorphoses. Latin-German, Reclam, Stuttgart
Date: 1994 (original work around AD 8)
Title: Life of Augustus, Chapter 90
Author: Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus)
Publication: Adolf Stahr (trans.), Suetonius: The Lives of the Caesars. De vita Caesarum, Nikol, Hamburg
Date: 2004 (original work from the early 2nd century AD)
Title: The Roman Triumph. Victory Celebrations in Ancient Rome
Author: Ernst Künzl
Publication: C.H. Beck, Munich
Date: 1988
Updated on: 15/04/2026
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