I researched it on the internet and apparently the real reason they sprung up around the graves was because the seeds had been in the earth all along and digging up of the land made them germinate.
When you spend so many days thinking poppies you tend to start dreaming about them and you start believing they are a thing for everyone to make.
Some of my after-school art pupils agreed to paint or mosaic some mini peace poppies, so I have included a couple of their efforts here.
So please enjoy making your painted or mosaic peace poppies, hang them in your garden and be thankful we do not have war-ravaged bodies buried in our back yards.
Have a go at creating a peace poster and a three-lined poem, if you suddenly have a flash of divine inspiration. It just may make you feel more peaceful.
Materials needed
12 mm exterior grade plywood
Sandpaper
Testpot of Resene red paint
Testpot of Resene black paint
Paintbrush
Jigsaw
Pencil
Black felt pen
Scissors
Computer and printer
Hairdryer
Selleys, aquadhere, exterior grade PVA glue
Red tiles
Black tiles
Two-wheeled tile cutter
Directions
Google poppy silhouette
Enlarge it so it fits width-wise on to an A4 sheet of paper and print it out
Cut your paper poppy out
Lay it on top of your piece of exterior plywood and draw around it with a pencil
Cut it out with a jigsaw
Sand around the edges
Paint two coats of Resene red on the poppy, dry off in between coats with the hair dryer.
Paint a black circle in the middle and some lines with dots at the top
You can also mosaic some red and black tiles on another poppy as an alternative idea.
-Mosaic and painting workshops, Monday to Wednesday and Friday mornings and afternoons for adults and children. Phone 346-3435 or email jkeen@clear.net.nz. See my poppy making photos at janetkeen.blogspot.com