Happy Pride Month, y'all! Since a lot of us are still stuck at home most of the time and all the pride parades have been canceled (though you should check out SarahI's post "Teen Pride" for links to virtual pride events), I figured it might be fun to bring the pride to you! These are all fun pride flower crowns that I've created, and while I haven't managed to get every flag ever (it's very hard to use any flag that has a black stripe, for instance), there's a pretty good selection below.
Credit goes to Pixabay user Chaos07 for creating the white rose that I used as a base for all of the crowns. You can also use the white rose to create your own flower crowns in shapes different from the ones that I've included below.
To get access to the full resolution images, all you have to do it right click the image and then select "Save Image As..." from the menu. If that doesn't work, you can always open the image in a new tab (also by right clicking the image and then selecting either "View Image," "Open Image In New Tab," or whatever your web browser's version is) and save from there.
be sure to check out the tutorial below for instructions on how to turn these awesome crowns into your own photo booth (or selfie!) props or wearable accessories. I've also rounded up some awesome books that show the creativity inherent in the LGBTQ+ community, so be sure to take a peek through those. And, of course, if this isn't quite to your liking, you can always check out other rainbow crafts on our awesome eSource, Creativebug.
Rainbow Pride Flag
Bisexual Pride Flag
Lesbian Pride Flag
Transgender Pride Flag
Pansexual Pride Flag
Genderqueer Pride Flag
And there are two templates for you to print and color your own flag!
Curved
Straight
Once you've chosen your flower crown, printed it, cut it out, and colored it (if applicable), the next step is to turn it into a rocking photo booth or selfie prop, or decorate it as an accessory. The materials that I used for this include:
- Flower crowns (I printed the pan pride one and colored the trans pride using the straight template)
- Cardboard
- Tape
- Scissors
- Popsicle stick
- Ribbon
To make a photo booth/seflie prop, place the flower crown of your choice over the cardboard and draw an outline around the image. I used the pan pride flag, so mine ended up a half circle/oval shape. Once you've put the crown aside, cut out the oval-ish shape you just drew. Now, this is going to be way too large, and will stick out around the edges of the flower crown if you use it this way. That's okay! You just have to trim it down until none of the cardboard is showing. This gives it some stability when you hold it over your head for photos.
Next, you'll want to secure your popsicle stick, or whatever else you'll be using to hold your prop up in your photos. This time, I taped the popsicle stick between the cardboard and the flower crown, but I've also hot glued it to the backside of the cardboard in the past.
To decorate an accessory, you'll want to cut a strip of ribbon that's long enough to tie around your head. I cut mine long enough that I could tie the ribbon into a nice little bow. I also neatened up the ends by folding the ribbon in half and cutting a small triangle out of the end, going from the upper edge down to the folded edge. This gives it a nice, finished upside down "V" sort of look. I then taped the ribbon down onto the backside of my straight trans pride flower crown.
In the end, you should end up with two flower crowns that look something like this! Of course, you can deck these out as much or as little as you want—below, you can see me with an un-bedazzled rainbow flower crown. Adding sequins, feathers, or other accessories will help you personalize your crowns and help you rock your pride this June.
And last but certainly not least, be sure to check out these awesome titles from our collection! Some are available as print books only, but others may be available as an eBook from our eSource, OverDrive (Note: as of June 1st, OverDrive is only available to library patrons who live in Alachua, Putnam, or Levy counties). You can also search our catalog for other queer related titles all year round.
Nonfiction
Queer x Design: 50 Years of Signs, Symbols, Banners, Logos, and Graphic Art of LGBTQ by Andrew Campbell | An illustrated history of the iconic designs, symbols, and art spanning the last 50 years of LGBTQ pride and activism.
Pride: Fifty Years of Parades and Protests from the Photo Archives of The New York Times edited by Samantha Weiner | A visual history of five decades of the parades and protests that have contributed to the LGBTQ rights movement.
David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Darryl W. Bullock | An exploration of how queer musicians have shaped music in the past 100 years.
Pride - the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement: A Photographic Journey by Christopher Measom | A photographic journey of the Queer Pride movement over the last century.
Queer heroes : Meet 52 LGBTQ heroes from past & present! by Arabelle Sicardi | A book to celebrate the achievements of LGBTQ people throughout history, including many artists, musicians, and actors.
Fiction
Echo After Echo by Amy Capetta | Forbidden love might be the least of Zara's worries when people start dying at her new theater.
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta | Michael learns to embrace his uniqueness through his alter ego: a drag artist known as the Black Flamingo.
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi | Scorned love finds a second chance when Rachel casts Sana as the lead in her senior film project.
Camp by L. C. Rosen | Randy learns that changing yourself—and giving up the things you love—just to get the guy isn't worth the fuss.
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar | Nishat falls head-over-heels for Flávia the moment she meets her. The issue? They run rival henna businesses at school.