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An Advent wreath is used in lots of churches. Many families also use an Advent wreath as a focal point for their daily devotions. Advent wreaths can be simple or complex, inexpensive or relatively costly. This Instructable will show how to make your own Advent wreath in a couple of different versions, depending how much you want to spend and what tools you have available. In addition, a couple more alternatives will be suggested to fit your needs and resources.
Advent is a fundamentally Christian season of preparation before Christmas. Its four weeks represent the four thousand years between the first promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 and the coming of Jesus. The word "Advent" means "coming." It prepares to celebrate the coming of Christ as the baby born at Bethlehem at the first Christmas. It also anticipates Christ's Second Coming as the judge of all things. And, it reminds that Christ comes dailly through using His Word and Sacraments. Advent begins the last Sunday of November or the first Sunday of December, depending on which day of the week Christmas (December 25) falls.
Materials and tools needed will depend on whether you choose to make the relatively simple version based on a Styrofoam wreath or the wood and wire wreath form also shown here. Items with an asterisk are those needed exclusively for the wood and wire version.
Materials--
Styrofoam wreath form
Candles: three violet, one pink, (optional: one white)
Greenery
Fish line, wire, or pins for attaching greenery
1/2 x 1 1/2 Poplar wood three to four feet long*
Two wire coathangers*
Wood glue*
Tools--
Straightedge
Rule
Newspaper
Marking pen
Electric drill
Spade bit
Twist drills*
Dremel tool and burr bit*
Masking tape
Square*
Fine tooth saw (hand or electric)*
Chisel*
Wood file*
Wire cutters*
Pliers*
"C" clamps*
Knife
Note: I had to prepare this Instructable several days before Thanksgiving because we were traveling out of state on Thanksgiving for a week. I agreed to publish this on December 2 as a part of an Advent Calendar Guide by Robot Lover. Now I notice two others have published Instructables for an Advent wreath within the last few days. You will see those Instructables listed in the Related Instructables. If that ever does not work, they are here and here.
Advent is a fundamentally Christian season of preparation before Christmas. Its four weeks represent the four thousand years between the first promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 and the coming of Jesus. The word "Advent" means "coming." It prepares to celebrate the coming of Christ as the baby born at Bethlehem at the first Christmas. It also anticipates Christ's Second Coming as the judge of all things. And, it reminds that Christ comes dailly through using His Word and Sacraments. Advent begins the last Sunday of November or the first Sunday of December, depending on which day of the week Christmas (December 25) falls.
Materials and tools needed will depend on whether you choose to make the relatively simple version based on a Styrofoam wreath or the wood and wire wreath form also shown here. Items with an asterisk are those needed exclusively for the wood and wire version.
Materials--
Styrofoam wreath form
Candles: three violet, one pink, (optional: one white)
Greenery
Fish line, wire, or pins for attaching greenery
1/2 x 1 1/2 Poplar wood three to four feet long*
Two wire coathangers*
Wood glue*
Tools--
Straightedge
Rule
Newspaper
Marking pen
Electric drill
Spade bit
Twist drills*
Dremel tool and burr bit*
Masking tape
Square*
Fine tooth saw (hand or electric)*
Chisel*
Wood file*
Wire cutters*
Pliers*
"C" clamps*
Knife
Note: I had to prepare this Instructable several days before Thanksgiving because we were traveling out of state on Thanksgiving for a week. I agreed to publish this on December 2 as a part of an Advent Calendar Guide by Robot Lover. Now I notice two others have published Instructables for an Advent wreath within the last few days. You will see those Instructables listed in the Related Instructables. If that ever does not work, they are here and here.
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Signing UpStep 1Select the candles
Before beginning to make an Advent wreath, it is important to choose the candles you will use so you can fit the wreath to the candles, especially at their bases.
In my early experience, Advent wreaths always had three purple candles and one pink candle. Later I saw that some come with three blue candles and one pink candle, or with four blue candles.
But, back in the late 1980s I heard a German shortwave radio interview with a candlemaker who spoke about candles for Advent wreaths. I was surprised to learn candles for Advent wreaths can come in quite a variety of colors; including red, silver, and gold. And, I was surprised to learn that Advent wreaths can have candles entirely of one such color. This gives you quite a bit of freedom to find suitable candles almost anyplace in any price range. If you want a set of four red candles, try Wal-Mart. (Check on-line for availability in stores near you.) I also saw some available at Michael's craft stores.
Some Advent wreaths add a fifth white candle at the center of the wreath to be lit on Christmas Eve. It is referred to as a Christ Candle.
Candles for an Advent wreath with three purple and one pink are usually sold in sets. Check church supply stores where you live, or church supply catalogs. Here is an inexpensive set of stearic taper candles great for home use. Scroll down at the link in the last sentence to see a listing of candle sets other customers have purchased. The stearic set candles are 12 inches high and 7/8 inch in diameter. If you want beeswax candles, you will pay more. While working on this I found some lavender candles and pink candles at our local Wal-Mart. Lavender is pretty close to purple. These candles are straight, not tapered and are eight inches high. You will see them in some of the later steps that are part of this Instructable.
(The image is from Toninni Church Supplies.)
In my early experience, Advent wreaths always had three purple candles and one pink candle. Later I saw that some come with three blue candles and one pink candle, or with four blue candles.
But, back in the late 1980s I heard a German shortwave radio interview with a candlemaker who spoke about candles for Advent wreaths. I was surprised to learn candles for Advent wreaths can come in quite a variety of colors; including red, silver, and gold. And, I was surprised to learn that Advent wreaths can have candles entirely of one such color. This gives you quite a bit of freedom to find suitable candles almost anyplace in any price range. If you want a set of four red candles, try Wal-Mart. (Check on-line for availability in stores near you.) I also saw some available at Michael's craft stores.
Some Advent wreaths add a fifth white candle at the center of the wreath to be lit on Christmas Eve. It is referred to as a Christ Candle.
Candles for an Advent wreath with three purple and one pink are usually sold in sets. Check church supply stores where you live, or church supply catalogs. Here is an inexpensive set of stearic taper candles great for home use. Scroll down at the link in the last sentence to see a listing of candle sets other customers have purchased. The stearic set candles are 12 inches high and 7/8 inch in diameter. If you want beeswax candles, you will pay more. While working on this I found some lavender candles and pink candles at our local Wal-Mart. Lavender is pretty close to purple. These candles are straight, not tapered and are eight inches high. You will see them in some of the later steps that are part of this Instructable.
(The image is from Toninni Church Supplies.)
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While "Dir ein besinnliches Fest" often appears on Christmas cards, the more usual equivalent for Merry Christmas is "Frohe Weinachten" or "Fröhliche Weihnachten." Google both simultaneously for a puzzle of opinions on which is used in what circumstances. (You probably already knew all of this.)
At times I have gone looking on the Internet for a solution to a problem and found I was the one who had to develop the solution so I could post it on Instructables for others.