DIY: Make your own Advent wreath

By Kevin Allister Garcia

The Advent season is one of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to the significance of our Lord’s birth and to His eventual second coming.

Many families use an Advent wreath as the centrepiece for their Advent observances. If you don’t already own an Advent wreath, making one is quite simple.

To do so, you’ll require a few materials and tools and in the step-by-step guide below, we use a common decorative Christmas garland that you can find in many hardware or variety stores.

Alternatively, you can purchase a ready-made Christmas wreath and only the items listed in numbers 5, 6 and 7 below. If you do, then follow Steps 3 – 6 in the ‘How to assemble your Advent wreath’ section:

You’ll need:

• One Christmas garland
• Heavy gauge wire
• Floral wire
• Wire cutter/nipper
• Glue-gun and glue sticks or heavy-duty glue/adhesive (like Gorilla glue)
• Four candle holders (these can be made from glass, metal, or wood)
• Four candles (3 purple, 1 pink)

How to assemble your advent wreath:

Step 1 Using the heavy gauge wire, form a circular frame 10 – 12 inches in diameter.

Step 2 Using the wire cutter, cut a length of the garland that will be enough to cover the frame. Secure the garland to the frame using the floral wire.

Step 3 ‘Fluff’ the garland out, by straightening out each stem. Position the stems at different angles so that the garland appears full and natural.

Step 4 By using either your glue gun or heavy-duty adhesive, apply some glue to the base of each candle holder and affix each, evenly spaced, to the wire frame.

Be careful when using a glue gun and always supervise children. Glue guns operate at high temperatures and as its name suggests, hot glue is EXTREMELY hot and can cause serious burns if it comes in contact with human skin.

Step 5 You can further personalise your Advent wreath using ribbon to create decorative bows. Purple is used during the season of Advent to remind us of the need for penance and preparation for the arrival of our Lord, so purple ribbon is a great choice for bows.

Step 6 Insert your candles into the holders. If your candles are smaller than their holders, some melted candle wax can be used to secure them.

ALWAYS practise fire safety when using candles, matches, and lighters. NEVER leave them unattended and ensure that a lighted candle will not encounter any surrounding, combustible materials. Always extinguish all lit candles after using your wreath.

Preparing the Advent wreath is an engaging family activity in which everyone can meaningfully participate, providing an avenue for creative expression and helping to strengthen familial bonds.

And voila! Your Advent wreath is complete.