The Advent Wreath is a Christian Tradition that began with the Lutherans, but has been adopted by many other Christians.

It is a wreath that sits on a flat surface and has four, sometimes five, candles.  

The tradition begins on the first Sunday of Advent in which the First Candle is lit and can be accompanied by a reading from the Scriptures and Prayers.  An additional candle is lit each Sunday so that by the fourth Sunday, all four candles are all lit.

Candles can be Violet, Blue or Red, depending on the religion represented.  

I use red because I love the color and my primary Christmas color is red.

While I have not seen many Americans who have adopted the Tradition, my mother, who is German, observed and included it in our Christmas Design most years.

And as such, I have incorporated the Wreath in both my Tradition and Design.

Each year I have used a different type or sort of wreath, fake and live, and have had to be creative in how I add the candles and ensure they remain standing.

This year, however, I decided to try to make my own.  I think it turned out pretty good.  And making a live wreath was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  

If you don’t want to create an Advent Wreath, you can, at least, learn how to simply make a wreath that can be decorated however you might like.

These are the supplies you will need:

•  Limbs from a Christmas Tree (scraps)
• Wreath Form (the one pictured is an Advent Form as it has 4 candle holders attached)
• Wire
• Scissors 
• Wire Cutters

Its a fairly easy process.

Start with your first limb and cut off a portion so that it lays well.  You can cut several, one after the other, but the objective is to cut away where there are no needles or where the stem is too thick.

Then you lay the first layer around the mold and tie in place with wire.

You then start cutting smaller pieces and adding in to add volume.  Make sure to secure them in place.  Do that by flipping over the mold and managing from the upside.

Once all secure, you can flip back over over and start fluffing, manipulating and cutting to get the shape that you like.

Now you can either decorate with berries, ribbon, whatever you choose, or simply add the candles for your very own Advent Wreath.

Mine is ready now for Sunday!  Yay!!

I will try to do a video tutorial as that may be easier to show the process.  

Good luck and I can’t wait to see yours!!!

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Related articles across the web

• The Tradition of the Advent Wreath
• Preparing for Advent: Waiting in Joyful Hope