advent wreath making

Even as a child, Christmas was the best time of the year. Cookies, Christmas carols and lots of time with my family were on the agenda. But there was one ritual I couldn't miss at the end of November: making an Advent wreath. I still make my Advent wreath with my grandma every year. After so many years, it has become a tradition that we do this Christmas tradition together. Here you can find out how we tie our Advent wreath, how we decorate it and all the things you need to bear in mind.

You need:

  • a strip of straw 
  • fir greenery cut into approx. 10-13 cm pieces 
  • green wire 
  • 4 candles 
  • candle saucers 
  • decorative material

 

About the materials 

You can buy prefabricated straw strips in most craft stores or DIY stores. These are slightly thicker and easy to handle. You can also form a wire into a circle and wrap newspaper around it to make it thicker. Fir greenery is available in almost all local nurseries. You shouldn't be too frugal here, as you want your Advent wreath to look bushy at the end and not have any holes. If you feel like it, you can also tie some ivy or thuja branches into your wreath alongside the fir greenery. This will make it look a little more exciting even undecorated.

Here we go! 

First you need the hoop, the wire and the cut branches of fir trees, ivy or whatever else you can find. Now attach the wire to the empty wreath. Now take a small bush of greenery and place it on the wreath. All ends must face in one direction. Tie the wire over the end of the twigs several times so that they are securely fastened. Repeat the process until you have tied around the whole circle. Place the new bushes on top of the old ones, always slightly offset backwards. It gets a little tricky at the end: pick up the first bush a little and tie your last one as close as you can under the old one. There should be no visible hole. Now the wire just needs to be attached to a branch. Cut it off and hide the end between all the branches. That's it! Are you happy with your masterpiece?

Awaken the artist in you 

You need four candles for your Advent wreath to fulfill its purpose. You can choose these as you wish. Place the candles on the candle saucers and press the underside of the candles into the wreath. If you don't have candle saucers, there is another solution: wire. Cut a few 7 cm long pieces. Take a lighter and heat one side of the wire. Now press the hot side into the underside of the candles. Caution: don't burn yourself! You can insert several pieces of wire to achieve a better hold. The candles can now be placed on your wreath. Whether small pine cones, dried orange slices or colorful meshes: there are no limits to your creativity. And are you happy?

Tip: 

To prevent your Advent wreath from needling so quickly, you can spray it with a little water every day. This will keep it fresh and you can enjoy it for longer. You can light one more candle on each of the four Sundays in Advent. First one, then two, then three, then four, then the Christ Child is at the door. We wish you a wonderful Christmas season! Don't forget: stay good :)