It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas – Homemade Christmas series – Advent wreath

In Croatia the Advent wreath is an indispensable part of Christmas decoration. The Advent wreath is traditionally placed on the table on the first Sunday of the Advent, so I decided to make a guide to making the most beautiful wreath that will be yours, and not the store bought one!

Advent wreaths on a plate are the easiest way to preserve tablecloths and keep any resin away from the table. A decorative plastic plate or tray can serve great. Pair it with the color of the details on the wreath or take a plate the same size as the wreath so it won’t even be seen. So we can easily transfer it from place to place or give to someone as a gift, and aren’t such gifts the most beautiful? In addition, Advent wreaths on the plate are a wonderful decoration for any meal, especially when we light an Advent candle and just hang out with friends and family.

Making an Advent Wreath

Before we go into making a wreath, it is advisable to research ideas for an Advent wreath and see what kind of wreath we want. There are several options to choose from: a wreath of straw, moss, a base of branches (switch / wicker), real greenery, artificial greenery, or cones.

The moss wreath is actually a straw base lined with moss and then decorated with cones, figurines, mistletoe, nuts and various other Christmas decorations. The base of branches, i.e. flexible shrubs, can be purchased in the stores of raw materials or made from willow, birch or other flexible twigs.

Material

• Wreath base (straw, moss, branches or wire structure),
  • Natural branches (preferably fir branches because less spiny) or artificial pine branches,
  • Extra branches of cypress, mistletoe or laurel for variety (in the natural option),
  • Flexible thin green wire,
  • Scissors for plants and wire shears,
  • Various dry decorative objects (cones, cinnamon sticks, anise, small pine beads, decorative strips, dried oranges, etc.)
  • Hot glue gun and a few extra cartridges,
  • Candle holders and 4 decorative candles.

• 

• 

Making of the wreath

1. First you need to cut the natural branches (if you use them) into smaller twigs and store them all in one box or place in a pile that will be easily accessible to you during knitting.
2. Take the wreath base and the wire. Wrap the wire several times around the base itself, then make tight hooks / knots and pin the rest of the wire inside the straw (or branch / wire if you use this for the base). Do not cut the wire close to the straw, but leave a length and pin it to keep it even better.
3. Then start knitting the straw base, start from the top and start 2-3 wrinkle branches side by side (group them as in bouquets). Wrap the wire once or twice to squeeze the branches firmly, then put another bouquet of twigs on the outside, wrap then on the inside and wrap again to secure.
4. Between the twigs of pine or fir, you can add cypress and laurel twigs for variety and an even more beautiful wreath appearance.
5. Follow these steps until you reach the very end and all the sides are covered with twigs. Then wrap the wire a few more times around the entire wreath and make a few knots / hooks on the underside and stick the smaller residue of the wire into the straw like we did at the beginning.

Advent wreath – decoration

• First, collect any decorations you want to put on your wreath and light a hot cartridge gun to keep it warm.
• Insert the candle holders where you want to put them (if unstable, glue them in addition with hot glue on the bottom).
• Then place the candles and decorations on the wreath and try how you want them to be placed.
• DO NOT glue the decorations immediately as you can change your mind many times before it is too late to change.
• When you are satisfied with everything, take the heated hot glue gun and start gluing.

Remember to have fun with it, because that is the most important thing. They do not have to be perfect but they will be yours and they will make you happy.