How to Make an Advent Wreath With Cuttings From Your Own Backyard – Enjoy Nature's Abundant Gifts This Holiday Season

Advent wreaths are used to mark the four weeks of the Advent season leading up to Christmas. They originated in Germany in the 16th century, but really caught on in German Lutheran communities in the 1800s. Eventually, the Advent wreath made its way to the United States in the 1930s. I remember making an Advent wreath as a child in my Sunday school class in the 1990s!

I didn’t think too much about Advent wreaths again until a few years ago when my sister and I decided we should make evergreen wreaths from things we foraged around our yards. It was a nice way to bring a little bit of nature indoors as the nights grew colder and darker. And lighting the candles week by week brings light and coziness to the holiday season.

Interested in bringing a little nature and holiday cheer into your house this season? Follow along and learn how to make your own foraged Advent wreath!

Supplies

You will need a few simple items to make your foraged wreath. You may already have some of these laying around your home ready to be repurposed, like old candle holders you haven't used for a while. Here are the supplies you will need:

• Pruners
• Floral wire
• Advent candle ring, or candle holders
• Advent candles

Foraged Greenery & Accents

First you will need to gather your materials. I went around my parents’ wooded yard where they, unfortunately, have some invasive honeysuckle bushes. I cut thin, younger branches and stripped the leaves off to create a honeysuckle wreath base. You can use any vines, willow branches, or any other supple branches you can find on your property. Don’t have any vines or honeysuckle to build your wreath base? You can purchase a wreath frame from Michael’s.

Next, I brought my trusty pruners with me to gather some cuttings from yew bushes and arborvitae shrubs. You can also forage winterberries, rowan tree berries, pinecones, rose hips, sprigs of juniper, and other festive natural elements you might have around your yard. These accents will really make your Advent wreath pop with holiday cheer.

How to Make an Advent Wreath

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Remove any leaves from your base material and begin to wind the branches around each other to form a circle that is big enough to go around your Advent candle holder. You can use floral wire to help secure the branches to each other if they are popping out of place. Floral wire can be found at Walmart or your local craft supplies store. Snip off any ends of the branches that stick out from the circle.

Once you have your wreath base, begin to assemble your foliage and accents into small bundles. Cut a length of floral wire that, when twisted around the bundle, will be long enough to have loose ends that can attach the bundle to the wreath base. I found that a 6 inch (15.2 cm) length of wire worked well for the diameter of my bundles and base.

Cover the entire base with your fragrant evergreen foliage and accents. Add in more sprigs to cover any bare spots you see. This wreath will sit flat on a table, so the greenery can be a bit looser and more ruffly than you would want for a wreath that would hang from a door or wall.

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Now, it is time to place your candles in the center of your Advent wreath! You can purchase an Advent candle ring, like this one from Amazon, or arrange candle holders you already own inside the center of your wreath. Advent candles include three purple (or blue in some denominations), one rose pink, and a white pillar candle in the center. I personally use these Advent candles from Root Candles, which are also available through Amazon. I love that they are an Ohio-based company that has been making candles for over 150 years!

You could even use these beautiful hand-dipped bayberry beeswax candles from the Root Candle Store on Amazon for a non-traditional look. They are scented with woodsy bayberry and would be perfect in your foraged wreath for a gorgeous seasonal display all winter long.

Safety note: Never leave burning candles unattended, especially when surrounded by flammable materials like greenery. Be sure to place your Advent wreath on a non-flammable table or tray.

Advent Wreath Essentials

Purchase a some candles and a candle holder this year and you can make an Advent wreath every year using the same supplies but newly foraged greenery. It is a great project for kids, too!

Making an Advent wreath from foraged materials around your yard is a lovely way to prepare for Christmas, bring nature indoors, and add a cozy touch to your home for the winter. Try it out and see where your creativity takes you!