Workshop

Study level 2

Style: Decorative style, symbolic

Description:
Advent is a period to prepare for Christmas. It starts at the end of November, 4 weeks before Christmas. Green branches symbolize life and belong thus by Advent and Christmas. The ring form of the wreath symbolize infinity. Candles as symbol of light are also a part of the Christmas symbolic. The 4 candles symbolize the 4 directions: north, east, south and west, the  4 seasons and the 4 apostles. Each week we light one more candle. The light goes from East to West and from North to South. Because the traditional Advent color is based on penance and is purple. On Christmas day you can change the ribbon and candles for white. In this workshop we make a classical symbolic Advent wreath.

We need for this lesson:

• 1 straw wreath size 40 cm diagonal.
• Conifer or Abies or other branches.
• Purple ribbon.
• 4 purple or white cylinder candles; ideal is about 3 to 4 cm. thick.
• Spool wire.

Step by step:

1. Cut the conifer in short pieces of about. 8 to 10 cm.
2. Connect the wire on the wreath.
3. Put some green on the wreath and bind it with the spool wire. Start on the left side and work to you, go opposite the clock. The result will be that the green looks like overlapping in the clock direction.
4. You can bind the green completely around the wreath or let the topside free. This depends how high the wreath finally will hang.
5. Connect the ribbon on equal distance on 4 places on the wreath.
6. Bind the ribbon together in the top on the length you want.
7. Make two bows and connect them in the top.
8. Put in the candles 2 thick wires of about 15 cm long and put them nearly horizontally in the straw of the wreath. Bend the candles upright till the are in a safe and stable position.
9. Hang the wreath on the sealing on the height you want. 
10. Be carefully with fire.

Materials used are:
Straw wreath, Abies, Chamaecyparis, 4 candles and Vaban ribbon.

For more information see the book:

• Winterse feestdagen (0nly in Dutch language)
• Creatieve bloemsierideeen (Only in Dutch language)

back to index workshop

Last update of this page 16.02.2005