If your family is like mine, you may be looking for ways to keep the true meaning of the Christmas season at the forefront of your celebrations, but with a modern twist. In this post, I’ll show you how to easily make your own modern advent wreath. Plus, I’ll share a Catholic advent wreath prayers printable you can download and use with your family!
This post may contain affiliate links. We will receive a commission if you make a purchase through our affiliate link at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
Catholic Advent Wreath Prayers Symbolism
First, a high-level overview of what each part of the advent wreath symbolizes.
Progressively lit over four weeks leading up to Christmas, advent wreaths symbolize our anticipation of Christ (Christmas). In addition, each component of the advent wreath has a deep and old meaning:
- Evergreen wreath: God’s never ending love
- Candles: Bright light to darkness as Christ does in our world
- Purple candles: Lit weeks 1, 2, and 4 represent prayer, penance, and preparation
- Pink candle: Lit week 3 and represents joy
On Christmas Eve, the purple and pink candles are replaced with white, and a new evergreen wreath is made. We have not done this in our own home before, but I hope to this year!
There are a lot of great resources where you can get a much more in depth explanation. The Jesuit Institute and USCCB are just two that I found helpful when doing my own research to write this post.
Modern Advent Wreath Resources
The hardest part about making an advent wreath a bit more modern is finding candles in soft, muted tones. To me, mauve and blush candles keep the spirit of the traditional purple and pink – but fit my home decor a bit better. You can argue the vanity of this preference, but I can’t be the only one! Right!? Please leave a comment if this is you too!
I spent hours scouring the internet to find mauve and blush candles at an affordable price point. In the end, I ordered from Amazon. My only disappointment is they are a traditional taper candle shape. I was hoping to find a more sculptural design, but the combination of that + color palette specificity + budget just doesn’t seem to exist.
Additionally, I wanted the candle ring to be simple. This I also found on Amazon. At the time of writing, it’s under $15 and checks all the design wishlist boxes – gold & minimalist.
Links to both the candles and ring are in the Shop the Post section at the end of this article, in case you’re interested in taking a closer look!
Finally, the greenery. To get a more modern aesthetic, I decided to use a sparse amount of fresh evergreens, which I found at Trader Joe’s for $3.99 a bunch.
How to Create a Fresh Advent Wreath
Okay, now onto the DIY. To create your own fresh evergreen wreath, you will need:
- Wreath ring
- Fresh evergreen
- Green wire
Start by attaching one piece of evergreen to the wreath form at the center of the branch. Secure it in place by wrapping and twisting a small piece of green floral wire, and tuck the ends in. Repeat securing near the front and the end of the branch, so you end up with it being attached in three locations.
Then, add a second branch so that the top of it covers the end of the first branch. Secure it in the same fashion as the first – middle, top, end.
Keep going until you complete the loop.
Then, move and fluff the branches so they cover ends and bare spots as you go. The goal is to get one continuous circle.
You can even fill in bare spots with tiny branches that are tucked in between the others. You may not need wire for these pieces, especially if you’re not planning to move your wreath around much once it’s complete.
Securing Advent Candles
If your candles don’t seem to fit tightly in the candle holders, I recommend using a candle fitting wax. This made a huge difference in how well the candles fit in the candle holder!
Displaying Your Advent Wreath
This year, we decided to put our advent wreath in a high-traffic location of our home – as a constant visual reminder the meaning of the season.
To give the wreath a bit of height, I placed it in a low, wide decor bowl. If you don’t have a bowl this shape, you could also use a tray or even a cake stand. Obviously, take fire safety into account!
By using a piece of decor we already owned and love in our space, it helped make the advent wreath feel a part of our overall aesthetic.
Catholic Advent Wreath Prayers Printable
Shop the Post
[slide-anything id=”3622″]
Pin These Catholic Advent Ideas for Later
Read this Next
If you enjoyed these modern Catholic advent wreath prayers and DIY ideas, you might also like this related content:
HOW TO FOLD CHRISTMAS NAPKINS IN A KNOT (PLUS A ROUNDUP OF MY FAVORITES IN 2021)
SIMPLE CHRISTMAS TABLE DECORATIONS: 3 LOOKS TO TRY IN 2021
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you found what you were looking for. Feel free to reach out with questions and comments: sarah@hostessology.com
Merry Christmas!
