With this Make-It-Yourself Advent Apple Wreath Kit, you can create a one-of-a-kind Advent heirloom to enjoy all season long! This beautiful Advent decoration calls to mind the Advent Spiral tradition celebrated in Waldorf schools around the world. During the Spiral, students and their families sit in silence in a darkened room, listening to quiet, meditative music while a candle is lit in the center of a spiral of evergreen boughs, a symbol of life amidst the dead of winter. Each child in turn is given an apple carved out to hold a single candle. The child then carries the apple into the center of the spiral and lights it, then places it at a chosen place along the path. The lights brighten the path for those who come after. Each child walks alone, at his or her own pace, in his or her own way. This is a celebration of quiet confidence, of carrying light in darkness, of sharing that light with others. And this Advent wreath is a lovely way to bring the magic of that festival into your home.
The kit includes almost everything you need to create a unique Advent candle wreath:
1 sturdy grapevine base
4 unfinished hardwood apples pre-drilled for attaching to the base and for snugly holding each candle
4 washers and screws for attaching the apples
5 unfinished hardwood stars
4 100% beeswax taper candles
With these ingredients, you can create a truly personalized Advent decoration. You can choose to paint and seal the apples and stars as in the sample photo, or simply rub them with some beeswax polish and watch their natural color glow by the candlelight. Add fresh-cut pine or fir branches from your yard or your own Christmas tree, found pine cones or acorns, ribbons, etc.
If you celebrate Advent in the Waldorf tradition, you can feel free to add your own elements from the kingdoms of nature for each week of Advent: mineral, plant, and animal.
We hope you will add this heirloom to your family celebration this Advent season. Adding the light of a single candle each week of the four weeks leading up to Christmas is something very special. The completed Advent Apple Wreath as shown in the sample photos is available here. An A Toy Garden exclusive!
An explanation of the Advent Spiral symbols can be found below:
APPLES are used as candleholders during the Advent spiral and traditional Advent celebrations. Inside the fruit lies the seed, waiting patiently in darkness until the time comes to sprout. The apples represent the seeds of our hidden potential.
EVERGREEN TREES are found in many myths, often representing the tree of life. These are the trees that weather the winter without going dormant. They represent the regenerative power of life, nature and the seasons. We use evergreen boughs to represent the sustaining abundance of life on our planet.
BEESWAX CANDLES are considered a symbol of eternal love and warmth. We use them as our light source in the darkness to symbolize that love is eternally present.
KINGDOMS OF NATURE We celebrate the diversity of life on our planet by placing among the evergreen boughs objects that represent the kingdoms of nature: mineral, plant and animal. Crystals, seashells, snail shells, feathers, pinecones, berries, oranges, and apples all represent these kingdoms.