ADVENT ARRANGEMENT WITH REPURPOSED BRICK

It is a German Christmas tradition to make or buy an advent wreath every year at the end of November. It’s usually an evergreen wreath with four pillar candles, decorated with pinecones, berries, bows and ornaments which is placed on the dining table during the Advent season from the fourth Sunday before Christmas leading up to Christmas Eve.

On the first Advent Sunday the first candle is lit, and then every Sunday a new one until on Christmas Eve all four candles are burning. People gather around the wreath, have some tea with ”Plätzchen und Lebkuchen” (Christmas cookies), sometimes nuts and Clementines and sing Advent songs. Lighting candles is meant to shorten the time until Christmas and bring more light into the darkest time of the year.

My kids and I love this tradition, and we usually make our own wreath and light a new candle every Sunday until Christmas Eve.

This year however, I found an old brick on one of my walks on the beach and I decided to repurpose it to hold our advent candles instead of putting them on a wreath. I brought it home, chiseled out the old mortar and gave it a good rinse. After some decorating with moss, juniper greens, eucalyptus, mini rose hips, some mushroom Christmas ornaments and pretty green and gold bows, we are excited to light our first candle on the first advent Sunday next week.

TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT ADVENT ARRANGEMENT WITH REPURPOSED BRICK

Cover your work surface with some old newspaper or a crafts mat for an easier clean up afterwards.

If you use a repurposed brick, clean in thoroughly, if need be, chisel old mortar out of the holes by using a hammer and chisel and make sure the bottom is nice and flat, to ensure safe burning of the candles.

Pick taper candles of your choice and make sure they fit nicely into the holes of the brick without falling over and never leave your advent candles unattended.

Choose evergreens that will dry nicely, keep their colour, and needles for the coming weeks until Christmas.

If you design your Advent arrangement as a centrepiece, make sure it looks nicely balanced from every angle. Take a step back and turn it 360° to adjust while you are adding your materials.

Trust your creativity and follow your creative instincts. Enjoy the creative process just as much as the end result and let go of any fixed ideas. Be open to incorporate new materials or some you might already have and play around with the different colours and textures of branches, pinecones, dried flowers, ornaments and bows.
 

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED

brick, repurposed or new
4 taper candles
juniper greens or other evergreens
eucalyptus
mini rosehips
Sphagnum moss
Christmas ornaments/ pinecones/ dried flowers
ribbon
wire or hot glue
scissors/ pruners

INSTRUCTIONS

Cover your work surface.

Clean up your brick, chisel out old mortar to ensure all holes are free from debris and make sure it sits nice and steady without wobbling.

Place candles into desired holes first and make sure they sit securely to ensure safe burning.

Fill in the gaps with some sphagnum or other moss.

Add in Christmas ornaments and securely attach them with hot glue or wire.

Decorate your Advent candles with small branches of Juniper greens, eucalyptus and mini rose hips.

Tie bows with your ribbon, attach some wire to the back or hot glue to secure them safely to your arrangement.

Find the perfect spot for your Advent arrangement and enjoy lighting candles every Sunday from now until Christmas!