Advent Wreath Craft

Last year I searched in vein for a tutorial for an Advent wreath that used toilet paper tubes as it's candles, so  I had to come up with my own idea.  This flameless Advent wreath can be made with items that most of us already have in our homes.

To make this wreath you'll need a 9 to 10 inch paper plate (I like a sturdy plate like a Solo or Dixie plate for this craft), four toilet paper tubes, glue, green and yellow tissue paper, and scissors.

First you start with a paper plate and you cut off the edge.

Next you will need to cut a circle in the middle of the plate.  I do this craft with my religious education classes and decided that it was worth the money to buy a circle cutter and save myself time.  You can cut the center circle with a circle cutter, or you can take a glass, trace it and cut out the circle.  I did that last year and while it works great, it takes some time when you're making several wreaths.

 

 Once the base of the wreath is cut, you'll need to paint your toilet paper tubes.  Three should be painted purple and one should be painted rose or pink.
 Once the paint has dried, you'll need to cut a 2X2 inch square of yellow tissue paper for each candle.  You will glue one corner of the square inside each toilet paper tube about one inch down.  This will allow you to stuff the "flame" not needed into the tube on the weeks when that candle is not lit.  Do not stuff the flame into the tube until the glue has dried.

When the glue is dried you will need to glue the candles [flame side up] onto the base of the wreath.  You can use regular glue, but I find hot glue to be a quicker and sturdier choice.

 After your candles are glued in place you will want to start decorating your wreath with some greens.  Take a sheet of green tissue paper and cut it into 3X3 inch squares. Then, take the squares and wrap them around the eraser of a pencil, add a dab of glue and affix it to the base of the wreath.  Repeat this process until the base is covered with greens.

Finally, enjoy your "flameless" Advent wreath.