As part of faith formation enrichment activities, an Advent wreath craft is a meaningful activity. These easy ones require simple supplies that don’t cost a lot of money! In addition, they do not take a lot of prep or class time to put together. With class times typically being around an hour in length that means better use of your learning time together.
Advent Wreath Craft 1: Play Dough and Birthday Candles
Grade level: 1st grade
Supplies:
- green play dough (size of fist per child, see this this recipe which makes 1 batch for 7 kids)
- 4 birthday candles (3 blue and 1 pink per child) (very inexpensive at WalMart or dollar stores)
- small foam dessert plate (1 per)
- Sharpie markers
Directions:
- Demo to your students how to roll the playdough between your hands to make a coil. Then show them how to connect the coil into a wreath shape and lay onto the dessert plate.
- Pass out a clump of clay and dessert plate to each student.
- Once a student has formed the wreath on the cardboard give them the candles to be placed on the wreath.
- Instruct them to write on the edge using a marker: Prepare the Way of the Lord!
Advent Wreath Craft 2: Paper Candles Tubes on Paper Plate
Grade level: 3rd grade
Supplies:
- Copies of the paper candles template printed on card stock (1 per)
- Sturdy foam or paper plate (1 per)
- Colored pencils or markers
- Scissors
- Clear tape
Template for Paper Candles:
Directions:
- Pass out the candle template sheet and give the students time to color the candles with colored pencils or markers. Remember that the candles are purple except for the third one named “Joy” which should be pink (as indicated on the template). It is always best to color before cutting.
- Ask the students cut out the 4 candles (Picture 1).
- Help them roll each into tube shapes with a half-inch edge overlap. Secure with tape (Picture 2).
- Assist with taping them to the plate in 4 different positions evenly distributed around the edge of the plate (Picture 3). Simply use 2 pieces of tape on either side of each candle.
- Explain how they will color the flame of the candles yellow using yellow markers to as each week of Advent comes.
Advent Wreath Craft 3: Pop-Up card
Grade level: 3rd grade or 4th grade
Supplies:
- card template printed on red card stock (1 per)
- purple rectangular “candles” cut from construction paper or card stock, sized 1″ x 3.5″ (3 per)
- pink rectangular “candle” cut from construction paper or card stock, sized 1″ x 3.5″ (1 per)
- flames shapes cut from the printed template (4 flames shapes per kid) (optional: kids could draw flames free-hand on white paper)
- Advent prayer printed on white card stock (1 per 6 kids) (optional: kids could write directly on card)
- green garland about 8 inches long (1 per) (optional: kids could use green markers to draw garland)
- scissors, glue, and stapler
Templates to Print:
Directions:
- Fold red paper for the card in half so that the black guidelines for cutting are on the outside.
- Cut 4 sets of 2 slits through the fold using the guidelines printed on the paper (see Picture 4).
- Bend each of the 4 slits to the inside with good creases to create the 4 steps (see Picture 5).
- Open up the card and glue the rectangular squares of to the 4 steps that you created in step #2 (see Picture 6). Remember to place the pink rectangular on the third step so that you make the other ones purple. Glue a flame shape to each candle. (Either use the template for the flame shapes or have the students draw and cut them free-hand out of white card stock.)
- Staple or glue a green paper garland fringe around the base of the candles (or have the kids color a green wreath).
- Add the Advent prayer to the card: “Advent: Prepare the Way for the Lord. Jesus, Light of the World, Come and shine on us.” Students can either write it by hand or use the printable template.
- Ask the students to color the flames yellow as each Sunday of Advent occurs.
