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I still remember the year I made my first holiday centerpiece from scratch. My dining table was covered in pine branches, sticky sap, and cheap taper candles that refused to stand up straight. It was a messy afternoon, but lighting that first candle on Sunday evening felt incredibly special.
I have put together 17 beautiful Advent wreath ideas to inspire your Christmas decor this season, so you can skip the sticky sap if you want to. Whether you prefer fresh greens or something completely out of the box, these Advent Wreath Ideas will help you count down the weeks until the big day.
Frosted Pine and Faux Snow Display
If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, bring the snow indoors. A frosted pine wreath uses heavily flocked artificial branches to look like they were just brought in from a blizzard. It is one of my favorite christmas decoration ideas for a dark wooden table.
You can buy a pre-flocked artificial wreath to save time. The white fake snow on the branches reflects the candlelight beautifully. To lean into the cold weather theme, skip the traditional purple candles.
What you need for this look:
- Flocked artificial pine wreath
- Four icy blue or white candles
- Silver candle holders
Use icy blue or pure white candles instead. Set the candles in small silver holders and nestle them deep into the frosted branches. The combination of white snow, silver metal, and blue wax looks incredibly crisp and clean.
Dried Orange Slice and Cinnamon Stick Wreath
This wreath smells exactly like a winter kitchen. Dehydrated orange slices and cinnamon sticks bring a lot of warm color to a plain green base. It is a great project to work on over a weekend.
You can dry the oranges yourself in the oven on a very low heat. If you have never done it before, there is a great guide on drying fruit at home that walks you through the temperatures. Once they are dry, they last for years.
What you need for this look:
- Plain artificial pine wreath
- Dried orange slices
- Cinnamon sticks
- Jute string
- Four orange or cream candles
Tie bundles of three cinnamon sticks together with jute string. Use floral wire to attach the cinnamon bundles and the dried orange slices to an artificial pine wreath. Add four cream-colored candles to finish the warm, spicy look.
Traditional Evergreen and Pine-cone Advent Wreath
There is something incredibly comforting about a traditional Advent wreath sitting on the dining table. This classic style uses fresh balsam fir branches, real pine-cones, and the familiar set of three purple candles and one pink candle. The smell of the fresh pine instantly makes the whole house feel like the holidays.
To make this yourself, start with a simple wire wreath frame from the craft store. Cut your evergreen branches into small pieces, about the length of your hand. Layer the branches over the wire, wrapping them tightly with green floral wire as you go around the circle.
What you need for this look:
- 12-inch wire wreath frame
- Fresh balsam or pine branches
- Green floral wire
- Small pinecones
- Three purple tapers and one pink taper
Once your base is thick and secure, use hot glue or wire to attach small pine-cones in the empty spaces. You can push metal candle spikes directly into the branches to hold your tapers straight. This traditional setup needs a little water misting every few days to keep the needles from dropping too quickly.
Red Berry and Velvet Ribbon Christmas Advent Wreath
Nothing says the holidays quite like deep red velvet. A red berry and velvet ribbon Christmas Advent wreath is bold, rich, and very traditional. Instead of a green base, this design uses a solid ring of faux cranberries.
Start with a foam craft ring. Buy several long garlands of artificial red berries and wrap them tightly around the foam until no white shows through. Secure the ends with hot glue.
What you need for this look:
- Foam craft ring
- Faux red berry garlands
- Hot glue gun
- Dark red velvet ribbon
- Four red candles
Place four red candles evenly around the ring. Take a spool of dark red velvet ribbon and tie a thick, neat bow in the space between each candle. The mix of shiny red berries and soft matte velvet looks very expensive and classic.
Modern Brass Ring with Taper Candles
If you like clean lines and empty space on your table, a modern Advent wreath is a great choice. This style relies on a simple metal structure rather than a thick bed of branches. A plain brass ring with built-in candle cups looks sharp and takes up very little room.
You can buy these brass rings pre-made at most home goods stores during the winter. Because the metal is so plain, the candles become the main focus. I like using pure beeswax taper candles for this setup.
What you need for this look:
- Brass ring with four candle holders
- Four beeswax taper candles
- Sticky wax to hold the candles straight
Beeswax has a beautiful natural yellow color and a faint honey smell when it burns. Just press a little bit of sticky candle wax into the bottom of each brass cup before you push the tapers in. This keeps them perfectly straight and prevents any wobbling when you light them.
Natural Foraged Branch and Berry Wreath
You do not have to spend a lot of money at the craft store to make a natural Advent wreath. Take a walk around your yard or a nearby park and gather what you find on the ground. Bare twigs, dried vines, and branches with bright red berries make a beautiful, wild-looking centerpiece.
Start with a plain grapevine base to give yourself a sturdy foundation. Tuck your foraged twigs into the woven vines, letting them stick out at different angles. You want it to look a little messy and organic.
What you need for this look:
- Grapevine wreath base
- Foraged twigs and berry branches
- Brown floral tape
- Four rustic pillar candles
If any pieces feel loose, wrap them tightly with brown floral tape so the tape blends in with the wood. Instead of tall tapers, set four short pillar candles in the center of the wreath. The thick candles ground the wild branches and keep the flame safely away from the dry wood.
Rustic Wooden Dough Bowl Display
A wreath does not strictly have to be a circle. Using a long wooden dough bowl is one of my favorite unique christmas decorations for a rectangular dining table. The carved wood adds a lot of texture, and the long shape leaves plenty of room for plates and food on either side.
Fill the bottom of the antique dough bowl with dry floral foam blocks. Cover the foam completely with bright green sheet moss so no green plastic shows through. The moss gives you a soft, flat bed to work with.
What you need for this look:
- Long wooden dough bowl
- Floral foam blocks
- Sheet moss
- Four white pillar candles
Press four white pillar candles into the moss in a straight line. You can leave it just like this for a simple look, or tuck a few small pine-cones around the base of each candle. It is incredibly easy to put together and easy to move if you need the table space.
Eucalyptus and White Rose Arrangement
If you want a softer, more floral approach, skip the pine branches entirely. Seeded eucalyptus has a beautiful dusty green color that looks wonderful in the winter. Paired with fresh white roses, it feels very fresh and light.
You will need a foam wreath ring that can hold water. Soak the foam in the sink until it is heavy, then start pushing short stems of eucalyptus into the foam. Cover the entire ring so no green foam is visible.
What you need for this look:
- Wet floral foam ring
- Seeded eucalyptus branches
- Fresh white roses
- Four tall taper candles
Cut the stems of your white roses very short and push them into the wet foam between the eucalyptus leaves. Finally, press four tall tapers directly into the wet foam. The foam will keep the roses fresh for the first week, and you can easily pull them out and replace them as the month goes on.
DIY Mason Jar and Twine Advent Wreath
Looking for easy DIY Advent wreath ideas? This mason jar project is budget-friendly and completely safe if you have pets or small children who might bump the table. The glass jars keep the open flame contained and protected.
Take four matching mason jars and fill them about halfway with plain Epsom salt. The salt looks exactly like sparkling snow. Tie a piece of rough brown twine around the rim of each jar and finish it with a simple bow.
What you need for this look:
- Four glass mason jars
- Epsom salt
- Brown twine
- Four tealight candles
- A round wooden tray
Drop one small tealight candle down into the salt in each jar. Arrange the four jars in a circle on a round wooden tray. It is a very casual, cozy look that fits perfectly in a kitchen or on a breakfast nook table.
Scandi-Inspired Wooden Bead Wreath
Scandinavian design is all about light wood tones and keeping things simple. A wooden bead wreath fits right into this style. It is bare, bright, and completely different from a heavy evergreen centerpiece.
You can make this by stringing large, unfinished wooden craft beads onto a stiff piece of wire. Bend the wire into a circle and twist the ends tightly together with pliers. The raw wood looks great against a white tablecloth.
What you need for this look:
- Large unfinished wooden beads
- Stiff craft wire
- Pliers
- Metal clip-on candle holders
- Four small white candles
To hold the candles, buy metal clip-on candle holders meant for Christmas trees. Clip four of them evenly around the beaded wire circle. Use small, thin white candles so they do not overpower the delicate wooden frame.
Vintage Teacup Candle Collection
If you collect vintage china, this is a wonderful way to display it during the holidays. Four matching or beautifully mismatched teacups make a charming base for your weekly countdown. You can arrange them in a circle on a lace runner or line them up on a windowsill.
There are two ways to do this. You can melt candle wax on the stove, place a wick in each teacup, and pour the wax directly in to make custom candles. If you do not want to ruin the cups, there is a much easier way.
What you need for this look:
- Four vintage teacups
- Four small votive candles
- A table runner
Just buy four small votive candles in clear glass cups. Set one glass votive inside each teacup. The teacup acts as a decorative holder, and the wax never touches your vintage china.
Copper Pipe and Moss Base
For an industrial vibe, head to the plumbing aisle of your local hardware store. Copper pipes have a beautiful rose-gold color that looks fantastic next to candlelight. You can build a custom frame using standard pipe fittings.
Buy a length of half-inch copper pipe, four copper T-joints, and four copper elbows. Cut the pipe into small sections and fit them together to form a square. The top openings of the T-joints are the perfect size to hold standard taper candles.
What you need for this look:
- Half-inch copper pipe
- Four copper T-joints
- Four copper elbows
- Pipe cutter
- Green sheet moss
Once your copper square is built, lay it flat on the table. Tuck pieces of bright green sheet moss under and around the pipes to soften the hard metal edges. The copper will slowly darken and patina over the years, making it look even better.
Asymmetrical Grapevine Wreath
Most wreaths are perfectly balanced, but an asymmetrical design is much more interesting to look at. This style leaves half of the wreath completely bare, focusing all the decorations and candles on one side.
Start with a thick grapevine wreath. Choose the left or right side to be your focal point. Wire all of your pine branches, berries, and ornaments tightly to that one side, letting the branches trail off naturally toward the top and bottom.
What you need for this look:
- Grapevine wreath
- Assorted greenery and berries
- Floral wire
- Four candle spikes
- Four taper candles
Push four metal candle spikes into the decorated side, clustering the candles close together rather than spacing them out evenly. The bare grapevine on the opposite side balances the heavy greens and gives the whole piece a very modern shape.
Clustered Birch Log Candle Holders
If you want a cozy cabin feel, birch logs are the way to go. The white peeling bark looks rustic but still bright enough for a holiday table. Instead of a connected ring, this idea uses four separate logs clustered together.
Find a thick birch branch and cut it into four pieces of different heights. The tallest piece should be about eight inches, and the shortest about three inches. Use a drill with a spade bit to hollow out a shallow hole in the top of each log.
What you need for this look:
- Thick birch branch
- Saw
- Drill with a spade bit
- Four taper or tealight candles
- A small wooden tray
Make sure the hole is just wide enough to hold your candles snugly. Stand the four logs together on a small wooden tray. The varying heights make the flames dance at different levels, which looks wonderful during dinner.
Olive Branch and Gold Leaf Wreath
For a Mediterranean twist on holiday decor, use fresh olive branches. The leaves have a beautiful pale green color with a silvery underside. Adding a little bit of gold leaf makes the plain branches feel festive.
Buy a bunch of fresh olive branches from a florist. Before you arrange them, use a small brush to apply sizing liquid to the tips of a few leaves, then gently press on sheets of gold leaf. If you want the branches to last all month, check out this guide on keeping your cut greens fresh.
What you need for this look:
- Fresh olive branches
- Gold leaf sheets and sizing liquid
- Small paintbrush
- Wire frame
- Four gold or white candles
Wire the olive branches to a simple frame, letting the gold-tipped leaves sit near the top. Add four gold or white candles. The metallic gold catches the flickering light and makes the whole table glow.
Simple Pillar Candle Wreath on a Silver Tray
Sometimes the best candle wreath ideas come from things you already have in your kitchen cabinets. A tarnished vintage silver tray makes a gorgeous base for an Advent display. The metal catches the candlelight and makes the whole arrangement look much brighter.
Set four thick pillar candles on the tray. You can place them in a square or a circle, depending on the shape of your tray. Then, just fill in all the empty space between the candles.
What you need for this look:
- Vintage silver tray
- Four thick pillar candles
- Small glass ornaments
- A few sprigs of greenery
I like to use small glass ornaments in silver and gold to fill the gaps. You can also tuck in a few sprigs of fake greenery to soften the hard edges of the metal tray. It takes about five minutes to set up, but it looks incredibly elegant on a coffee table.
Boxwood and Plaid Ribbon Ring
Boxwood has a very tight, neat leaf structure that looks incredibly preppy and classic. A fresh boxwood ring paired with tartan plaid ribbon is a staple of traditional holiday decorating. It looks just as good in a formal dining room as it does on a kitchen island.
Clip fresh boxwood stems from your yard, or buy them from a garden center. Wire them tightly to a small frame so the wreath looks perfectly round and dense. The tighter you pack the stems, the better it looks.
What you need for this look:
- Fresh boxwood clippings
- Small wire frame
- Floral wire
- Red and green tartan plaid ribbon
- Four classic red candles
Wrap a wide red and green tartan plaid ribbon loosely around the green ring, weaving it over and under the branches. Place four classic red candles in the center. It is a timeless look that never goes out of style.
Putting together your own holiday centerpiece is such a rewarding way to kick off the season. I have found that taking an hour on a quiet afternoon to arrange the branches and set the candles makes the whole month feel a little more special.
You do not need perfect florist skills to make something beautiful for your table. Pick the style that fits your home best, gather your supplies, and enjoy the process. If you try one of these ideas this year, I would love to hear how it turns out for you in the comments below.
