Liturgical Wreaths

Lisa is hosting this week's fair: The Loveliness of Sacred Spaces. Check it out!

Last year, Elizabeth wrote about using candles of the appropriate liturgical color on her family's table. That inspired me to make wreaths to surround candles for our table's centerpiece.

I used a few online sources for information on colors, and borrowed Elizabeth's idea of using blue for Mary's feast days. We look at our Magnificat magazine to choose the color of the day--ordinary time is green, but we might use red if it is a martyr's feast. This encourages us to notice the changes and rhythm of the Church year. Even my second grader enjoys checking and changing the centerpiece, although right now it's purple every day. :-)
I bought straw wreaths at the craft store and wrapped them with florist tape (with a little hot glue at the end), partly to keep the straw from shedding, and partly for the green background. I bought flowers for the major colors, and green ivy garland, which I wired and glued in place. The homeschoolers and I worked together, snipping stems and gluing onto the wreaths. We generally put leaves on first, with flowers afterwards. Of course, the children needed supervision using the hot glue gun. Overall, the wreaths took several sessions to complete.I found an online store that sells large, unscented pillar candles. Unscented is worth looking for since the candle is lit at meal time. Another advantage is the quality of the color --beautiful shades that are solid throughout, not white candles dipped in color. You can see the purple one on my "Look of Lent" post below. At the craft store I also bought a rimmed glass plate in the candle section; the wreath fits on it perfectly. It also has little feet that make it easier to move around--great for table clearing time.
This was a fun project that would be easy to do in stages. It's really enhanced our awareness of daily life in the Church