How to Draw an Advent Wreath

I'm the chair of the Education Ministry at our church. My job is to oversee the committee that provides adult and youth Sunday School, Bible studies, youth groups, and other educational opportunities to our members and visitors. Last year, we introduced a special all-ages Advent Fellowship that took place between services on the four Sundays of Advent. We had craft days, sang carols, shared beloved holiday cookies, and celebrated the season together with joy. It was a great success. 

COVID-19 means that this year we can't safely hold in-person Advent worship services, let alone come together for crafts, caroling, and potlucks. We're going to do the next best thing, holding our Advent activities via Zoom. Advent starts next Sunday, November 29 and I'll be leading the congregation in drawing an Advent wreath for that first Sunday. I've made three sample drawings. Each uses a different medium (alcohol markers, crayons, and colored pencils) and they have some other variations as well. Affiliate links below. 

This first drawing is done with my favorite Prismacolor markers. Gorgeous color, great blending, and no streaks. 

I did this drawing with Crayola crayons. I am very brand loyal when it comes to crayons; Crayola crayons are sturdy and provide the smoothest, most vivid color. This was my first time trying out their new Pearl Crayons, introduced in late 2019. I'm a fan!  

I used both Prismacolor colored pencils and Crayola colored pencils for this version of the wreath. The Prismacolors give smoother and richer color than Crayola, but they're also way more expensive. The Crayolas are the best of the student-quality colored pencils. 

Now that I've shown you some coloring options, let's start drawing! Orient a piece of paper vertically and draw four staggered candles just below the center of the page. Do not draw the bottoms of the candles. 

As you can see, I drew my samples with a Sharpie because it's easier to see. You can use a pencil if you want the option to erase. You can also use a ruler if you want straight lines. Imperfect candles don't bother me, but it's up to you.  

Now we're going to add holly. Draw two or three holly leaves at the bottom of each candle, using the same motion you'd make to draw waves in an ocean. Vary the orientation of the holly leaves. Once you've covered the bottom of the candles, continue adding leaves randomly around them to make an oval-shaped wreath. 

When you have filled in the whole wreath with holly, draw little circles in between some of the leaves to make holly berries. Then add a wick and a flame to each candle. 

Now decide what you'd like your text to say and how you want it to look. I used a portion of Mark 1:3 (Prepare ye the way of the Lord), but there are many other verses or phrases that you might prefer. You can also choose to label the four candles or not. Looking at the samples again, you can see three different options for how to use text and how I incorporated the Star of Bethlehem. 

 

    

If you're interested in seeing my other Advent crafts for kids, click the link. Happy Advent and happy crafting!