ADVENT CALENDAR CENTERPIECE

 ⎨Advent calendar centerpiece⎬

This post is part of a series of posts that accompanies my journaling & inspirational workshop, "Quiet Christmas: A Self-Love Journey for the Month of December". If you're looking for a way to slow down at Christmastime, find peace, and savor this time of the year like never before, then this workshop is for you! :) The course doesn't take into consideration the religious aspect of Christmas, it's a Personal Growth, Bliss & Healing workshop.

What if the cure for Holiday stress was more self-love and honoring our needs and desires? Quiet Christmas is an inspiring and powerful workshop in e-book format with daily journaling prompts (can be done even without journaling, if you prefer), to guide you on a journey of self-love and radical self care during the month of December.

What if we put ourselves and our deep needs and desires first?

Hi everyone! Today I'm bringing you one idea for natural Christmas decor, that you may want to try this year. I'm planning our Holiday home decor right now, and I thought I'd make a little tutorial for you on how to make an Advent calendar centerpiece (also known as Advent wreath).

As part of my creative lifestyle, infused with lots of hygge and seasonal simple pleasures, natural home decor is a must. Log gone are the days when I used to buy artificial flowers and greenery to decorate our home. Now it's all foraged... very simple, very minimal... and compostable! :)

You don't need a lot of supplies for this arrangement. I typically use foraged pine that I find on the ground; otherwise you may also buy it. There are usually a lot of fallen branches on the ground in the mountains, countryside and also in the garden, that are there waiting for you! :)

For my Advent calendar centerpiece base I use any pretty container that I have at home, that can hold water.

I fill it with floral foam or "oasis" (that I let dry and reuse as many times as possible) and then I add water.

So go and find your container, fill it with oasis and then soak it with water...

... start inserting the four candles in the foam...

... cut the foraged fresh pine with secateurs...

... check that you have positioned the candles just right, before inserting the pine in the foam.

Then, wire the pinecones...

... so that you can insert them in between pine boughs, and they won't fall out if you move the centerpiece.

Make a bow and wire it, too...

... and insert it in the floral foam as well.

At this point you can decorate with homemade gingerbread cookies...

... and voilà! :) Your Advent calendar wreath is done!

My Mom modeled for me, to show you the finished arrangement.

This Advent calendar is quite lovely when all lit! You should light a candle at a time, one for each week of Advent... but it's up to you! :) You can also use this arrangement just as natural Christmas home decor or as centerpiece for your festive tables.

Hope you'll have a lot of fun making your own!

See you soon,

Monica xoxo