By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Here are instructions on how to make a traditional Advent wreath with a colorful Hawaiian twist. Its creation was a diocesan collaboration. The Office of Worship’s secretary Jonila Kim created the wreath with materials purchased by the Office of Religious Education’s Teresa Gomez at several Oahu craft stores, and Norfolk Pine branches plucked from trees on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center.

Materials you’ll need:

• Greenery from a Norfolk Pine, Ironwood, or other local evergreen, or any hardy plants found in your backyard or neighborhood such as eucalyptus or ferns
• Artificial or real “local” flowers, such as the plastic anthuriums used here
• Artificial or real (if you can find them) holly berries and leaves
• A wreath base, like the twisted reed Christmas wreath frame used here
• Raffia
• Green pipe cleaners
• A decorative plate
• Four candles, three purple and one pink, thick enough in diameter to stand on their own
• Scissors
• Wire cutters

1) Use a wreath frame large enough to encircle your candles. Place pine branches or other greenery going in the same direction on the wreath base to estimate how much you’ll need to cover the frame.

2) Remove pieces and attach each branch one at a time to the frame with two or three short pieces of green pipe cleaner. Use wire cutters to cut off extra pipe cleaner. Make sure to overlap the greens to cover the pipe cleaner ties and that the greens are secured well. Trim any extra long branches and those in the center to leave room for the candles.

3) With the raffia make three bows, leaving the ends long enough to tie around the wreath. Secure the bows evenly spaced on the wreath.

4) Poke the ends of the flowers and holly through the wreath base. Secure them with pipe cleaners if necessary.

5) Place the wreath on the plate.

6) Position the four candles in the center of the plate. Add further embellishments like holly leaves and berries in the center if you wish.

General tips:

• Advent wreaths are meant to be simple in the season’s spirit of preparation, waiting and penance. Kim says to use as many “natural” materials as possible and don’t overdo the decorations. Save the fancy stuff for your Christmas wreath.
• Follow the “rule of three” when it comes to wreath adornment, says Kim. Her wreath uses three raffia bows and three anthuriums. This keeps things from getting too cluttered and balances out the overall wreath appearance.
• Candles of varying heights make the wreath more visually appealing.
• If you’ve put flowers or berries and leaves between the candles make sure they are far enough away from the flame so they won’t catch on fire.
• When picking your fresh greens and flowers remember that they may need to be replaced as the weeks go by or you’ll have a very brown wreath by Dec. 25. Evergreens and hardy plants like eucalyptus are the most likely to last until Christmas.
• Instead of raffia, you can substitute purple or gold palaka and tapa print fabric for bows.