Some Advent wreaths have a fifth candle which is lit on Christmas Day to signify Christ's birth.

There is something reassuring about seeing a Christmas wreath on the door. My family was never the type to decorate extravagantly. Most of the time, we would not put up outdoor Christmas lights at all, and trimming the tree would take less than an hour. My folks were very religious, and they thought that all of the bright lights and glitter took away from honoring the true meaning of Christmas. Nonetheless, they always put up a Christmas wreath.

Every single year, we would go out and gather cedar boughs, ribbons, berries, and pieces of tinsel to make our very own holiday wreath. We did not go to Christmas village to get a tree - there was a tree farm just down the road, and it was never much of a project to get one. We only had a few vintage Christmas decorations to put up, so the wreath was the big high point of the season.

To me, it is sad that making Christmas wreaths is starting to become a lost art. Don't get me wrong - I've seen a lot of artificial Christmas wreath designs that look good. Still, there is something that is just so pleasant about weaving together branches and ribbons to make your very own seasonal decorations. Even if you have never made your own do it yourself Christmas ornaments, you should consider trying your hand at making your own Christmas tree wreath. Taking the time to make your own makes it more special somehow.

There are many different ways to go about making a Christmas wreath, but all of them are pretty straightforward. Basically, all you have to do is weave together branches, flowers, and whatever else you want in your decorating wreath. Usually, it is good to start with a base of relatively thick branches. Some sturdy pine boughs are a great way to hold the structure together, and provide a nice, verdant backdrop to the rest of the thing. You should weave them fairly tightly, but not tight enough to start stripping the needles off of them. After all, the whole point of using pine boughs is the pretty color and nice smell they give.

After that, you can go ahead and add anything you want to it. Basically, all you have to do is weave the stems and branches of the flowers between those of the pine boughs. Look at the Christmas wreath selection in your local store for ideas. Anything you see on artificial Christmas wreaths can be used on real, handmade ones as well.