Advent candle printable for children

Use this Advent candle printable to make an easy Advent wreath craft to countdown to Christmas.

Advent candle printable

Use this simple Advent wreath printable to make a lovely Advent craft with your children. You can learn about how Christians observe Advent and what each candle of the Advent wreath represents.

This article is one of NurtureStore’s easy Christmas crafts for children and part of our Christmas activities and crafts.

Materials needed

:: Advent candles printable (see below on how to print from the Christmas Printables section of NurtureStore’s Free Printables Section)

:: coloured pencils, pens or paints (including purple and pink)

:: scissors

:: paper plate

:: coloured paper/tissue paper

:: glue stick

:: sticky tape

Celebrating Advent

Advent time is celebrated by Christians during the four Sundays leading up to the festival of Christmas. It is a time for them to prepare for Christmas and the remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the son of God.

During Advent, Christians may devote special time to read their holy book, the Bible, say prayers, and do acts of charity and kindness.

Each Sunday of Advent has a special focus and can be symbolised by the lighting of candles in an Advent wreath. Many churches and families use the Advent wreath as a focus of their prayer and devotion to God.

What does each Advent candle represent?

The first Sunday of Advent represents hope and the message in the Bible book of Isaiah, that Jesus, the son of God will be born. A purple candle of hope will be lit.

The second Sunday of Advent represents love. This Sunday remembers how Mary and Joseph came to the town of Bethlehem, expecting the birth of Jesus.

The third Sunday of Advent represents joy. A pink candle is lit in remembrance of the delight of the shepherds who, guided by an angel, came to Bethlehem to visit Jesus.

The fourth Sunday of Advent represents peace and again a purple candle is lit.

Advent ends on Christmas Eve, on December 24th, when a white candle of purity is lit in the centre of the Advent wreath, representing the birth of Jesus, the son of God.

How to make an Advent candle wreath

This child-friendly Advent wreath features five candles arranged on a circular wreath. You can make one family wreath, or each child might like to make their own and place it in their room.

You can make the circular wreath at the beginning of Advent and set it in the centre of your table.

Add one of the candles each week as you count down through Advent until Christmas Day.

To make the circular wreath, use a paper plate (or circle of card) as the ring of your wreath.

Use small pieces of coloured paper or tissue paper to collage all around the ring, using glue to hold the pieces in place.

You might use the Advent colours of purple, pink and white, or use the Christmas colours of red and green to create a ring that looks like a holly wreath.

Colour in the candles from the Printable. You can use pencils, pens or paints.

You can colour in the candle, flame, and word.

You might like to make all the candles at the beginning of Advent or you can make one candle each week.

Once you have coloured it in, cut out the candle, around the rectangle and flame.

Then curl the candle round, overlap the card at the back, and fasten in place with glue or sticky tape.

Make sure the edges of the card line up to give your candle a flat base on which to stand.

Set the wreath ring down as the centrepiece on your table or mantle and each week during Advent, add another candle to the display.

The traditional order to place the candles is a follows:

First Advent Sunday: place the purple Hope candle

Second Advent Sunday: place the purple Love candle

Third Advent Sunday: place the pink Joy candle

Fourth Advent Sunday: place the purple Peace candle

Christmas Eve Advent Sunday: place the white Jesus candle in the centre of the wreath