Adventure in Woodworking

[DeanZF]

Hi folks.



Wanted to put forth some pix of what's been consuming a LOT of my time over the last several weeks. Hours and hours worth. And clean-up starts today.



We had a smaller Advent Wreath with nice but messy wax candles, but because of an unfortunate accident, that old wreath was no longer able to be mounted, nor was the Pascal candle that used the same stand. I had an image in my head of how to solve the problems, and this is what resulted. All good reviews thus far. I'm glad they're pleased.



The wood is black walnut from here in Missouri. The wreath is constructed out of a double layer of trapezoidal shapes and then cut to a circle (1-1/2" thick total, plus the candle pots). The circle is 30" in diameter and the ring is 3" wide. "Pots" for the candles are turned from stacks of 8/4 walnut and cut on a 10º bias.



The "holly leaves" were created from maple wood in an abstract shape, giving the flavor of holly, in three different sizes. They had the veining burned into each leaf. Tops and bottoms of leaves are a transparent green and the sides are a metalic gold paint. The edges were sanded away at about a 15º angle, just to give the leaves some visual life and less bulk. The berries are gorgeous red aquarium marbles! We tried several different sizes of faceted stones but they were dismal in comparison.



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Details of the "Holly Leaves & Berries"



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With a Family from Church to Show Scale



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Showing Stand & Rake of Wreath

[Deleted User]

That wreath is beautiful!!! Very nice work!! :up:

[Deleted User]

wow you really did a great job on the wreath it is just beautiful and the construction is perfect. I know this had to take a long time of very focused dedication and work to create but you did an excellent job on this project.

I know someone who would be very impressed and jealous a bit too... He would trade you some smoked meat for it I bet hahahahhaha!

Congrats on a project well done!

Diana M! and Mr. Slick :clap:

[etherea]

Wow....very nice work. The wood is beautiful and the picture is so clear you can almost feel the smoothness of the wood. May I ask a question? Is the holly significant to the message of the advent wreath? Symbolic somehow?

[Deleted User]

That looks great! Very nice craftmanship!

[DeanZF]

Thanks to one and all for your interest and your kind comments.



Yes, Etherea, the holly is indeed symbolic, both in leaf and in berry. It's an English custom to decorate the Advent wreath and indeed the inside of the church with holly and often with ivy. The reason is that even in the bleakness of winter, the ever-green holly keeps it's deep, rich green, and most species remain staunch and sturdy, regardless of the weather that besets them. Just as the candles remind us to be looking for His light, the deep green of the holly and/or ivy reminds us that though we may be smitten with the apparent death of winter, that there is still life, sturday and mature, in Him Who IS that light! The red berries symbolize the blood-borne fruit of that sturdy little ever-green, ever-alive plant.



Hope that helps.

[flaglady]

Lovely piece of work, there, Dean!

[HelenaZF]

I thought it looked glorious at the Christmas Eve candle mass: