St. Patrick's Day Trinity Wreath
Step 1: Gather your supplies. For this wreath, you will need: a base of one large or three smaller shamrocks a set of angel wings a cross ornament three ornaments of musical instruments or notes two gold coins a bush of white flowers a bush of small yellow flowers three smaller shamrocks a bush of green leaves a roll of wire-edged ribbon (I used a 1" green gingham roll) 6" of a 1/4" green ribbon for hanging hot glue gun 
Step 3:
First, turn your shamrock base over and either tie the 1/4" ribbon on to the attached hanger, or glue the ribbon on if there is no hanger. Giving about 2" for a loop is usually enough to be able to hang the wreath with ease. Let dry. Craft the first shamrock: Lay a flower and a shamrock on top. Place the angel wings in the center. Place the two gold coins at the base of the wings, on either side. When you are satisfied with the placement of all the items, glue them on using the glue gun. 
Step 5:
Craft the last shamrock: Place the note and the musical instruments on the shamrock, using the picture as a guide. Place three flowers at the bottom, with the stems poking up, on the back of the shamrock. When you are satisfied with the placement of these items, glue them on using the glue gun. Glue a smaller shamrock on, partially covering one of the instruments. 
Step 7:
Place two sprigs of yellow flowers at the base of the last shamrock, among the other flowers. Glue them on. When you are sure the glue is dry on the entire wreath, turn it over once again. Glue the tail of the bows onto the bottom back of the last wreath, by cutting three strips of the ribbon you used to make the bows in a fan shape, using the picture as a guide. About 4" is a good size for the tails, with 1" being glued and 3" showing at the bottom of the wreath. Let dry. Hang up your St. Patrick's Day Trinity Wreath and enjoy this special day! |
St. Patrick is remembered for many things, but perhaps most of all for his legendary use of the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity.
As a way of honoring this impressive saint, as well as reflecting on the Trinity, make and hang this wreath in your Prayer Space on St. Patrick's Day. I used three separate shamrocks that were hooked together, and each shamrock displays symbols of either God the Father, Jesus the Son or the Holy Spirit. The top shamrock symbolizes God the Father and has angel wings, signifying the court of heavenly angels who are constantly worshipping and praising God. There are also two gold pieces next to the wings, symbols of the gifts, material and spiritual, that fall to us from the hand of God. The middle shamrock represents Jesus the Son and displays a golden cross of glory, symbolizing the cross of Christ, upon which Jesus offered his self-sacrifice, atoning for our sins and also restoring our relationship to God. The cross is surrounded by earthly elements, such as the leaves and another shamrock at the base. This reminds us of Jesus' earthly journey, and how he remains with us physically still today in the Eucharist. The final shamrock is for the Holy Spirit. The musical instruments and note point to the action of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God who enlightens us and helps us to speak. Just as it is impossible to play any instrument without breath, so also it is impossible for us to follow the path of Christ without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The smaller shamrock at the top reminds us that although we cannot see the Holy Spirit directly, we know the Spirit's presence through the gifts and fruits, which we certainly can see, just as we can see when there is a lack of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. The three green and white bows in between and at the bottom of the shamrocks remind us that the Trinity is 3 persons, yet one God. The various flowers of white, green and yellow offer our praise and glory to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
Step 2:
Prepare the materials: Cut or separate the shamrocks so that they can be glued separately. Leave a couple of inches of the stem or stick for ease of gluing. Cut or separate the flowers into sprays, if clustered like the yellow flowers, or individually, like the larger white and green flowers. Leave a couple of inches of the stem for ease of gluing. Glue the gold coins onto the leaves, as shown. 
Step 4:
Craft the middle shamrock: Lay two sprigs of the yellow flower down at the top, then place the leaves over them. Place the cross ornament in the middle. Place a smaller shamrock at the base of the cross. When you are satisfied with the placement of all the items, use the glue fun to glue them on. 
Step 6: Make two bows. Glue them in between the first two shamrocks and the last two shamrocks. The bows should cover the connectors between the shamrocks. 
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