Saint Lucia Wreath (RETIRED)

[QNPoohBear]

Released in 1986, retired with archival in 2009.

Kirsten’s crowning glory is the traditional Saint Lucia wreath with red ribbons, lush greens, plump berries, and six tall wooden candles. Imagine how proud she’ll feel and how beautiful she’ll look when you put it on her.


This review is for an early Pleasant Co. version of the wreath:
The inside of the wreath is plastic with holes to place the wooden candles. The plastic frame part is filled with soft fake green leaves silky red ribbons and red wooden berries. Kirsten's Lucia wreath is too big for her head and looks a little silly. The wooden candles keep falling out and getting lost. The berries on my Kirsten's wreath have chipped and a piece of greenery has fallen out. Other than that it is very nice and festive and a beautiful and important addition to Kirsten's collection. Grade: A-

[tngirl03]

I got this around Christmas, and I guess it has been changed quite a bit. The candles in mine are permanently attached, and the wreath didn't look too big to me. I only tried it on Kirsten one time, though. It's very cute, and I hope to get the St. Lucia tray soon.

[SailAwayAK~]

We have Kirstens wreath and like it very much. it doesn't stay out for play all the time. It only has come out durring the holidays when the time is right. With ours the candles are firmly attached and it is just to cute on her!

[ksami]

I just got Kirsten's wreath this fall, and the candles on mine are also permanently attached. They are no longer made of wood, they are plasticy/rubbery. I would have liked them to be wooden, but I guess it's a tradeoff for not having them fall off all the time.

The wreath looks very cute on Kirsten when she's got her hair done up in the braided loops. At the time that I first got the wreath, my Kirsten's hair was in a simple braid down her back. The wreath looked too big for her head until I redid her hair in the double loops to fill it out.

[merry]

I got mine back in 1995. The candles are wooden and firmly attached but oddly enough there are only five of them. I noticed this as soon as I opened the box on Christmas but I never really cared much.

[American Girl Rescue]

I just received mine today. The candles are rubber, permanently attached and somewhat bent in because of being squished in the box from AG. The tips of the candles are BROWN! Very strange, as I think they should be yellow or something similar to represent the light they are supposed to be shining.

The wreath itself has a more flexible rubber frame than the original hard plastic one. The wreath just fits Kirsten's head perfectly. And the holly leaves and ribbons are so pretty. Grade B

[C.I.Fairfield]

My candles are rubbery. I am a little irritated because they are angled inward, and I have to shove the wreath pretty far down on Kirsten's head to get them to stand up straight. But the wreath is very nice, and such a great accessory! A+

[Megan]

I like this, only problem is that it has lost a few sets of its leaves. A- for hard to store.
-Megan

[jayamaree]

i really kind of hate this, i'm planning on returning it. not worth 16 bucks.

[LinneaAnne]

I think this piece is very important to Kirsten's collection, but definitely could have been done better.
I have the same problem of my plastic-y candles angling inward waay too much. I have to really shove it onto her head to get them to stand up straight. I bought this wreath in 2007.

[Aaryana]

The only thing I don't like about the wreath is that the tips of the candles are brown instead of yellow. Candles don't glow brown! Otherwise, it's a great piece. My Mattel version seems strong and really nice. It sits well on Kirsten's head too. A- (for the brown tips)

[12kizuna]

Kirsten works really hard to make a St. Lucia wreath in time for St. Lucia Day!



I love that the St. Lucia theme brings some of Kirsten's Swedish heritage to her collection. The version I have is with the wooden candles, that are removable. There are tiny little plastic holders in the base of the wreath that are kind of hard to find, and hold the candles. Not very firmly, but it does the job.



It is such a beautiful and festive piece... and very large! There are little berries and red ribbons all over it.



The tips of my candles are red, which is better than the brown that others have shared pictures of, but the wooden candles have their own problems, too. The paint has scratched and cracked over the years, and it takes a little work to get them all in the wreath and to stay there. This is just fine for display, but for play it might prove a little difficult to keep the candles in.



The bulky wreath stays on Kirsten's head pretty well, but has the tendency to push her bangs down into her eyes. Mine, despite having the wooden-candle version, also has the problem of the candles all bending slightly inwards. This is kind of annoying to me, I have to admit.



Overall, the wreath is a vital piece of her St. Lucia outfit. The dress really needs the wreath to look complete. It has its flaws, but makes for a great holiday display piece for Kirsten. It is unique and beautiful. I give it a B.

[cymbre]

A very nice piece for any Kirsten collection.

[chernayakoshka]

Wreath – A+

My wreath is from about 1994 and I absolutely love it! It’s actually a pretty simple design: plastic greenery around a plastic hoop. The greenery is nice and full. My candles are removeable, but they don’t fall out easily. The candles are made of wood, painted white with red tips. The wreath is adourned with red ribbons and red berries. I haven’t yet figured out what the berries are made of, but whatever they’re coated in is starting to crack with age. Either way, this is a sturdy piece that, when treated well, will last for decades



Good Value?

My wreath came from eBay with my Saint Lucia Dress, Sari, and tray and treats for $50, which I was very happy to find. It looks like it retailed for $16, which seems really high for just a wreath! I wasn’t collecting Kirsten as a kid, but I’m pretty sure that my parents would have laughed in my face if I asked them to spend that much on a wreath.

Overall – A+

My discontent with the retail price aside, I do love this piece. Like the Saint Lucia Gown, it’s a classic part of Kirsten’s collection with a prominent role in her story. It’s one of those pieces that I think really makes Kirsten stand out as an immigrant to America and I adore it for that reason.

[keeperofthepast]

My daughter received this back in 1994. Its a PC version. My only problem is it should have had five or seven candles to be authentic.

[Fiora]

Jun 5, 2023 17:40:29 GMT -5 keeperofthepast said:

My daughter received this back in 1994. Its a PC version. My only problem is it should have had five or seven candles to be authentic.

Reading all reviews I've been on the fence buying this wreath... I'm now, looking into making one myself and I appreciate that you mentioned the number of candles it should have. I don't know enough about this tradition.

Could you please give me the diameter of the entire wreath? Though some reviewers said it's a bit too large/sticking out too much on Kirsten head; it would help me figure out which wreath size to buy. I found out the inner diameter in the "make your own" sub-forum. But the poster doesn't give the entire diameter of the wreath, only it's circumference which doesn't help me.

I've seen some boxwood artificial wreaths and though the leaves are different it could still work out. 'tis the season, so I'm hopeful in finding something suitable in Hobby Lobby, Joann or Michael's on my next trip to the big city 😉

Thanks for your help 😊

[keeperofthepast]

Oct 19, 2023 11:11:39 GMT -5 Fiora said:

Jun 5, 2023 17:40:29 GMT -5 keeperofthepast said:

My daughter received this back in 1994. Its a PC version. My only problem is it should have had five or seven candles to be authentic.

Reading all reviews I've been on the fence buying this wreath... I'm now, looking into making one myself and I appreciate that you mentioned the number of candles it should have. I don't know enough about this tradition.

Could you please give me the diameter of the entire wreath? Though some reviewers said it's a bit too large/sticking out too much on Kirsten head; it would help me figure out which wreath size to buy. I found out the inner diameter in the "make your own" sub-forum. But the poster doesn't give the entire diameter of the wreath, only it's circumference which doesn't help me.

I've seen some boxwood artificial wreaths and though the leaves are different it could still work out. 'tis the season, so I'm hopeful in finding something suitable in Hobby Lobby, Joann or Michael's on my next trip to the big city 😉

Thanks for your help 😊

I'd love to help you out, Fiora, but my daughter sold that outfit years ago. I just added that comment recently to the reviews as I had found that comment about the number of candles in a library Christmas book when I posted it. Yes, I look at Christmas books in the summer. The best part of the set is the tray with the St. Lucia buns etc. We both have the tray set.

I did a quick guess measure on a doll and I think the wreath must have been around seven inches in diameter. I've seen homemade ones of faux evergreen that fit more tightly to Kirsten's head and look far better. I would just do that with small faux berries, and straight white birthday candles.

[Fiora]

Oct 19, 2023 13:10:28 GMT -5 keeperofthepast said:

I'd love to help you out, Fiora, but my daughter sold that outfit years ago. I just added that comment recently to the reviews as I had found that comment about the number of candles in a library Christmas book when I posted it. Yes, I look at Christmas books in the summer. The best part of the set is the tray with the St. Lucia buns etc. We both have the tray set.

I did a quick guess measure on a doll and I think the wreath must have been around seven inches in diameter. I've seen homemade ones of faux evergreen that fit more tightly to Kirsten's head and look far better. I would just do that with small faux berries, and straight white birthday candles.

Thanks! Yeah I thought about using birthday candles that should work well. Then, the ribbon for the bows will be easy peasy. I had guessed a 8" diam. at the most. I might make a post and see if a member who has it would respond. I'm glad there are very clear pics on this review, easy to see what the wreath looks like. I might paint the wick of the candles yellow to pretend they are lit!

I also get the "Christmas bug" showing up during summer 😄

[keeperofthepast]

Oct 19, 2023 17:28:59 GMT -5 Fiora said:

Oct 19, 2023 13:10:28 GMT -5 keeperofthepast said:

I'd love to help you out, Fiora, but my daughter sold that outfit years ago. I just added that comment recently to the reviews as I had found that comment about the number of candles in a library Christmas book when I posted it. Yes, I look at Christmas books in the summer. The best part of the set is the tray with the St. Lucia buns etc. We both have the tray set.

I did a quick guess measure on a doll and I think the wreath must have been around seven inches in diameter. I've seen homemade ones of faux evergreen that fit more tightly to Kirsten's head and look far better. I would just do that with small faux berries, and straight white birthday candles.

Thanks! Yeah I thought about using birthday candles that should work well. Then, the ribbon for the bows will be easy peasy. I had guessed a 8" diam. at the most. I might make a post and see if a member who has it would respond. I'm glad there are very clear pics on this review, easy to see what the wreath looks like. I might paint the wick of the candles yellow to pretend they are lit!

I also get the "Christmas bug" showing up during summer 😄

Yes, ask here on the board. Many members certainly have it. The wick should be yellow. I always wondered why they were painted red. Kirsten's collection is really sweet. I ended up buying quite a bit of it for two other dolls.