The Picture Perfect Theme is... ~Handmade~

Welcome to

P I C T U R E P E R F E C T

...oOo...

There is no greater symbol of the Filipino Christmas spirit than the parol.

Parol was derived from the Spanish word farol, the lantern in the shape of a five- pointed star representing the Star of Bethlehem is found hanging in homes, businesses, along the streets and in churches throughout the Philippines.

"The parol is a symbol of hope, a struggle of the light and dark,"

...oOo...

The theme this week is

'HANDMADE'

It is usually a school project (to make parols). Then it became more commercialized, and many people started making them as a small business. In the rural areas, people don't buy them, they make them, and because they're poor, they'll use whatever they have for materials.

The basic parol is made of two stars of bamboo sticks that are joined at the corners. The two stars are pulled apart and braced with small sticks to make the parol three-dimensional. Before covering the star in cellophane, many people insert lights.

And here it is how to make a PAROL:

Making a parol takes about four hours. If you want to string lights inside, do so between steps 6 and 8.

Step 1: Gather materials.

-- 10 12-inch pieces of bamboo

-- 20 6-inch pieces of string

-- 5 2-inch pieces of bamboo

-- 5 small rubber bands

-- glue stick

-- glue gun with hot glue sticks

-- scissors

-- 22 5 1/2-by-5 1/2 square pieces of colored cellophane

-- 1 bell

-- cut-out paper tassels and tinsel garland

Step 2: Tying the bamboo. Tie two pieces of bamboo together at one end, forming a V shape. Make four pairs. (When tying, cross ends of bamboo sticks, lay string under cross so ends lie at 3 and 9 o'clock; pull up ends, cross them and pull them under bamboo cross at 12 and 6 o'clock to tie securely.)

Step 3: Take two pairs and crisscross them, guiding the end of one under and over the two ends of the other and doing the opposite with the other end, going over and under instead. Tie the two pairs together at one end only. Take a single piece of bamboo and tie it to both of the other ends. Adjust pieces to make an even-shaped star.

Step 4: Repeat steps 3 and 4 to create another star frame.

Step 5: Fasten frame. Put one frame over the other and join the five points with rubber bands. Make sure joints are securely fastened.

Step 6: Form the parol. Insert the 2-inch pieces of bamboo at each of the five cross sections in the middle of the parol. Use the glue gun to secure the 10 joints. Let glue dry.

Step 7: Add the bell. Tie the bell with a piece of string from the top point of the parol. Do not allow the bell to hang loosely. A swinging bell may damage the cellophane.

Step 8: Add cellophane. Using the glue stick, begin gluing sheets of cellophane over the parol frame. Go crazy with decoration. Use doilies, stickers, glitter, tinsel garland or whatever works.

Step 9: Add fringe and tassel. Attach two decorative paper tassels of your choice to the bottom points. Glue fringe to the top and side points of the parol.