Coffee Filter Angel

Christmas in Saudi Arabia is a little different than in the States.  Here it isn't so easy to find anything that has to do with the holiday, and if you DO find it, it's usually ridiculously expensive and not really worth your money - unless you just can't wait and are totally desperate. 

So this year I am finding myself MAKING a lot of our Christmas decor.  It has been really fun, and actually sort of therapeutic for me.  I get these ideas and I just go with them. 

Paul and I decided not to bring most of our Christmas stuff with us when we moved here because of the relgious laws and restrictions on anyone non-muslim.  We didn't want to risk losing our precious ornaments and other things. Long story short, we had nothing to decorate with for the holidays.

So last year there was a lovely group of women who put together a sale for new people. I went, spent some money on a few things (knowing I would eventually get all my stuff from the States and bring it back) and I entered a raffle to win a tree. 

I won a tree!  I was able to find a few ornament type things at a local craft store and I tied some ribbons on them and called it good.  Being 9 months pregnant and having a 2 year old who is excited easily it was enough. 

This year is different. We didn't get a chance to go through our things on repat so we still had nilch.  We have a three year old who is beginning to understand the season and what Christmas is all about. 

So... I had to idea to make a homemade angel for the top of the tree - among many other homemade things.

I started with a plastic ball, two plastic knives, a paper cup, a plastic cup and my trusty glue gun.  I LOVE my glue gun. 

I began kind of late, and these guys wanted to hang out with me.  It took me until about 1 am to finish so this is what they did while I was working...

Here is the finished product!  I painted the ball with some acrylic paint, added some doll hair, and used coffee filters to make the dress, halo, and wings.  A few other random things like left over hard dough from our homemade ornaments and some felt and fake plant leaves and ribbon helped add some finishing touches.

Here she is on the tree. I am really pleased with how she turned out.  It really completes the tree and it makes the holidays and our home even more special this time of year.

My angel has brown hair because most of the angels in my life have brown hair... my mom, my daughters, my sisters, my best friends... it just made sense.