Classic Wreathed Parol

These Wreathed Parol Earrings were a year in the making! I first had the idea for this design last year, but my beading skills then weren't up to scratch. A year later I finally have the skills to execute this design! I learned a new stitch technique to achieve the ruffled look of the beaded wreath that surrounds the star. I am so, so very proud of this design! It took over 6 hours to get the look just right – so worth it!

Every Christmas, homes and buildings all over the country are adorned with parols, star-shaped lanterns which represent the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three kings to find the baby Jesus.

The word parol comes from the Spanish farol, which means 'lantern'. During the Spanish colonial period, the lanterns were used to light the way of the nine-day Christmas novena procession. At the time, the parol was a simple rectangular or oblong shape. It wasn't until the American colonial period that it acquired its iconic five-pointed star shape, which inspired this collection.