Craft a Dove Chrismon, Symbolic of The Holy Spirit

Above is a side view of a White Chrismon Dove. This particular dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. If I were to include a olive branch in it's mouth it would symbolize a peace dove. Both dove types are frequently found on Chrismon trees during the holiday season.

      In Christian Iconography, a dove also symbolizes the Holy Spirit, in reference to Matthew 3:16 

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

and Luke 3:22 

²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

where the Holy Spirit is compared to a dove at the Baptism of Jesus. 

      The early Christians in Rome incorporated into their funerary art the image of a dove carrying an olive branch, often accompanied by the word "Peace". It seems that they derived this image from the simile in the Gospels, combining it with the symbol of the olive branch, which had been used to represent peace by the Greeks and Romans. 

      The dove and olive branch also appeared in Christian images of Noah's ark. The fourth century Vulgate translated the Hebrew alay zayit (leaf of olive) in Genesis 8:11 as ramum olivae (branch of olive). By the fifth century, Augustine of Hippo wrote in On Christian Doctrine that, "perpetual peace is indicated by the olive branch (oleae ramusculo) which the dove brought with it when it returned to the ark."

      Just right are detailed photos of my masked, dove ornament taking shape. I used thin sheets of newsprint from an old telephone book to shape and masking tape to shape this little Chrismon dove. Notice at the top, I also taped into the tail, toothpicks for strength. 

      Afterwards I glued onto this little dove, a series of layered cupcake liners to form the wings, tail and body of my Chrismon. Then I shaped a simple beak from air-dry clay and glued it onto the dove. And, last, I added sequins and beads to form it's eyes. Listed below are the supplies that you will need to collect for this Chrismon ornament craft.

• masking tape
• newsprint
• white glue
• sequins and beads for eyes
• air-dry clay for the dove's beak
• toothpicks
• white cupcakes liners

      Just above, is a photo of the cupcake liners that I used for this Chrismon craft. I saved them from a package of cookies that I had consumed the night before. If you recycle the clean packaging that so much of our food stuffs are packed in, art projects such as these will cost you very little to make. All total, this project probably cost me less than a penny to craft, believe it or not.

My Holy Spirit, paper mache dove, pictured from the top and also straight on.
Note how the tissue cupcake liners are layered and fringed to give the simple
paper mache figure a feather-like appearance.