Here
is a list of things you will need to do this project: |
hot
glue gun |
scissors |
pliers
|
silk
or plastic flower (I usually use roses) |
wide
ribbon (3 inch wired works best) |
narrow
ribbon in colors matching the flower |
small
angel wings |
small
doll head (wired) |
arms
(left and right) |
To
make the body: |
|
cut
a 3 inch strip of the 3 inch ribbon to make a square |
|
cut
the square in half lengthwise |
|
make
a tube with one of the halves to form the bodice (I usually
narrow one end to imitate a waistline.) |
To
make the sleeves: |
|
cut
the other half of the ribbon lengthwise at a slight diagonal
so that you have 2 fairly even strips of ribbon with a wide
and a narrow side. the Wider side needs to be approx. an inch
long and the narrow should measure about half an inch |
|
using
the hot glue gun, run a narrow bead of glue around the wrist
of an arm and glue the narrow end of one of the ribbon pieces
(diagonal cut towards the thumb)around it to form a tube |
|
continue
to secure the ribbon up the arm until the arm is completely
covered by ribbon. The wider side should be slightly open forming
a "V" |
|
repeat
for the other arm |
Putting
it all together: |
|
If
the flower has a stem remove it leaving only the silk part of
the flower. |
|
Run
a bead of glue around the narrow end of the bodice, and stick
it to the stem side of the flower. |
|
The
backside of your angel is the part of the bodice with the hot-glue
seam. Trim the wide side of the sleeves to a length where your
angel won't have ape-like arms, and attach to the very center
of the upper part of the back of the bodice. If you've done
it right, you should be able to bend the arm and touch the waist
with the hand. The arms are really the toughest part to do,
so experiment and take your time. Remember that anything hot-glued
on can be easily pulled off. |
|
Once
you have both arms attached, then you can attach the wings.
Just glue them right on top of where you just glued the sleeves.
There, wasn't that easy? |
|
now
you get to put on the head. the wire on the head is usually
about twice as long as you need. if you want to attach something
to the bottom of the skirt (Bells are nice on a wreath) then
just poke it on through where the stem used to be on the flower,
going through the tube that made up the bodice, until it comes
out the bottom side. Else, cut off about half of the wire and
poke it through. |
|
attach
the head to the back of the bodice with a bead of hot glue.
Coil any extra wire with a pair of pliers so it's not noticeable
on the bottom of the skirt. |
|
now
take that narrow ribbon (or narrow lace is nice) and cut off
about a 2 inch strip. |
|
flatten
the top side of the bodice so it looks like a torso. |
|
glue
the ribbon side to side on the top inside of the bodice and
in front of the head to cover the spot where the shoulders should
be. That way you don't have a gaping hole. I've also filled
it with glittery hot glue. It made a nice effect) |
|
now
cut off about 3 inch strip of ribbon and attach it around the
waist to cover the glue and you're done |
Hints
and Ideas:
Here's some tips. I like to brush the doll's hair and make a little
headband out of ribbon to hold it back. I've made some interesting
variations on this for Fall using Autumn leaves instead of wings
and Fall-type flowers for skirts. I call them my "Fall Fairies".
Each of my little angels has her own personalities. Depending on
what type of angel she is, a few of those tiny decorative flowers
in her hands or maybe a doll's mirror if she looks like she might
be vain, might be nice. Tiny teddy bears or miniature food items
might sometimes be appropriate. Remember, there's nothing that covers
a bad sleeve job better than a big bouquet of tiny flowers. I hope
you have fun with this craft and let me know how it turns out. If
you're having any trouble with it, let
me know and I'll be glad to help you.
|