Making Christmas Angels


by Catherine Fournier

These are easy Christmas tree decorations, to sew together and hang on your tree. Each one can look a little different by changing the fabric you use, and the angle of the wings, feet and head.

finished angelimage

They can be sewn together by hand or by machine, with a simple running stitch (up and down) a 'whip' stitch (over and over the edge) or a blanket stitch (interlocking 'L' shapes over the edge.) The angels can also be glued together with white glue.

Print and cut out the pattern pieces shown below. If you want, you can make them larger.

Collect together some fabric scraps, a nice colour for the angel's dress, white or gold or lacy for the wings, a skin colour for her head and feet, yellow or brown for her hair. (If you want, the angel's hair can be strands of yarn sewn or glued on instead of fabric)

Cut out the fabric according to the directions on the pattern pieces.

First, pin the head and feet pieces between the two body pieces at an angle that you like. Sew or glue the body pieces together, making sure that you catch the feet and head in your stitching.

Next, pin the wing pieces onto the body piece, one wing piece on each side. If you have cut out four wing pieces, because your fabric is a bit thin or floppy, put two wings together to make one wing piece and sew them together first, then attach it to the body. Do the same with the other pair of wing pieces.

Then put hair on your angel. You can pin the hair pieces on either side of the head and sew them on the same way you have sewn on the wings, or you can attach strands of yarn or embroidery cotton along the top edge of the angel's head and let it hang down.

Finally, take a piece of yarn or embroidery cotton about 8" long and thread it on a needle. Between the wings, near the angel's 'shoulders' push the needle through the angel's body and draw half the thread through. Pull the needle off the thread and tie the two ends of thread together into a strong knot.

Hang up your angel and make another one!

angel pattern pieces

Next week, I'll show you how to make a bigger angel to put at the top of the tree or on a table top (unless your little brother still wrecks things, in which case you should put it on the top of a bookcase.)

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