Somehow I came across a YouTube video that showed how to make these little paper angels, and I couldn’t resist trying them!
The person in the video uses origami paper, which I can see would make things a little easier since it is thin, so I thought I should try designer paper rather than cardstock. I pulled out some retired designer paper, not knowing if this attempt was going to be a success on the first try or not! But I think it turned out pretty well! I was not nearly as perfect and precise as the person in the video and there are no measurements in English. So I had to wing it!
I started with a piece of designer paper that was 5″ x 5″ and cut it in half because the angel is made with two halves glued together. My first attempt was the white angel on the right. I scored the length of that paper every 1/4″ and accordion-folded it. That’s pretty narrow, but it does make the angel look a little fuller in the end. The green angel is scored at 1/2″. After accordion-folding you have to fold down a portion to make the angel wings. That’s really the hard part because the paper is quite bulky then. But it can be done.
You could use narrow ribbon for this next part of making the angel hanger and gluing the two halves together, but in following the origami video I just cut a very narrow slice of Whisper White cardstock. You will see in the video, but make a loop for the top and then the ends get adhered between the two halves, forming the angel body. On the first angel, I also made the bow out of a very narrow strip of paper. On the second I just used ribbon.
After gluing the two halves together, you also add a dab of glue under those wings to attach them to the body. Then you can “fluff” the accordion folds to make the skirt and the wings. For this size angels, I just punched 4 “faces” with the 1″ Circle Punch. That loop that forms the hanger can be flattened out down by the angel so you can glue the angel face onto both the front and the back with the loop in between.
Maybe you have made these angels as a child. They are easy and fun to make and you can make them as fancy or plain as you like! Just a little something for the holidays to decorate a package or make as an ornament. Just have some fun trying the angels!
Here is the video I watched to learn how to make them: