Row 1 ~ Trim and Prepare
the Ornament Pieces
Row 2 ~ Assemble the Scrap
Angel and Dresden Pieces
Row 3 ~ Complete the Angel
with a Spun Glass Skirt
When assembling these
pieces, we recommend that you use a "tacky" white glue-all, because it makes it easier to shift them a bit for perfect positioning.
The two celestial halo Dresdens used for this ornament are the small and medium sizes.
To make the hanging loop for the ornament, cut a 2½" long piece of gold bullion wire. Using your jewelry pliers, and starting in about ½", twist both ends of the wire together.
Next, attach the wire hanger to the wings. Bend the wire up ½" from the end, and insert it through the loop on the wings. Bend the wire end back down again to secure. Lightly press on the connection with the pliers to tighten. The hanger will be just about ¾" high.
First, glue the angel scrap head onto the small silver Dresden halo as shown, then glue on the fancy star silver Dresden for the "collar."
Glue the angel scrap piece onto the Dresden wings. The colored wings of the angel scrap should just touch the top curve of the Dresden wings.
To complete this top section of the advent angel, glue on the medium-size Dresden celestial halo so that 6 rays will show.
This assembled angel scrap head and Dresden piece should measure just a bit under 1½" high, from halo to bodice.
To prepare the spun glass tail, you will need to fan it out. Hold the pointed end of the tail in one hand, then gently tap the spun glass onto the extended index finger of your other hand. This is a fast and easy way to create a wider fan shape, that has more evenly-spaced fibers. Clean off any loose glass fibers.
You are now ready to attach the paper angel section to the skirt. Using a hot glue gun, dab just a small drop of the hot glue on the point of the skirt, then quickly position the angel piece. The completed advent angel should be about 2¾" high.
A nice finishing touch is to add a Dresden star to the back -- and you're done! You now have a lovely ornament that is ready to hang on your tree.
• Design Tips •
from our Artists
Instructions for a Crepe Paper Skirt:
If you prefer not to work with spun glass, or if you're crafting these ornaments with children, then why not make a skirt out of crepe paper? It's easy to do, and you can easily create color coordinated advent angel ornaments to match any Christmas tree theme. For the top-quality crepe paper used to make these angels, shop our
Crepe Paper Collection >
Make a Silver Advent Angel:
These angel ornaments are just as pretty with silver wings -- all you have to do is to reverse the colors of the Dresden trims!
To make a gathered skirt, cut a piece of crepe paper that is 2½" high by 5" wide, with the grain running vertically. Roll the strip into a circle, with the ends overlapping by ¼". Lightly tack the ends together with the seam in the back of the skirt. Gather the doubled strip into even pleats. Add glue at the top to secure the gathers; let dry before using.
Add Fancy Embellishments:
Want to create a more intricately decorated Victorian angel ornament? Just add different combinations of die-cut Dresden trimmings to create your own one-of-a-kind advent angels.
Working with Spun Glass:
Spun glass is just that -- super-fine filaments of glass that are spun on a special machine. Some of our artists can handle spun glass without any problems, but other artists will only craft with it while wearing latex gloves. Always remember to cover your work area with a large sheet of disposable paper to catch any loose glass filaments.
Spun glass has a beautiful, silky sheen, but that also means that it is quite unforgiving. If you get bits of glue or any residue on the spun glass, it is absolutely impossible to clean off! For that reason, take care to make sure that your hands are clean of glue at all times.
Spun glass is not a product that is suitable for young children. If you want to craft these angel ornaments with your little ones, the instructions shown at left for making the crepe paper skirts are easy enough for any skill level.
