How to… make a Fabric Scrap Angel (Guest Post)

Welcome to this week “Fabric Scarp Angel” a lovely Christmas Ornament… now I love love love this little angel ornament for several reasons: Firstly.. it is recycled. You know me and recycling, there are so many “bits and pieces around the home” that really can be put to good use and it is great when you make something cute and pretty out what is deemed rubbish. Secondly.. this post was sent in by a reader! Yes, that is right, a friend’s friend is a crafty old so and so and asked if she could do a guest post… Thirdly… the this friend, Zoe, is only 13years old!  Isn’t that something? When I was that age, crafting was a big part of my life. I loved making all sorts of things, and I loved it even more when others recognised and got see it. I think it is fabulous that  a 13 year old, who has never written a blog post or a craft instructions before is able to come up with something this cute and share it with you. I hope you like too. Read on and be inspired.

 

 

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Materials: A small square (15 to 20cm square) of material preferably with a Christmas theme, small amounts of either white or flesh coloured material, plus a  15 to 20 cm square of  white material, 5cm of red and gold ribbon, needle, cotton, pinking shears, brown or yellow wool, an average sized bowl or round template

Step 1: Cut Dress: Use template aprox 15cm diameter to make a circle on the back of the “Christmas” fabric for the dress of your angel. Cut this out with pinking shears, this will prevent the fabric from fraying, and will create a decorative edge.

Step 2: Arms & Hands: Cut 3cm by 7 cm rectangle from your white or skin coloured fabric again, use the pinking shears,  roll up the fabric on the longest side, to create a roll of fabric about 1cm wide. Sew the long edge to stop it unrolling. Use running stitch or backstitch. Fold over the ends of the roll, sew up to make “hands”.

Step 3: Head: Cut a 5cm by 5cm square from the white / skin fabric, put some stuffing / scraps into the middle, sew around a circle, pull tight to make the head ball.

Step 4: Combine Arms & Head: Sew the head and arms together to look like the above.

Step 5:Add Skirt: Cut a hole in the middle of the Christmas fabric circle just big enough to pull the head through, and two smaller holes either side to pull the arms through. It should now look like the above.

Step 6: Put more scraps into the “chest” of the angel, hold in place by a waist ribbon or a small piece of the dress material. Some stitches may be necessary to stop the “chest” falling out. Putting in the waist ribbon will make the skirt of the dress, putting the gathers to the back will make a “straight” skirt, a fuller skirt can be made by putting the gathers at the front, play with it until you are happy with the shape.

Step 7: Wings: Using Pinking shears cut out a yellow or white circle using the same size template as used for the dress material. Cut in half, and put around the angels arms/shoulders, sew in place from the back. The other half of the material can be cut in half again, folded in half and used to make fuller wings.

Step 8: Hair: using the brown or yellow wool, cut into short lengths and sew onto the angels head. If you sew in a spiral pattern going down the sides it will look like plaits.  Make the loose ends of the wool into a bun, and stitch into the back of the neck, or leave loose, but make sure it is firmly in place.

Step 9: Halo: use a short length of gold ribbon to make a halo, a couple of stitches at the back of the head will hold it in place, let the front of the halo sit in place.

Step 10: Face: This can be left blank, embroidered on, or drawn on with fine felt pens

Step 11: Hanging: Make a loop of thick cotton, or ribbon. Stitch firmly into the back of the head and hang it up on your tree!

Extra’s – lace at the angels wings, or around her neck, glitter on the wings.

Larger versions (without wings) can be made as “rag dolls”.

Now.. what do you think? Isn’t Zoe simply the craftiest teenager around? Thank you so much for sharing your little angel and rag doll idea on Red Ted Art!