Paper Bag Angel – The Idea Door

Supply	Quantity	Size
Tools: Wire cutters, ruler, glue gun, scissors
brown paper lunch bag	3
3” styrofoam ball	1
green crepe paper ribbon	1 piece	9” long
red crepe paper ribbon	1 piece	19” long
Spanish moss
gold star garland	1	10” piece for halo
gold star from garland	1	large
gold star from garland	1	small
flexible craft wire	1 roll
newspapers
cardboard	2 strips	8” x 2”
dried green alyssum	1 sprig	small
dried white alyssum	1 sprig	small

Step By Step Instructions

1. Open one paper bag and sit it upright on your work surface.
2. Cut 2 strips of cardboard 8” X 2”.
3. Fold the pieces of cardboard to match the corners of the brown bag.
4. Fit them inside the bottom of the paper bag on your work surface to create a strong base for your angel.
5. Stuff the bag with crumpled newspaper within 2” of the top of the lunch bag. This will be the body of the angel.
6. Loosely gather the paper bag above the newspaper you stuffed into the paper bag. Wrap the thin, flexible craft wire around the gathered area twice, cut the piece from the roll and twist the ends together. Fold the ends back toward the wire you already wrapped around the gathered area.
7. Carefully fold the top 2” of the brown paper bag over the wire you wrapped around the gathered area without ripping the bag. Just fold slowly and carefully and it is possible.
8. Cut open one side and the end of the second paper bag. Wrap the large piece around the Styrofoam ball and twist the ends below the ball. Wrap a piece of wire around the twisted paper at the base of the Styrofoam ball to keep the twisted brown paper in place. Cut the piece from the roll. Cut off the excess paper bag about an inch below the wire.
9. Squeeze a line of hot glue just inside the opening of the paper bag where you folded the ends over the wire. Quickly press the brown paper wrapped Styrofoam ball into it. Hold briefly in place to secure.
10. Separate an amount of Spanish moss you want to use for the hair. You should have enough to frame the face and cover the turned down edge at the back of the paper bag. Squeeze thin lines of glue from the front of the head to the back except for the face area. Press the Spanish moss quickly into the glue, it hardens fast so you have little time to arrange the hair once you’ve glued squeezed on the glue. Make sure it is covering the folded edge at the back. Squeeze a little more glue under the Spanish moss at the back to make sure it is attached to the head but leave some hanging to give your angel the appearance of long hair flowing at the back.
11. Cut a 10” piece of star garland from the roll for the halo. Make sure you have a large star with at least nine small stars in the 10” length. Arrange it in a circle on the Spanish moss hair with the large star at the front. Once you have the stars arranged as you would like them, squeeze a small drop of glue each star one at a time and press the stars back into the glue to secure them to the Spanish moss hair.
12. Cut 2 strips of brown paper bag 3”W X the length of the paper bag. Twist the strips into roughly a 5” length. Cut and wrap a 3” length of the craft wire around one end of each strip you twisted.
13. Squeeze a small amount of hot glue on the right side of the paper bag, underneath the folded over edge to the right of where the Styrofoam ball head is situated. Hold the wire wrapped end briefly in place until secure. Repeat the process using the other piece of twisted paper, this time to the left of where the Styrofoam ball head is situated. Hold the wire wrapped end briefly in place until secure.
14. Bend the arms towards the middle in a curve and squeeze a small drop of glue between the two pieces of paper where they meet. Hold briefly to secure but be careful you don’t burn your fingers on the glue because it is hot and may squeeze out past the paper. Squeeze a generous drop of hot glue underneath the middle of the two arms on the body of the angel and press the arms into the glue. Hold briefly to secure.
15. Cut a 9” long piece of green crepe paper ribbon. Form two loops and leave 2” for the ends hanging down. Hold the bow together in the middle with one hand and wrap the craft wire around the middle a few times with your other hand. Cut off the piece from the roll and make sure the end is wrapped around the middle. Cut the ends of the ribbon in 2 peaks with a point in the middle (like the tip of an arrow).
16. It is best to lay the angel face up on your work surface while gluing things on the front because it will be less likely the items you are gluing on will shift while you are working with them. Squeeze a small drop of hot glue on the middle of the arms where the hands meet. Press the 2 small pieces of dried alyssum into the hot glue. Next, squeeze a generous amount of glue on top of the stems. Press the middle of the ribbon into the glue. You need to do this quickly because the hot glue hardens quickly. Hold the ribbon briefly in place to secure. Cut a small gold star from your garland. Squeeze a small amount of hot glue in the center of the bow and press a small star from the garland into it.
17. After the green ribbon is complete, it is time to make the red crepe paper ribbon bow and glue it on. Turn your angel over so the angel is now face down on your work surface. Cut a 19” piece of red crepe paper ribbon. Make two loops in the red ribbon leaving ends hanging that measure 5” each. Wrap a piece of craft wire around the middle several times, cut off the piece from the roll and wrap the end around the bow. Squeeze a generous amount of glue just below the folded over edge and press the middle of the bow into it. Hold briefly to secure. The loops of the bow should be touching the folded over edge of the paper bag. The tips of the ends of the bow should touch the bottom edge of the paper bag. Cut the ends on a diagonal with the inner edge tips touching the bottom of the bag.
18. Cut a large star from the garland. Squeeze a generous amount of hot glue in the center of the bow and press the large star into it. Hold briefly to secure. Let dry.