I think I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I have a Box Buddy.  It’s a fabulous concept where two people who don’t know each other at all (other than to have met through Dollar Tree’s Facebook page) agree to swap crafting supplies for a complete project each month. My Box Buddy is wonderful, hailing from Pennsylvania — and through the hectic-ness of the holidays, the snow, the ice, and whatever else happens in those parts of the country during this time of the year — she has faithfully mailed me new craft projects.

I, on the other hand, have allowed life to interfere and haven’t been a good Box Buddy back to her. But I’m going to make up for that, and she’ll soon be receiving all the supplies needed for her new craft real soon.

In the meantime, I’m going to share the most recent project she sent to me, just before the holidays. It’s so cute that if I were you, I’d definitely save this idea and use it for Christmas 2018. Or maybe you’d like to make a pink one and give it to your sweet honey for Valentine’s Day!

Supplies:

White styrofoam cone (about 8-inches tall), one white feathered boa, one set of angel wings, one gold plastic ornament (about 1 1/2-inches in diameter), rocks, white felt, gold wire, and two gold pipe cleaners. Optional – small instruments, white scrapbook paper. And you will need scissors, wire clippers, and hot glue gun.

All of the supplies came from Dollar Tree. The total cost for one angel with the optional items is less than $6, but you need to buy a full sleeve of ornaments and a full package of pipe cleaners. The total time it took to make one angel was less than 45-minutes. I don’t recommend this for small children because of the use of the hot glue gun.

Okay, ready?

The first thing to do is to remove the plastic wrap from around the styrofoam cone. I tried making one without removing it and eventually everything fell off, so don’t make the same mistake I made. Then, because the angel wings are so heavy, you’ll need to weight down the front side of the angel by hollowing out a hole at the wide end of the foam (that will be the bottom), and filling it with rocks. If you don’t do this, the angel won’t stand — it will fall over. The way to fill the hole with rocks is to first fill the hole with hot glue, then smash in the rocks, making sure they don’t stick out of the hole at all.

Next, take a small square of white felt, trace around the bottom of the cone, and glue it on. (I used some self-sticking felt that I already had.)

Now it’s time to attach the white feathered boa. There are tags and string ends that need to be cut off, first. Then put a glob of hot glue onto one end of the boa and press it into the top of the foam cone. Don’t press it with your fingers – you’ll burn yourself. Use a toothpick or the top of your scissors. Wrap the boa tightly all the way around the foam cone until you reach the end of the boa and the bottom of the cone. Add some hot glue and attach it.

It looks like a big puff ball right now, but you’ll shape it up.

Remove the tags from the angel wings. Remembering that where you have glued the rocks is the front of the angel, feel around the top of the back side of the angel for some space between the rows of feathers and put a big glob of hot glue there, then press in the angel wings. Hold in place until the glue is completely dry. No cheating. It must be dry to move on.

Once the glue is completely dry, then you’ll do the same thing at the bottom of the wings, gluing them to the foam.

So, here’s a huge mistake I made — Without realizing it, I pressed the end of my glue gun down into the foam, causing it to burn a large hole into my cone. Because the cones are so fragile, the top broke off and I had to start over. Here’s a photo of my boo-boo.

See the hole? Yikes! Okay, don’t do that!

Because of the fluffiness of these feathers, it’s difficult to see the angel wings, so take a moment to trim away some of the feathers. You’ll be able to see the wings much better when you get it all trimmed up. In fact, you may trim it more when you’ve finished your project. Now, take your glue gun and lightly press the end of it into the top of the cone, making a very small hole to insert the ornament for the head. Fill the hole with glue and insert the gold ornament. Hold in place until completely dry.

Using a gold pipe cleaner, form a halo and glue it in place.

I think they’re cute as they are, but my sweet Box Buddy also sent me trumpets and instructions on how to make arms. So, here we go. Cut two pieces of wire about 6-inches long. Fold down in half, twisting together and leaving a loop at the folded end to be the hand. Insert the arms into the foam, on the front side of the angel. (the side with the rocks)

Glue the trumpet to the head of the angel, where its mouth would be, and glue the hands to the trumpet to make it look like the angel is holding it. Or, you can make a choir book out of a small piece of cardstock and glue it in place.

You could make a whole choir and orchestra!

I’m very grateful to my Box Buddy for her patience with me and for this craft project. I’m actually going to put choir books in the arms of both of my angels, because both my mother and my sister had the voices of angels.

Although from two different generations, growing up they each sang competitively and came home with honors and medals. I remember walking home from school and hearing my  mother singing from down the street. And my sister would break out in song when she heard something she recognized on the shopping mall’s Muzak stations. She didn’t care who heard her; she knew she was a nightingale.

Have fun with your angels and let me know how you do.