Angel Tree Topper

Here’s my final piece for this nativity tree. The one problem with doing themed trees is that a beautiful angel topper doesn’t usually fit. But with a nativity theme? There’s no way I was missing my chance.

This angel is another version of a paper twist doll just like the nativity we made here, and the angels we made here, but this one has a couple of twists that make it work as a tree topper.

A tree topper, first and foremost, needs a way to stay on the top of the tree. And traditionally, that’s through a cone that is underneath the angel’s skirt and fits over the topmost tree branch. For my angel I picked up a plastic dollar store vase to do that job. I used a 2″ bead topper for the angel’s head, and cut a piece of dowel to about four inches to be the right size for her chest.

After painting the angel’s face and hair on, I used hot glue to stick the dowel to her head, and then a whole lot more hot glue to stick the dowel into the crevice at the bottom of the face. I held it in place until the glue got hard so she stayed standing up nice and straight.

Just as we did for the other paper twist dolls, we’ll need to make arms and a set of sleeves. The arms are 12″ long, rolled up tight with a wire inside, and this time, since this angel is bigger, I glued a couple of wooden beads onto the end for her hands. The sleeves are 10″ long and glued into a tube.

Glue the sleeves onto the angels body. I also made her a halo and glued it in place, just as we did for the little version of the angels.

The bottom of the vase makes the angels waist way way thicker than any other part of her, so wrap some paper twist around and around her torso in a figure 8 pattern until she looks a little more proportional.

The cone of the vase needs a lot more covering up than any of the framework of our other figures, so I used it as an opportunity to make a huge billowing skirt for our angel. Start by gluing on five pieces of natural colored paper twist, each 8″ long.

Add another layer of skirt in a rose color by gluing on five more pieces of paper twist, also each 8″ long.

Now we can start adding the top layer of the skirt by gluing on eight pieces of cream colored paper twist, each 9″ long. When we’re done with the skirt the vase should be completely covered and the rose and tan of the underskirts should just peak through the layers.

Create the bodice by cutting two pieces of cream paper twist, each 24 inches long, and wrapping one piece over each shoulder. Wrap some gold colored wire around the waist as a belt, and to hold the bodice in place.

Make the wings in the same manner we did for the small angels. I made these ones out of the natural colored paper twist because I liked the stronger contrast against the cream of her gown. Cut four pieces of paper twist 8″ long. Hold two pieces together and cut them in the shape of half a heart, then glue a piece of wire in the top of one of the pieces.

Glue the other piece on top to cover up the wire.

Then glue two wings to her back.

Every year when I complete a new tree I am both sick to death of the theme, and totally in love with the finished project. And every year I say that no tree could measure up. I’m so pleased with how this tree turned out, it gets oohs and aahs from everyone who has been by the house. It’s both a homespun expression of my faith, and a majestic celebration. I hope that I’ve offered you some inspiration in your own Christmas decorating.