Angel Decorations Made Using Wall Paper

Completed angels: The first angel has wings that are pleated. The second angel has a heart for wings.

SUPPLIES:
BODY - Wall paper - 3" x 12"
WINGS - Wall Paper - 1- 4" x 8" strip for Heart Wings OR
1 strip - 4" x 6" for Pleated Wings
Pre-gathered lace - 4"
Ribbon - 2 - 12" thin pieces
Wooden Bead - 1 x 1" with flat bottom(for head)
Small amount of curly hair
4" strand of beads for Angel with pleated wings
Small piece of foiled covered wire for halo
Glue Gun
Fine Tipped Black Felt Pen (to make face)
Q-tip to apply blush to cheeks (optional)

To make an Angel with heart shaped wings, you will need to fold the 4" x 8" strip of wallpaper in half, so you have a 4" square. Glue it together and after it has dried cut a heart that measures approximately 4" across and 3 1/2" in depth.

Pleat the 3" x 12" piece of wallpaper so it has an accordion effect. Crease each pleat really well. The straight edge needs to be at the back at the beginning and end of pleating, so you may find you need to trim a piece off. You can either use white craft glue, placing a small amount on each side of the pleat, then secure with a Bulldog clip until it dries, or use a glue gun dabbing the folds front and back - secure for a couple of minutes until set. If you are using Pleated Wing, after pleating, you will need to use a small dab of glue in the centre of each pleat. Once dried the wings should fan out at each end.



If you are using the Heart for your wings, take the piece of gathered lace and glue around the top of the pleated wallpaper. Then using a glue gun, run a bead of hot glue down the centre of the heart and glue at the back of the pleated section as shown.

For Angel with pleated wings, using your glue gun, run a bead along to top of the pleated body and press the centre of the pleated wings into the glue.
For either Angel use your glue gun and glue the flat end of the wooden ball, then press it firm onto the centre of the Pleated wings as shown, or press it onto the gathered lace of the Angel with the heart wings.
Using your felt pen make a face on the angel, if desired. Take your q-tip, put some blush on the end then rub it in circles under the eye area, for highlighted cheeks. Take your curly hair twisting it tightly then put some glue on the underside and glue to the top of the wooden bead. Take a thin piece of ribbon or gold thread, knot it and glue into the centre of the hair area, so you will be able to hang your angel. With the piece of foil covered wire, make a loop and twist it to form a ring. Run a bead of glue on one edge of the ring and stick it on the hair to form a halo. Glue beads and/or ribbon under the Angel's head and you are finished.

TIP: I used fancy paper scissors to create a fancy edge at the bottom of my angels, before I pleated them.

These are simple and inexpensive decorations which can be assembled for pennies to use for the upcoming holiday season. They make great tree ornaments or they can even be used as package decorations! Check with your local wallpaper store to find discontinued wallpaper books that are given away for free! They are absolutely essential to making crafts for next to nothing! Happy crafting!

Make Greeting Cards using Scraps from Wallpaper

Here is a picture of three greeting cards I made using borders I took from discontinued Wall Paper Books. I picked the books up from one of our local Paint and Paper stores





 

These are a couple of borders with prints that I cut out and glued onto patterned wallpaper to make my card.






This picture shows one of the pictures cut out and matched with the piece I used for the card.







Here is the inside of the card. I have taken a piece of coloured computer paper and glued it on the inside of the card to cover the printing of the wallpaper. On another border print I found, I cut off the thin edge that was dark blue with stars on it and glued it at the top of the blank page.

On this card, I used the entire border print for the outside of my card. I cut a piece of complimentary coloured computer paper with decorative paper scissors leaving a border of about 1/4" and then it inside my card. After making your cards, you will need an envelope. I used an old envelope that my cards would fit in and carefully open the seams. I have marked the top and bottom of my template as I want to make sure when I trace it onto the wallpaper I use, there is no writing showing on the top flap. After I have folded in the flaps, I use a glue stick on the side flaps. If I'm mailing the envelope, I scotch tape over the top flap.

If you plan on making a lot of cards with envelopes, I would suggest you take the heavier inserts from your wallpaper book, that show finished rooms and trace your envelope onto that, otherwise the paper template gets pretty ragged and difficult to work with. These heavier pieces are also great to use when you are gluing to prevent getting your work surface covered in glue.



Using my envelope template, I have traced it on the backside of a plain piece of wallpaper. Notice the flap (far right) does not have any writing on it. It makes it look nicer when someone is opening the card if there is no writing showing. Most wallpaper books have plain off white pages, and these are what I use for my envelopes, however any pages will work and you can always attach a label if you are mailing it, so the address shows clearly.




Here are 3 finished cards with envelopes. Except for the inside of the cards where I used purchased coloured computer paper, everything has been made with wallpaper.


You are only limited by your imagination with the variety of cards you can create.