How to Make a Cardboard Angel

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to decorate for the holidays. Instead, use a little creativity and some scrap items you may have around the house. You can make some beautiful angel ornaments for your Christmas tree or to place on shelves. Children and adults will have fun making these cardboard craft angels, and they also make great gifts.

Lay the foam sphere on newspaper. Brush tack glue onto a wooden craft stick and push about 1 inch of the stick into the sphere. Push the other end of the craft stick into a piece of clay, or into a cup filled with dried beans or pebbles, so that it stands up.

Spray paint the sphere with an acrylic, flesh-colored paint. Use more than one coat if needed, allowing it to dry after each coat.

Paint facial features on the sphere using acrylic paints and a fine craft brush. Glue yarn "hair" to the top of the sphere using tack glue or a hot glue gun. Trim the yarn with scissors to make it even.

Take a silver or gold pipe cleaner. Curve one end of the pipe cleaner into a circle to serve as a halo, with the other end extending down to the top of the angel's head. Push the end of the pipe cleaner into the top of the head so the halo is positioned above the scalp.

Take the craft stick out of the clay or beans. Place it into a cardboard toilet paper tube.

Arrange the craft stick so the angel's head is about ½ inch over the top of the tube. Tape the end of the craft stick securely to the inside of the tube.

Punch a hole with the scissors on each side of the tube. Thread a pipe cleaner through the two holes to represent the angel’s arms.

Lay some scrap fabric, tissue wrapping paper or felt over the cardboard tube. Glue the scrap fabric around the top of the tube so it hangs and flows over the angel’s body.

Push the top round part of the toilet paper roll flat, near the angel’s neck, and glue the two sides of the cardboard roll together so they remain closed.

Spread out the angel's arms. Bend the tip of each arm upward for hands. Arrange the scrap fabric over the arms like a poncho. Trim fabric if necessary.

Bring the angel’s arms around the front. Put hands together into a prayer position, or glue a small paper rectangle to them, folded in the shape of a book.

Cut out two wing shapes from scrap cardboard. Paint the wings white or silver, or cover them with white craft feathers if desired. Trim with more gold or silver pipe cleaners around the edges by gluing with tack glue or a glue gun.

Staple or use a page fastener to fasten the wings to the back of the angel’s body, making sure they are even.