Pattern to Make a Paper Angel

Paper angels make good holiday crafts for children and can be used to decorate a home during the Christmas season. You download templates of angels online or make your own freehand by looking at example illustrations. You may want a connected chain of paper angels or a single angel. The illustrations found in "References" provide a variety of angel images, ranging from detailed and more serious portrayals to more cartoonish depictions.

When looking for a good illustration to use as a template, decide if you will use the exact image or make your own freehand interpretation. To copy an image exactly, choose an image with strong, clear outlines. Details within the image may become lost, so it is more important to find an image whose silhouette, rather than illustrative details, strikes you. If the image exists online and does not have copyright restrictions, you can print the image directly.

Children’s picture books are also excellent resources. Find one at a local library or bookstore and make copies of the image, cut out the copy and trace onto poster board or cardboard to make a sturdy template for future use. You can also lay tracing paper on top of the original image and trace the outlines. Then, cut out the tracing paper silhouette and trace onto poster board or cardboard.

To freehand a template, study the original illustration carefully. Note the outlines and simple shapes that come together to make the final silhouette. Fold a piece of paper in half, vertically, and draw one side of the angel with pencil. Cut along your pencil marks and unfold, revealing a symmetrical figure.

You can make a chain of paper angels by folding a piece of paper accordion-style and drawing one half of an angel onto the top fold of paper. Use one half of an angel template created from the previous section. Be sure that a portion of the angel silhouette touches both sides of the folded paper, as these points of connection are what connect the chain. Let an arm or the bottom of the angel’s robe extend to the edge of the paper, appearing to interrupt the design. Cut around your pencil marks through all the folded paper at once and unfold, revealing a chain of angels.