Lacy Christmas Angel Tree Topper ~ DIY

Hi Sweet Friends,
What a Wonderful time of the Year! I love Christmas!! I enjoy the decorating and all the festivities that the Christmas Holiday brings! And each year I make some type of ornament or decorations to add to my Christmas Decorations. This year, since Hubby chose a Silver, Red & White Christmas Theme, I chose to make a new Angel. 

This project ranks on the hard side, but with patience and all the materials gathered ahead of time, I think even a novice craftsman could tackle this and do a fine job! So, that being said, here is my Christmas Angel of 2016. 

Materials Needed:
Premade Angel head & arms.
2 pipe cleaners
1 piece of flexible cardboard
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks
2 pcs felt- flesh color, to match the angel's skin color
1 pc 1/4 yard white fabric
10"x 6-8"wide strip of Bridal Applique lace for the wings and front of gown
trims, laces, ribbons & appliques (I used my Grandmother's antique laces, bridal laces, silver trims, Venetian  laces & appliques, antique floral appliques)
2 Silver sequined appliques for wings
pearl bead buttons

The premade Angel parts has directions on how to make the Angel in the package, but I adapted my directions for a more elaborate style. 
The directions give the fabric dimensions and instructions on how to cut the outfit. I chose to do mine a bit different. I was going with an old style layered dress vs. a tunic type of dress as per these instructions.

 If you choose, go ahead and make the angel like the package directs and then style your Angel with extra bits and bobbles to make it your own! If not, here are the directions to my tutorial.

Gather the materials needed, laces, ribbons, sequins, trims, buttons, etc.

I made a cone from the lace collar packaging above. Remove all plastic, staples, or clasps from the cardboard. Glue one of the long edges into a cone shape. Hot glue in place. Cut the bottom straight so that the angle will be able to stand straight.

Next, cover the "cone" just made with the flesh colored felt.
Hot glue in place, using the edge of the scissors to push and smooth edges.

See this left over space? -------->
Make a triangle to fit in the empty space, cut it out of the 2nd piece of felt. Like shown below.

Hot glue all the edges.

This will all be covered, so there is no "precise" measuring, just by eye.

When coming to the top of the cone, pull a little to make it fairly flat and smooth around the cone. Hot glue in place.

Again, the glue is hot.
Smooth down the seams with the edge of the scissors.

do the same thing towards the top of the cone.
Snip off the point of the felt to the length of the cone.

When standing the cone "body" up, it should look like this. Don't cut off the felt, but rather, turn under and hot glue to the inside of the cone.

Now to start the Angel's torso. Take the pipe cleaner, I could not find neutral, so red was available, press inside the body cavity, making a shape that will be glued in later.

Press outward to the arm areas.

Fold over tips to desired arm length.

Put hot glue inside arms like above. *HOT* the arms get extremely hot!!

Let the upper body sit & the glue cool.

Now, I added a piece of silver trim to the neckline and a flower motif. I then used a piece of wired cord for the halo.

Measure the piece on the head at desired area, cut a bit longer, and twist ends together like above.

Check fit on Angel's head before hot gluing.

Hot glue in place. Don't bend up yet; leave till the end to bend in final place as halo, as it is easier to work with if left down. 
Next, place body together for "test fit".

My angel was a bit tipsy to the left, so I just trimmed a bit of the point off the cone and placed her again to see how she set. Don't glue at this time.

Next the skirt, or tunic. I used the pattern on the box the porcelain pieces of the angel came in. I enlarged the top circle to drop it down as a skirt. I pleated the back to make it look full.

Leave the skirt on the body as shown. This makes a good upright model to created the dress.

Don't worry about perfection at this time, just make straight lines with the lace edge and trim off later. It was very early (1pm) when I started this project, so my cutting was not my normal fussiness.

Also, don't worry about the way the cape is cut, most of it is going to be covered by the bust of the angel. Trim if needed. This is the back. Hot glue the seams together. Don't worry, this will all be covered later! I promise!

Check the placement of the angel bust again to see how it sits.

Next, use a similar piece as the one just finished, only we will add more lace and use it as the shawl over the angel's shoulders.

Extend the ties at each end .

Tiny strips work well in putting on trim with the hot glue.

The finished shawl piece. Put aside to cool the glue.

When the shawl is able to be handled, try it on the angel. As you see, this angel was showing a bit more skin that I wanted.

So I added a lace applique' from my stash.

Hot glue just the edges that touch the bust and shoulders. Don't glue across the front of the bodice.

I held the head while the front bodice lace piece dried. I did try to put it on the inverted glass, but the extended lace got in the way. See photo below, there are two inverted goblets. Once this piece was dry, there was no problem keeping the torso on the goblet to keep it clean and out of the way.

Again, check the look of the piece as each element is added.

This is where the wings will be made next.

Bridal Galloon Lace, piece needs to have at least 2 duplicate patterns to cut out. Every piece will vary in shape.

Use sharp scissors, I used both photoed above. The tiny ones for cutting out the little  lace pieces.

Cut out a piece large enough for a wing.

Flip the first cut piece over (face down) onto the the lace and find a matched piece for the other "wing"

 After trimming out the wings, they won't be perfectly matched, but that is ok. They will be covered where they don't match anyway!

 Lay out the wings, with right sides up; stitching visible and able to feel the outlined edges.

 Here is where I laid the Crescent Sequined Pieces to see how they would look on the wings. I like it!

 Again, ck with the angle bodice before any hot gluing. This is where the wings will be glued together at the overlapping area and the sequined pieces glued on top. *NOTE* don't glue the wings onto the bodice yet. Put them aside. (my angel doesn't have the lace applique' on the front yet, but yours will at this point.)

This is were I hot glued the back of the skirt cape to the skirt. just at the seams at the top. Leave the rest unglued so you can flip it up for adding more lace later.  Then I trimmed away on the rest of the Galloon lace to create several pieces to use on the front of the skirt and the lower cape shape.

Glue each piece separately, checking and rechecking each time a piece is glued.  Above I have glued most of the bottom on, but have yet to glue the top of them. I used tiny little dots and lines to add the lace. I did not want a stringy, mess when I finished.

Another view of adding the lace to the dress front.

I used the edge to drape around the skirt front. the silver peaks it's self through and will be seen when on the tree from below.

Keep the hot glue to a minimum, but glue with little lines and dots on the lace pieces. I followed the pattern of the lace on the underside when I was gluing. Do a little at a time, this is where your patience will pay off!

Now I added the lace to the back of the skirt.

I started the lace edge at the middle of a fold so that the seam would not be obvious and show.

Overlap the lace and hot glue. Wait till the glue is cold before cutting off the lace tail.

Skirt will lace edging finished.

Here is how I finished the skirt. I took more lace edging and hot glued it to the folds and down the skirt piece on both sides.

 Next I took the collar pieces of the Venice Lace and placed it under the first cape piece on the skirt. This is for position. *Don't hot glue yet!

 I then tested the angel's bodice and 2nd cape to see how it all would look.

 I really like the look of the old and new laces! She is coming along nicely and is so pretty!

 To hot glue the Venice Lace pieces to the shirt cape, flip up the cape piece to expose the underside of the cape piece. Now using the hot glue just on the edge and starting at the middle point, glue the front of the collar piece to the underside of the skirt cape piece as shown above. Use small thin glue lines to make it look good.

Next, hot glue the other side as done with the first piece. Glue all the way around to the back. Leave the extra piece to hang down for now. It will be glued in the final stages.

Flip the cape piece over when the glue is cold. It will have a natural flow to it like above.

Again, try the bodice on the skirt to see how it looks. (my angel, in the photo, does not have her second cape on yet, so to show the other laces.

I used these buttons from my Grandmother's stash. They are round pearl buttons.

Sorry about the photos, by this time is is about 3 am and I was so tired!  So here is where you add lace trim to the cape and turn the skirt around and hot glue with dots the lace tails from the Venice Lace collar. Trim it with a button.

 Glue the cape to the bodice at this time, gluing just at the shoulders and along the back where the cape meets. The idea is to not glue it all down, but make it flowing and pretty.

Now. Here is where you will be gluing the bodice head piece to the skirt. I used enough glue to keep it all on. Be very careful as the hot glue gets very hot in the bodice.

 When the glue is cold, put on the wings with ample hot glue. I glued this directly to the cape while on the angel's body. I added some applique' flowers and tiny pearl beads to the back of the halo. Let this all dry before moving the angel.

I added some more of the round pearl buttons to the front of the dress. Oh, and I left the hands empty so that she could hold different things. But one angel that I made, years ago, I took wired ribbon and glued it into the angels hands. I wrapped it around the back of the angel and down into the hands. Then I glued the ribbons, after twisting just a bit, with hot glue dots to the skirt.

This is how I finished the back of my angel. She has many special antique lace pieces from my Grandmother's stash and a few from my own to make it that more special!

 Below is a photo of the back laces I have added!

Here I have shown each lace by number. LINK

1. & 2. Galloon Bridal Lace for the wings.
3. Flower lace applique'
4. Festoon Lace trim
5. Floral combined with a festoon Lace Applique'
6. Tiny daisy floral lace appliques'
7. Tiny daisy floral lace appliques'
8. Floral lace applique trim with tiny pearl beads
9. Venice Lace Collar

View Right Side

View Left Side

Finished View of the 2016 Lacy Christmas Angel Tree Topper

 I do hope you have enjoyed this DIY Tutorial on how to make a "Lacy Christmas Angel Tree Topper! It takes a bit, some patience, lots of fun laces and memories made! 
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!