Angel Wings Tutorial – How to Make Beautiful Angel Wings Free!

Make these beautiful angel wings with things you already have around the house!

I just love angel wings, and they are all the rage in decorating right now. The only problem is, when you actually find some wings that you like (from Pier 1 for example), they cost WAY MORE than you want to pay!

I came up with this idea as we were preparing to decorate the stage for our special Christmas services. We needs some very big angel wings, and I wanted to find a way to do it using things we already had.

They turned out really nice, so I wanted to share the tutorial with you, so that you could enjoy some angel wings in your home this season… while not spending any more money on decorations 🙂

Step #1: Decide How Big You Want Your Wings

Because we are using our wings as stage props, I wanted them to be a nice size, so that everyone could see them. We decided to make ours 7ft X 4ft, but you can make them any size that makes you happy! You need to have some sort of backing to build your wings on. We had a piece of painting drop cloth laying around, so we used that. What do you have that you’re not using? A piece of cardboard, heavy cloth, drop cloth… use what you have available to you.

Step #2: Choose Your Favorite Shape of Angel’s Wing

I looked at all kinds of pictures online (mostly in google image search) to find a shape that I really liked.

Step #3: Trace The Shape Onto Your Backing & Cut it Out

Angel Wings Tutorial

Step #4: Turn The First Wing Over & Trace it Out For The Second Wing (if you want 2 wings)

Angel Wings Tutorial

Angel Wings Tutorial

Step #5: Make The Feathers

I decided to use regular brown craft paper, but you could use brown paper bags, newspaper, or any other paper you might have.

Angel Wings Tutorial

– Cut strips of paper with a scalloped bottom edge
– Scrunch each one into a ball to give the paper lots of wrinkles
– Open it back up & try to give the center a little crease, so it will stand out more & look more like a feather

Angel Wings Tutorial

Step #6: Hot glue each strip of paper to the backing, beginning with an outer edge first. Glue one side, being careful to let a bit of the paper hang off the edge so you don’t see the backing. Then pull the paper towards you a little bit & hot glue the other side. The reason you’re not going to simply glue them down flat, is because this technique gives the appearance of a creased feather instead of a flat piece of paper.

Angel Wings Tutorial

Continue adding as many layers as you’d like. For the size of our wings, 3 long layers and a few short ones looked best. As we got to the top, we just angled the feathers a bit more to look like a wing.

Angel Wings Tutorial

Here is one of the wings all put together. It’s so tall my son can barely hold it up high enough!

Angel Wings Tutorial

Step #7: Decide What Finish You’d Like to Have
You might want the look of newspaper print, in which case you wouldn’t have to have any additional finish. Or, if you want a solid color, you could apply a full coverage of whatever left over spray paint you have. You could also add some glue & glitter around the edges for a nice touch.

Angel Wings Tutorial

We wanted sort of an antique look, so we opted to only highlight the feathers with some off white spray paint, then hit them with some translucent gold glitter paint.

Angel Wings Tutorial

Here’s a close up of the little hint of gold sparkle.

Angel Wings Tutorial

We love the way the finished product came out!!

Angel Wings Tutorial

Send us some pictures of your wings ~ we’d love to see them!

Decorations at Christmas – Small spaces, small budgets, no problem!

I wanted to share some different creative decorating ideas with you, as you consider your decorations at Christmas.

Festive Branches

The simple idea that I want to share with you today is not only gorgeous, but it also comes in at ZERO cost = FREE!

Not only is is free, but it’s also a fun way to decorate your space throughout the whole year.

When considering the focal point of traditional Christmas decorations, the first thing that comes to mind, is the big… beautiful…fresh cut…evergreen Christmas tree. No matter how much you’d love to have the typical Christmas centerpiece, maybe you don’t have the room for it in your small space. Or, perhaps your budget won’t allow it. Maybe you or a family member has allergies to evergreens. If you’re like me, you might just be in the mood to try something new, or add to your growing line up of holiday decorations. Whatever situation you find yourself in, I want to help open your mind to the countless ways there are for you to decorate for the holidays!

You may even decide to keep this simple centerpiece up all year, and use it for every holiday, every celebration, and every season, no matter how much space you have, or what kind of budget you have to work with… remember we’re talking FREE here! (I have lots of ideas for this below!)

The idea begins with a simple tree branch, then expands into beauty that is only limited by your own imagination!

Before I explain further, take a peek at a few examples of how some people have already used this idea in their homes.
(click on any picture to see different sizes, or their other pictures)

Christmas branch

Charlie Brown branches

How to display the branch
– Hang over a table
– Put in a vase
– Stick into a flower pot
– Hang on wall

How to keep the branch sturdy in it’s container
– Sand
– Crumbled newspaper
– Fabric
– Beans
– Rice
– Rocks

Decorating the branch itself
– You could keep the branch natural
– Spray paint it white, gold, silver, light blue, pink, etc.
– You could sprinkle glitter on the branches while the paint is still wet
– Wrap each section in fabric
– Wrap with white or colored lights
– Wrap with ribbon

Christmas decoration ideas to hang from the branches
– Christmas ornaments
– Pictures
– Birds
– Mittens
– Mini stockings
– Pinecones
– Bird nests
– Buttons
– Bells
– Felt balls
– Keys
– Feathers
– Ribbons / bows
– Hearts
– Bead garlands
– Christmas cards
– Paper snowflakes
– Stars
– Tinsel
– Cookies / gingerbread men
– Anything you can imagine!

Idea: Dress it up even more!
When cutting things out of paper, think about using some sort of paper that will bring even more interest to the item that you are creating. Here’s an example of what I mean. Instead of white paper, you might want to consider; sheet music, wrapping paper, pretty napkins, cards, copies of old letters, scrapbook paper, construction paper, etc. You can find lots of pretty things to download online.

Theme Ideas

Have you ever wanted to add a theme tree to your decorations, but couldn’t bring yourself to leave out your traditional family tree? Well, this is the perfect way that you could have both! As a matter of fact, why not have 2 or 3 different displays around your house!

Many times a theme can be communicated through color or collection. In the “color” theme, you would decorate the whole display using different items, but all of the same color. When using a collection, everything can be different colors, but the same types of items. Example: all vintage mittens, vintage baby bonnets, all bells, all snowflakes, all miniatures, all birds, etc.

Look at these other beautiful examples

Christmas Vignette

Branch Tree

Christmas garland decor

Pretty little felt trees

Christmas branch

my tree full

Pastel Branches

Christmas tree decor

The twinkling tree

First Christmas decor

Red window with garden view

Where can I get a tree branch?
– Your backyard
– Your neighbor
– From a friend or family member’s backyard
– Curbside (other people’s yard debris, can be your gorgeous decor)
– A walk in the woods
– A logger

How big should my branch be?
– This is totally up to you! How big of a branch can your space handle, and what kind of look are you going for?

How else can I decorate my centerpiece throughout the year?
– Winter decor – birds, paper snowflakes, pom-pom snow balls, snowmen
– Valentines Day – hearts, candy, red/pink paper chains & flowers
– St. Patrick’s Day – paper clovers
– Spring – flowers, paper mushrooms, birds, nests
– Easter – blown out Easter eggs
– 4th of July – anything red, white, and blue
– Summer – pictures of vacations, paper butterflies/lady bugs, flowers
– Birthdays – yearly picture of birthday person, paper numbers
– Anniversaries – wedding pictures, hearts
– Autumn – dried leaves, acorns, moss, mini pumpkins
– Anything you can imagine!

Who knew that a simple tree branch could be so beautiful!

Christmas All Through The House

Christmas in my living room

Christmas in my Living Room

Don’t you love taking walks through the village streets at night! It gets dark so early this time of year, but each little house shares glimpses of their decorations through well lit windows. Twinkling lights, beautiful wreaths, creative garlands, and wonderfully decorated Christmas trees all speak of the joy of those who dwell inside during this wonderful season!

I thought I’d let you peek in our windows & share just a few of our Christmas decorations with you 😉

Here are some of my vintage Christmas ornaments up close
Christmas Tree

For my dining room table I decided to re-purpose a wreath that I usually hang on the front door! I used a quilt with matching colors, the wreath, a large jar that I picked up on sale last year, and the wreath.
Christmas Table

Some new snowmen for our collection
Christmas Snowmen

I love these little boxes that our friends bought for our anniversary. The santa was my first try at wood carving.
Christmas Shelf

Here is some vintage ephemera that I found in a local shop, buried under some old books.
Christmas tin

Here is the poem up close so you can read it!
Christmas Poem - Vintage Ephemera

Christmas Shelf

Christmas Display

For my tree skirt, I just placed some $2 pr yard black & white toile around the base of the tree.
Christmas Tree

Some new pieces picked up at the local discount store for $5 each!
Vintage SnowmanVintage Christmas SantaVintage Christmas Girl

My “Prim” Christmas Tree

Primitive Christmas Tree

Primitive Christmas Tree

Primitive Christmas Tree

Christmas Bells




I heard the bells on Christmas day.
Their old familiar carols play
And wild & sweet the words repeat, of peace on earth good will towards man.

Here are some Christmas Pictures from last year.

How to Create a Window Display in 15 Minutes or Less!

Christmas Garland in My Kitchen Window

When it comes to decorating for the holidays, or rearranging your home according to the different seasons, some people do not take kindly to change! I suppose it’s because we are said to be creatures of habit, and most people usually like things to remain the same. The minute you try to change things, or decorate differently, you might hear sighs that sound like this… “we can’t do that” or “we always do it this way”!

I’m not sure why, but I love to have things continually changing… especially when it comes to decorating our home! I look forward to creatively using what I have, adding little bits here & there as I find good deals, then bringing it all together to create something beautiful for our family to enjoy!

When it comes to changing things around for the season, one of the easiest & most rewarding ways to bring decorative change is by creating a display in your window. There are several reasons for this, a few being…

1. You can enjoy the display from the outside as well as the inside

2. Because you spend alot of time looking out your windows, the decorations will be a frequent source of enjoyment

3. You can use found objects and items from around your home to create your masterpiece

4. Changes are quick to do – 15 minutes or less

To help keep my decorating items organized, I like to use see through plastic containers for each season. Then, as you acquire different items for use in your displays, simply tuck them away in the box for that season. This will not only help you stay organized, but it will also help you put together beautiful displays in just a few minutes!

Here is one window display example from this year’s Christmas decorations. The window is over my kitchen sink, so I get to enjoy it quite a bit 😉

I like to use some sort of greenery to start with. You could use a piece of pine garland from last year’s decorations, or some of your trimmings from the yard outside. Then, intertwine some of your favorite things around the greens. Here are some of the things that I choose to use.

– Rusty bells – I picked up a bell garland at an end of season sale for $1.50

– Homespun fabric strips – $1 per yard at discount stores

– Berries – $.50 per bag last year – I twisted 3 at a time around the greens

– Pine cones – free from the yard

– Bigger rusty stars – $2 at end of season sale – I added a homespun bow

– Empty candle jars – I save my candle jars, add some homespun, and tuck in a grubby candle

– Wooden butter bowl – picked up at auction in the bottom of a $1 box!

– Red wooden bead garland – bought at end of year sale for $1

– Grubby candles – I pick them up when I find them on sale

Grubby Candle Tip: When you burn a grubby candle, the inside usually burns down faster than the outside. When my candles have a nice center that’s melted down, I tuck a tealight candle inside and light that instead of burning the bigger grubby candle. Now you have the best of both worlds… a beautiful grubby candle, that is lit by a tealight candle. Because you can buy tealight candles in bags of 100-200 for under $3.50 in your local discount store, this helps your beautiful (more expensive) candles last a VERY long time!

Grubby Christmas Window Garland

Because I have a counter right below this window, I decided to keep the display going on each end of the window. Here is the little “end cap” to the decorations 😉

Christmas Display

Vintage Snowman

To finish everything off, I give a few sprays of my favorite potpourri and now everything really smells like Christmas!

Here are a few other windows around our home.

Christmas Window

My Kitchen Rooster

Window Project
How-to for this window project


Ideas From Other Folks

Window display
A shelf made to look like a window display – using a mirror!

Paper garland
I love this simple & inexpensive idea! Simply use some newspaper cut into shapes, and add your tidbits to them! So pretty & so simple!

Christmas Front Door
Have a pair of skates that are not being used right now? Why not use them to make a beautiful creative display!

Christmas Window

Star Garland

Christmas card garland
Using old Christmas cards & some trim

garland

red Christmas

Christmas kitchen window

Christmas Tips and Ideas For Your Holiday

Vintage Holidays

Dickens Christmas Sleigh Bells Ring


Dickens Carolers

To help make your holiday a memorable one without the high expense, participate in local Christmas festivities! When we went to pick out our Christmas tree, we stopped down in the village to enjoy the Christmas celebration. There were carolers dressed in costume that looked like they stepped right out of a Dickens’ tale, horses with jingle bells around their necks giving sleigh rides around the village, and church bazaars and bake sales on every corner – filled to the brim with lots of goodies.

Look in your local paper (and online) to see what’s going on in your area.

Here’s an example of a Special Christmas Celebration that happens every weekend in a village near us. It’s called: Dickens’ Christmas in Skaneateles, NY

I’m sure that you will be able to find lots of great ways to celebrate with your family!



Here are some quick tips:

Snowflakes

Have the kids make paper snowflakes, lay them on top of a chocolate cake, sprinkle with powdered sugar, carefully remove snowflakes. You now have a beautiful snowy scene! This is a very inexpensive way to decorate your holiday cake!

Snowflakes

Make mittens out of fabric of choice & use in place of the usual Christmas stockings. You can make the mittens match your decorating style by choosing coordinating fabrics. I would use cream colored wool – lace – buttons & trims.

Snowflakes

Did You Know…
Christmas didn’t become a Federal Holiday in America until June 26, 1870 – by President Ulysses S. Grant.

Snowflakes

Organize your magazines by months, take out all of the Dec. issues & place them on a coffee table. You’ll love having so many Christmas ideas right at your fingertips!

Snowflakes

Lots of great Christmas gift ideas – Cheap!



Snowflakes

Did you know…
The Christmas tree industry employs over 100,000 people yearly between 21,000 different Christmas tree growers in the US?

Snowflakes

Did You Know…
A snowflake can take up to 2 hours to reach the ground!


Snowflakes

Christmas Decorating Idea…
Instead of using regular paper for your paper chain projects, why not use other materials such as; wallpaper scraps, decorative scrapbook paper, pieces of wrapping paper, or left over pieces of silk ribbon!

Snowflakes

To add some glitter & sparkle to your decorations, spray paint different kinds of nuts with your choice of colors! Silver & gold make stunning displays!

Snowflakes

Did You know…
The poinsettia is a plant that is native to Mexico. The plant got it’s name from Mexico’s first American ambassador, Joel Poinsett, who brought the plants back to America in 1828.

In the 18th century, Mexicans thought the beautiful red star shaped leaves were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. This helped the poinsettia to become a favorite traditional plant at Christmas.

Websites to Visit For Great Christmas Ideas!

Great Christmas Cookies Recipes & Pictures!
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChristmasCookies.html

Everything You Need to Know About Beautiful Paper Snowflakes
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dstredulinsky/home.html

How to Take Great Pictures of Christmas Lights
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights.html