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The title of this post is slightly misleading because we didn’t actually make any paperback angels.
Though we tried.
Between a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist and a sailor in the Navy nuclear program, you’d think we could follow the directions.
But we were stumped.
This craft comes from an old oversize pamphlet-style book called Make-It Christmas Ideas. I’ve had requests to share these instructions since I posted about Georgia’s vintage Christmas craft books in this post. Sheryl dug the book back out of the closet for me and here it is!
If you need a creative challenge over the holidays, grab an old book, start ripping pages out, and make this angel. I dare you.
(We used copies of one of my old Silhouette Romances.)
Along with a paperback book, you’ll need a 2-inch foam ball for the head, gold (or silver) spray paint if you want to paint it, tape, toothpick, wire, a cardboard or plastic roll for the halo, something for angel hair, some glue, and cardboard for the little easel.
To make a paperback angel:
Use the first 40 pages of an old paperback, covers removed. Do not fold the first and last two pages; start with the third page and fold as follows. (The pages are numbered on both sides. Is that to page 40, or actually 40 pages, which would be to page 80? Hmmm. We had problems from the get-go!)
Figure 1. Fold a single page in half, lengthwise, by bringing the outside edge to the binding. Press flat at the fold.
Figure 2. Bring the top corner down to the binding; press flat.
Figure 3. Fold again, bringing point X to the binding; press flat.
Do this to each page (except the first and last two) for the body.
Figure 4. To make the sleeves, roll the first two and last two pages into place and tape to hold. Cut off bottom edges as indicated by dotted lines. Spray paint.
The head is a 2-inch plastic foam ball. Cut paper features; glue in place. Add angel’s hair. Insert a toothpick into the head for a neck and attach the neck to the body by taping down along book binding.
Figure 5. To make the halo, cut a 1/2-inch wide ring from plastic (or from a cardboard roll). Twist a piece of wire around the ring, leaving short ends to insert in head. Spread glue inside and out of the ring and sprinkle with glitter. Insert wire in head, tilting ring backward for a halo effect.
Figure 6. Use three sheets together on the fold near the bottom edge. Roll up the lower corner of the bottom sheet to fold line. Tape in place, being careful not to lose soft rolled effect. Repeat with the lower corner of the opposite side.
Figure 7. The second sheet is rolled the same way except that the bottom edge is brought across the fold line about one inch and then folded back.
Figure 8. The third (top) sheet is rolled and folded back a little more than the second one. Be sure to use cellophane tape or tape wings on inside to conceal the tape.
Staple all three sheets together at the bottom on both sides of the fold.
Figure 9. Shape the top by cutting a curve from corners to fold, as shown by dotted lines. Before you spray paint the wings gold, make a final fold (shaded area) on each side.
Figure 10. Glue and tape the wings to the back of the angel. Add an easel. To make the tiny easel, cut a 2 3/4-inch by 5-inch right triangle from cardboard. Cut off about one inch from the top and fold about 1/2-inch on the dotted line, as shown, so the triangle stands upright. Glue and tape to back.
We were somewhere in the midst of Figure 4 when we lost it. If you can make this paperback angel, send me a photo and I’ll post it! GOOD LUCK!!!
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you make my day everyday (I read your blog first thing in the morning at 6 a.m. at work!) so thanks for the smiles!!
Jill
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My mom used to make something like these. Except she used old Reader’s Digests. I think she had a hard time, too. We did have a green spray painted Christmas tree around made out of a magazine, so she must have figured something out. I gave up on it in frustration, too, so I never learned.
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I can’t get over all the crafting that got done this week (with the boys, too)!
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