Saturday, December 15, 2012

A wing and a prayer


Angels' Wings
we get in such a rush
to fill our lives with things,
we seldom take the time
to feel the brush
of Angel's wings
                           unknown

Angel Globes * Feathered Wreath
Who couldn't use a little divine intervention in their decor? The holidays are the perfect time to add some angelic touches to your home. Of course these heavenly crafts have to be created on an earthly budget.


Angel Globes

Yes, everyone's seen these clear ornaments used a million and a half ways, but here's a simple craft that's not necessarily just for the holidays. These globes can be hung in a window, dangled on a Christmas tree branch, or simply given as a delightful gift to any of the "angels" in your life.



These are a bit tricky to photograph but they consist of an "angel" feather and mini "halo"
resting in a bed of sparkly "snow"
I hung from white ribbon but something glittery or rustic raffia would work as well
or perched one a candlestick (mine's a dollar store find with a light coat of spray paint)
or suspend from an "instant" tree (I made one of found branches spritzed with a light coat of white spray paint and glitter. I stood the branches in flower foam in a white ceramic container -covering the foam with craft moss- be sure to choose fairly sturdy branches and secure them well- my first attempt took a tumble when I added ornaments- much to the delight of my cats)

You'll Need:

Clear ornaments
Epsom salts and "faux" snow or glitter-
the epsom salt adds enough weight to keep it balanced
Craft feathers in white
Ribbon
Glittery pipe cleaners
Angel quote tags



Easy How-to

Funnel epsom salt with a bit of glitter or "snow" into globe

Pop in feather or two

Create small halo from pipe cleaner and squeeze through globe opening
If halos get a little misshapen use 2 skewers or cocktail stirrers to reshape halo inside globe. I positioned two skewers in opening in halo and pressed outward to reshape. (like building a ship in a bottle but not as hard as it would seem)

Use skewer or stirrer to rearrange or adjust items

Hang from ribbon and attach a quote if desired
 (here are a few of my favorites also available on the "Printables" page)




Feathered 

Wreath


I saw a feathered wreath at my local craft store and loved the gossamer glamour but wasn't thrilled with the price tag. I reinterpreted my own version for a fraction of the price. Since they say doves are the angels of the bird world I added one for good measure.
craft store feather wreath $34.99

You'll Need
A basic wreath: 
(mine was straw and $1 after thanksgiving but any type that could be painted white will work)
White spray paint
A feather boa (from craft store- you may need 2 if wreath is large)
Some additional feathers (I had them leftover from the angel globes)
Self Stick-on sparkles or faux jewels
Assorted doves or ornaments of your choice
silver doilies - optional
Ribbon or hanger
glue gun
 Easy How-to
(this is similar to our black Raven Halloween wreath from our Halloween Fun post)

Spray wreath with a quick coat of white paint (if it's not already)

Glue one end of feather boa to back of wreath and wrap evenly all around, adjusting as necessary

Glue or secure other end of boa 

 Looks a little sickly so far

Hot glue extra feathers for fullness. I trimmed the tough "quill" ends off of some feathers for a lighter fluffier effect. I also felt my wreath needed some more subtle sparkle, so I cut up a small plastic snowflake (6 for  $1) and glued it's "branches"among the feathers.

Then get creative: add sparkles, birds, ornaments, to taste- I cut a small "crown" from silver doily and glued on to dove's head for a royal touch. I tried a few arrangements with the accent ornaments before committing to glue and opted for a fairly simple design (if feather boas, sparkles and birds in crowns can be described as simple)

Hang with ribbon or hanger if desired

*Not wild about white? This idea could be reinterpreted in any fun or unconventional holiday color: Vintage Pink, Dove Grey, Baby Blue?

I tried a few different vignettes and thought the wreath worked well with the angel globes and some (not necessarily Christmas) bird themed odds and ends I had on hand.





Wishing everyone Joy 

and 

Peace this Holiday Season



9 comments:

  1. Love the feather wreath! Great and easy tutorial! Come link up to centerpiece Wednesday on my blog..it is still up and running.
    Karin

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  2. Thanks so much! Centerpiece Wednesday- love it!

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  3. This is such a fantastic tutorial for making the feather wreath! So pretty and whimsical! Love it!


    Jody

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  4. Love the birdie and feathered wreath. Bird Lady approves!

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  5. This is very creative! Love the whole look! I am a new follower form southern charm! I would love for you to visit my blog and hopefully want to follow me back. Have a great weekend, Nicole!

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting!
      So glad you liked the post - i'll definitely pop over and visit! :)

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  6. I love the feathered wreath and the globes! So very pretty. Thank you for sharing this at the Anything Blue Friday party at The Dedicated House. Hope to see you again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kathryn!
      Love the idea of a theme party :) Thanks so much for hosting!

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