2001 Wire Angel

I downloaded these instructions from an HGTV website many years ago in a category labeled Crafts & Collectibles. I can no longer find this online and copied details from my printout.

Materials:

   24- or 26-gauge wire

   cylinder to wrap wire around

       (Use whatever fits your desired size. A good cylinder for small angels is a standard bottle         of acrylic paint, which measures about 5 1/2” in circumference.)

   seed beads (or other small beads) for halo bead for head in proportion to body

   needle nose pliers

Steps:

1. Wrap wire around cylinder, leaving an 8-10” tail at the starting end. Wrap cylinder anywhere from 15 to 25 times. Try to not overlap the wire when wrapping.
2. When wrapping is completed, cut wire, leaving an 8-10” tail. Carefully slip the wound wire from the cylinder and holding all the wires together wrap the tail ends around them one or two times to secure.
3. Select anywhere from 3 to 6 wires from the circle and bend them up away from the others. Press them together in the center and press to the top of the circle below. Wrap the tails of wire around them one or two times to secure them to the circles. The loops will form the wings.
4. Bend one tail wire straight up and thread it through the hole in the bead. String approximately 15 seed beads onto this wire, shape into a circle and push the wire back down through the hole in the bead. Twist the wire together with the first wire. Twist around the neck a time or two, then cut off any excess.
5. Push the body wires up in the center so that a slight upside down heart shape is obtained. Pull the wires apart to separate them. This will give the angel a base on which to stand. Separate the wing wires and fan them out. Bend the circle of seed beads forward to form a halo.