angel in black velvet overdress, purple brocade underskirt, lots of lace, and fluffy white wings

Materials:

• half-doll body (sold in craft stores intended for doll cakes)
• long doll hair
• 1 package maribou feathers
• 3 sheets of cardboard (8.5"x11" each)
• 1 foot of fabric for underskirt
• 1/2 a foot of fabric for overdress
• 6" of 2" wide lace
• ribbons, jewelry findings, and other trims
• hot glue or white glue
• stapler and staples

Curl one sheet of cardboard in to a cone-shaped skirt around the doll body's waist. Staple the cardboard cone in the back, holding the cardboard securely so it will not fall off the doll's waist. Dab glue along the doll's waist where it meets the cardboard.

Trim bottom end of cardboard skirt so it's approximately a circle. Note: if you trim the ends very evenly, the angel can stand on a table or mantle as well as atop a tree.

Wrap the cardboard skirt with the underskirt fabric. Glue fabric at waist of cardboard skirt. Fold raw edges under cardboard skirt bottom and glue.

Cut a strip of the overdress fabric that is an inch wider than the doll's waist to neck length and is half as long as the doll is tall. Narrowly fold under the raw edges and glue. Center the length of fabric at the back of the doll's neck. Wrap the ends across the doll's chest and to the back. Glue ends behind the doll's back. Use the rest of the overdress fabric as a skirt, the same as you did for the underskirt.

Add ribbon or other trims around the doll's neck and waist, as desired.

Glue doll hair onto doll's head. You may need to secure this with a ribbon headband for the doll.

For the wings, cut out a fanciful wing shape on the two remaining pieces of cardboard. Punch holes in the top and middle inside edges of the wings at approximately the doll's shoulder and waist. Thread ribbon thru the holes. Spread glue on the cardboard and carefully layer feathers over it. Overlap feathers on the edges. Once completely dry, tie the ribbon around the doll's neck and waist.

Position doll on the top branches of your tree. If you're having problems balancing the doll, attach a wire loop underneath the doll at the waist. Or punch small holes in the cardboard skirt and thread with wire to secure to tree branches.