This whimsical angel is the perfect accessory for decorating a flower or vegetable garden. Her wings provide a resting place for small birds, and her cheery face watches over plants in bloom. Exterior paint ensures she’ll look great for seasons to come!

Materials List:

• 4x4 pressure treated post
• 6-foot length of 1x10 pine lumber
• 1/2-inch plywood
• Baling wire
• Exterior screws
• Yarn or raffia
• Permanent black marker
• Exterior paint in desired colors
• Circular saw
• Jig saw with scroll blade
• Tape measure
• Pencil
  120-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Paint brushes

Instructions:

1) Cut a 7 1/4-inch square of ½ plywood and sand smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. Remove dust with tack cloth.  This piece will be the base for the angel.

2) Cut a 32-inch length from the 4x4 pressure treated post for the body. 

Tip:
The circular saw will not be able to cut all the way through the post. Cut halfway through, then flip the post over and cut through from the opposite side. Sand smooth and remove dust.

3) Attach the 7 ½ inch bottom square to the post using 2 inch galvanized deck screws.  Drill counter sink pilot holes for the screws so the post won’t wobble, you don’t want to girl to fall down on the first day of the job. 

4) Draw freehand wings on the 1 x 10 x 6foot board and cut them out with the jig saw and a scroll blade. The wings of the model are approximately 24-inches wide. Sand edges smooth and remove dust. 

5) Draw a freehand star and flower on a piece of ½-inch plywood. Cut out the shapes with the jig saw and a scroll blade. Sand smooth and remove dust. 

6) Paint the post and the base with a white primer or paint.  Use a foam brush and don’t worry about great coverage, the rougher the job the better.  Allow to dry.

7) Selecting the best side of the post, paint the top 5 inches of that side with a face color (tan, peach, brown, etc.). Curve the bottom of the face to form a chin. 

Once the face is dry, draw the eyes and a smile using a permanent marker. 

Add a blush to the angel’s cheeks with a small amount of pink or red paint applied to a cloth (tap off excess paint until just a tiny amount remains) and rubbed gently on cheek areas of face. 

8) Paint the wings in desired color (model wings are painted with a forest green). 

9) Paint the star and flower shapes in desired colors.

10) Attach the wings to the back of the post first by drilling counter sunk pilot holes and attach using galvanized wood screws. The top of the wings should be level with the bottom of the chin.

11) Drive a nail into the top of the angel’s head (don’t worry she’ll forgive you) and the front of the angel a few inches under her chin. 

12) Drill a hole in the star and run baling wire through the hole. Wrap wire under star and then wrap wire around the nail in the top of the angel’s head.

13) Attach a hanging bracket to the back of the flower. 

Then place the hanger over the nail on the front of the angel.

14) Cut strands of raffia or yarn for hair. Wrap raffia around a book or piece of wood, slide off the book and tie tightly in the center.  Cut the loops and your angel will have a “fantasy of flight” hair do! Nail hair through center to top of post.

This is by far one of Shari’s and my all time favorites.  This is also a great project to use as a fund raiser, gather a group and make a series of angles.  I do keep a template of the wings.  I just trace them on to a piece of newspaper and cut them out to use again and again.

I f your angle will see outside duty, make sure that you use a primer for the base and galvanized exterior wood screws.  Also the raffia hair will need to be replaced from time to time.  But just like all of us, we all like a new hair style.  Well at least Shari does, mine hasn’t changed in years except for a nice dusting of gray.

Matt

 
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