DIY Wood Shim Angels

In today’s post: Make beautiful Christmas angels using wood shims and a few other supplies. This is an easy Christmas craft for adults you can complete in about half an hour.

Easy Christmas Craft

Today’s craft is one of those easy, satisfying crafts that turn out so cute! Wood shim angels don’t take much time to make and would be easy to work on assembly line style if you’d like to make multiples to give as gifts. This would also be a fun craft night project to make with friends!

Supplies

Here’s what you need to make each wood shim angel:

• Ten Wood Shims: I used 8 inch shims that come in a package of twelve for under two dollars
• 1.5 inch Wood Ball Knob: this is for the head
• .5 inch Wood Beads: you’ll need two of these to make hands
• White Paint and paintbrush
• Wire: I used 20 gauge wire to make the halo
• Twine: I used jute twine for the arms and bakers twine for a bow
• Ribbon: I used 1 inch wide ribbon to make the wings; wired ribbon works best. You will need 38 inches of ribbon (just over a yard).
• Greenery or other item for the angel to hold

How to Make a Wood Shim Angel

Glue Shims Together

Arrange 10 shims so all the wider ends are at the bottom and the thinner ends are at the top, creating a triangle shape. Hot glue each shim to the next, checking as you glue to make sure the finished triangle stands up straight. If the top edge is very uneven, use sandpaper to smooth it out. This will be the body of your angel.

Paint the Body

Use a dry paint brush and a small amount of white paint to lightly paint the shim triangle, leaving areas where you can see the wood through if desired. Allow to dry thoroughly; you can use a hair dryer to dry it faster.

Add the Head

Add a good amount of hot glue to the flat side of a 1.5 inch wood ball knob, then center that on the top of the triangle. Hold it until the glue cools and sets.

Create the Wings

Cut a 26 inch length of ribbon. Fold it into two figure eights, so each end of the ribbon is in the center and you’ve created two loops on each side. Glue the ribbon to the back of the angel about half an inch below the top of the triangle. Use hot glue between the layers of ribbon. Take care not to burn yourself; either use silicone finger protectors or use an extra wood shim to hold the ribbon in place until the glue sets.

Add a Halo

Cut two pieces of ribbon that are each six inches long. Then wrap one end of the wire around the head a couple of times to create a circle, then fold the remaining wire 90 degrees downward and straighten out a few more inches. Add hot glue over the ribbon wings you just glued on and place the straight part of the wire halo over it. Then press one of the 6 inch pieces of ribbon down over the wire, angling it downward and to the side (again protect your fingers). Glue the other 6 inch piece of ribbon over it, angling downward and to the other side. This attaches the halo and the tails of the bow that make up the wings.

Add Arms

Cut a ten inch piece of twine. Thread two half inch beads on the twine, and tie each end of the twine in a double knot. The beads will be the angel’s hands. Loop the twine behind the angel’s head, just above the wings, then bring the beads to the front. Glue each bead to the body, leaving a little space in between them.

Decorate

Finish by tucking a small sprig of faux greenery between the bead hands and gluing it to secure. Then add a small bow from twine or ribbon at the angel’s neck. Trim the ribbon tails if desired. Add any other embellishments you would like. Your wood shim angel is ready to display!