How To Create An Angel

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You can make all sorts of cute things out of polymer clay. Among the most versatile are angels. They are typically associated with Christmas, but they can also be used for Valentine's Day as well. You can also use them as symbols of love and protection. If you are a fan of "Doctor Who", you can even make a Weeping Angel using grey clay!

1
Roll some skin-toned clay into an oval for the head. Start with something that is about the size of your thumbnail; this will make the ideal size for a charm or ornament. You will be positioning the oval sideways, with the narrow ends on the sides.^[1]
- Your angel's skin tone can be as fair or as dark as you'd like.
2

Consider adding some details to the head. This step is optional, but it can give your angel a more professional touch. Add a tiny ball of clay to the center of the face. Blend in the edges using a clay tool. Use a toothpick to carve in a simple mouth.^[2]
3
Make a small cone, about the same size as the head. This will be the angel's gown, so you can use any color you want. White and pastel colors work especially well. Flare out the bottom of the cone into a trumpet-like shape.
- For a fancier touch, add ripples to it the flared part with a clay tool or the end of a paintbrush.
4
Flatten the top part of the cone. Start by cutting off the pointed tip of the cone with a pair of scissors or a craft blade. Smooth the cut edge so that it is more rounded.
- For a more detailed gown: roll some clay into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Press it onto the cone. It should be the same width as the top of the cone.^[3]
5
Roll out two smaller cones for the arms. Pull off two more small chunks of the same clay you used for your angel's gown. Roll them into cones, about half the height of the body cone. Make them fairly thin and a little bit shorter than the cone.
- Use the end of a paintbrush or a clay tool to make dents in the bottom of the cone. This will make attaching the hands easier.
- If you don't want your angel's gown to have sleeves, roll out two thin coils if skin-toned clay instead. Round the ends to make hands.
6
Attach the arms. Attach the tips of the arm cones to the top of the body cone. You can position the arms flat against the body, or bend them into a different position. If you wish to bend the arms into a different position, do it before you attach them.
- Don't worry if they look too short now. You will add hands next, which will lengthen them.
7
Add two small, flesh-toned balls for the hands. Pick off two small chunks of the clay you used for the head. Roll them into to small balls, a little bit narrower than the base of the arm cones. Gently press them against the bottom of the arm cones, right in the dent your made.
- For extra hold, add a drop of liquid clay.
- If you rolled out two thin coils of skin-toned clay for bare arms, skip this step.
8

Attach the head to the body. Pour a little bit of liquid polymer clay onto the top of the cone. Gently press the head into it. Make sure that the oval is oriented sideways, with the narrow ends facing left-and-right.
9
Bake the angel half-way, about 10 minutes. Place the angel onto a foil-lined baking sheet, then place it into a pre-heated oven. Follow the baking temperatures on the package of clay you are using, but only bake it for half the recommended time. This will set the clay, and make it easier to add other details without smooshing the existing shapes. You will finish baking the angel after you add the other parts.^[4]
- Baking temperatures vary from brand to brand. Typically, they range between 215 and 325°F (102 and 163°C).^[5]
- You can bake the angel in a regular oven, a convection oven, or a toaster oven. Do not use a microwave, however.^[6]

1

Roll some white clay into a thin sheet. You can use an acrylic tube or a rolling pin to roll out the clay. This will eventually make the wings of your angel. If you'd like a fancier angel, use pearly-white clay instead.
2

Cut the white clay sheet into wing shapes. Start by cutting the sheet into a triangle, able the same size as the body cone. Cut the triangle in half. The short edges will make the inner part of the wings. The straight edges will make the bottom. The angled edges will make the top.
3
Add details to the wings. The easiest way to do this would be to add vertical dents into the wings using a toothpick. Align the toothpick against the bottom of the wing, and angle the tip towards the top. This will create slight ripples in the wing. Space the dents 1 to 2 toothpick-thicknesses apart.^[7]
- For fancier wings: use a dotting tool or a ball-tipped embossing tool to draw short streaks into the wings.^[8]
- Consider adding a hint of shimmer by dusting on powdered eyeshadow with a soft, fluffy brush.^[9]
4

Attach the wings to the back of your angel using liquid clay. Use a toothpick to add a glob of liquid clay onto the back of your angel. Press the wings into the liquid clay. Angle the wings so that they look like an M. Smooth out the seam between the two wings.^[10]

1

Add small balls of skin-toned clay for the ears. Start by rolling two small balls of clay about the size of a pin head. Press each ball onto the sides of the angel's head, turning them into slight disks. Make them level with the dent, and position them closer to the face than to the back of the head.
2

Blend the front part of the ears in only. Use a clay tool, or another blunt-tipped tool, to blend in the front part of the ears towards the angel's face. Do not blend in the back of the ears.
3

Roll some hair-colored clay into a sheet and add streaks into it. Choose some clay for your angel's hair. It can be yellow, brown, black, or even a surprising color, like pink or purple. Roll out your desired clay into a thin sheet. You can use an acrylic tube to do this, or simply press the clay between your fingers to make a "pancake." Use a toothpick to draw streaks into the clay going widthwise.^[11]
4

Wrap the sheet around the angel's head to make the hair. Be sure to cover the top of the head as well. Don't cover the face.^[12] Smooth the top of the sheet over the top of the head. If you'd like to, you can add a parting crease with a toothpick.
5
Add smaller pieces for the bangs. Roll out thin coils of clay, then attach them to the front of the hairline. They can be as long and wispy as you'd like. For a more realistic effect, have all the smaller hair pieces come from the start of the part.
- Consider adding some streaks to the bangs before you attach them to the head.^[13]
- To make curls: attach tip of coil to head, twist the other end into a coil, then position it using clay tools or a toothpick.^[14]
- To make blunt-cut or straight-across bangs: roll out a thin sheet of clay, then cut it down to a triangle or rectangle shape that will fill in the gap on the forehead. Press it onto the forehead.

1

Make a halo. Roll some yellow, pale yellow, or gold clay into a thin coil. Wrap the coil into a ring. For a fancier touch, use a soft, fluffy brush to dust gold eyeshadow onto the clay.
2

Attach the halo. Simply place the halo on top of the angel's head. For a stronger hold, coat the inside rim of the halo with liquid clay first.
3

Insert an eye pin if you'd like to turn the angel into an ornament or charm. Measure the eye pin against the angel first. The eye part of the pin should rest right against the top of the angel's head. If the pin is too long, cut it down with a pair of wire cutters. Once the pin is the right length, push it right through the top of the angel.
4

Bake the angel the rest of the way, about 15 minutes. Follow the baking instructions on your package of clay, but only bake it for half the recommended time. This will bake the head, body, and arms the rest of the way. The hair, wings, and halo will also get baked all the way as they are thinner.
5
Add a face. Use a permanent pen to add to small dots for the eyes. Add two thin curves above each eye for the eyebrows.^[15] Draw a small curved line or a dot for the mouth. If you carved a mouth, you don't have to draw it.
- Alternatively, you can paint on the face instead using acrylic paint and a thin paintbrush.
- Add some blush with a q-tip, if desired. You can use colored powder, actual blush, or pink water color. Keep the blush light and pale.^[16]
6

Glaze the angel, if desired. Choose a glaze meant for polymer clay, then apply it using a paintbrush. You can also add some iridescent glitter glue along the wings and base to make it more sparkly.^[17]
7
Use the angel as a charm or ornament. If you want to use the angel as a charm: twist open a jump ring with a pair of needle nose pliers. Slip the jump ring through the eye pin, then twist it close. If you want to use the angel as an ornament: thread some string through the eye pin. Tie the ends of the string together into a loop.
- You can also use the angel as a figurine. Stand it on your desk, shelf, or wherever you'd like.

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You angel can have any skin color you want.
Mix different clay colors together to make a new one.
Make your clay lighter by mixing some white clay into it. Make it darker by mixing some black into it.
Want to make a Weeping Angel from "Doctor Who"? Use grey or "stone" clay instead. Position the arms so that they cover the angel's face. Don't blink!^[18]
You can make the angel as big or as small as you'd like.
If you threw away the wrapper to your clay, visit the company's website. They will often have specific baking times and temperatures printed there.
Baking temperatures vary from brand to brand. Typically, they range between 215 and 325°F (102 and 163°C).
You can bake the angel in a regular oven, a convection oven, or a toaster oven. Do not use a microwave, however.
You do not have to use special tools made for working with clay. Ball-tipped embossing tools, toothpicks, paperclips, and even knitting needles all work great

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Do not bake the angel in a microwave.

Things You'll Need

Skin-toned clay
Any color clay, for gown
White or pearly clay
Any color clay, for hair
Yellow, pale yellow, or gold clay, for halo
Clay tools
Liquid polymer clay
Baking sheet
Permanent markers
Oven
Glaze (optional)

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