Christmas Angel Crafts

Not suitable for children under 3 years owing to small parts. Adult supervision is needed at all times, owing to the small beads which can cause choking, and the pipe cleaners, which may have sharp ends. An adult should bend the wires into position, to avoid accidental injury to the child.

• Supplies you need to make a bead angel
• Instructions for bead angel
• What skills will my child practice with this activity?
  
• Paper angel craft
• More Christmas activities on my site
  

For your convenience, I have linked to products on Amazon (marked ^#Ad) that are similar to the ones I use myself - I may receive a small commission if you purchase something through these links, which helps support this site. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything!

Supplies Needed

• Chenille sticks/pipe cleaners (like these ^#Ad) - you need 2 for each angel
  
• Beads with large holes (like these^#Ad) are easier for little hands to use
• Scraps of ribbon to hang the angels

If you will be attaching the angels to Christmas cards (a lovely idea), you will also need construction paper for the cards, and edging scissors (like these^#Ad) if you want to cut a contrasting background.

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Instructions for Simple Bead Christmas Angel Crafts

1) Thread the beads

First, thread the beads onto the chenille stick / pipe cleaner.

We used 11 beads per body of the angel – 4 to go along the bottom, and 3 on each side of the body.

But actually, your child can do as many as desired!

Thread the beads onto the chenille stick

2) Bend the wire to create the body and the head

Bend the wire into a body shape by making a loop for the body with about 2/3 of the wire (all the beads should be in this loop).

Now make a smaller loop for the head and twist the wire at the "neck" to fasten it to the body.

Shape the body into roughly a triangle shape.

Make a loop for the body with 2/3 of the wire

Make a loop for the head with the rest of the wire

3) Create the wings with a second chenille stick

Take the second chenille stick and bend it in half so you can see the halfway point.

Then twist the halfway point around the neck of the angel.

You can add more beads to the wings at this point if you like.

Attach the second stick for the wings

Bend the wings and fasten the ends at the neck.

Attach a loop of scrap ribbon or raffia to your angel’s head.

Now you have a great decoration for a tree or a card!

Christmas Angel!

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Skills Practiced With This Craft

As with all my OT Mom activities, there are very specific skills that are developed when you do these Christmas angel crafts with your child.

- Bilateral and Eye-Hand Coordination

Threading the beads onto the chenille sticks gives your child an opportunity to get both hands working together (bilateral coordination). The stiffness of the pipe cleaner makes the activity a little easier than threading beads onto a floppy string.

Your child will also be using hand-eye coordination to help get the beads onto the stick.

Practicing co-ordination skills

- Sequencing

If you make a sample angel that your child needs to copy, you will be working on sequencing skills as your child follows the color pattern of beads that you used.

You can also verbally request a certain sequence (eg blue, yellow, purple) that your child has to memorize and put onto the wire. This also helps with auditory sequencing skills.

Practicing sequencing skills

- Following Instructions and Planning

If you first demonstrate the Christmas angel crafts so your child has to watch and then complete the angel, then your child will be using planning skills to remember the instructions and complete the activity.

You can also give instructions one step at a time, or you can increase the concentration and memory demands by showing a few steps at a time that your child needs to follow in the correct sequence.

- Scissor Skills

You can incorporate scissor cutting if you ask your child to cut a colored background for the angel to go on a card.

Make it more fun by using edging scissors^#Ad to make a pretty background. I drew a line where I wanted my child to cut along the frame.

Practicing scissor skills

An angel on a cut-out blue background

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Paper Angel Craft

This really simple Christmas angel craft involves cutting out circles and then some quick decorating and pasting.

I decided to give this angel craft its own page - so head over to my paper angel page for the full set of photographed instructions and the free template download!

Make a simple paper angel!

Thanks so much for visiting!

I hope you have lots of fun making these simple bead angels this Christmas!

Please share this page with your friends, and check out my other Christmas activities!

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If this page was helpful, please share it with your friends!

More Christmas Activities On My Site!

Christmas Fine Motor Ideas

Baking at Christmas

Christmas Paper Crafts

Christmas Gift Ideas

Free Printables!

Christmas Printable Packs!

South Africans - please check out the special OT Mom payment option for ZAR!

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