Dough Angels

Finished size is 3x5 inches.

Materials: Flour, salt, and water; Garlic press; Aluminum foil; cookie sheet; No. 20 gold crafts wire; Acrylic paints; Artist’s brushes; Fine-tipped permanent marker; High-gloss polyurethane.

Instructions:

Dough: Place 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup salt in a bowl. Add about 6 tablespoons of water and blend with dry ingredients. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Knead until all of the salt is worked in and the dough feels smooth.

Cover cookie sheet with foil and work directly on the foil. Note: Moisten dough with water between all joints as you add pieces to the ornament.

Angel: DRESS-—Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Press dough between your fingers to flatten it into a ½-inch-thick dress shape. Dress should measure about 3 inches high and 4 inches wide. Pinch and fold the dress waist, gathering it to a width of 1 inch.

For sleeves, roll two 1/2-inch-thick pieces of dough about 1 1/2 inches long. Bend and attach to dress. Pinch off a small piece of dough for the neck ruffle. Flatten it into a thin strip that measures 1/2 x 1 ½ inches. Pinch one long side to gather the ruffle and fasten it over the dress and arms.

ARMLOAD FIGURES: For the teddy, roll a ½-inch ball of dough for the tummy; add 1/4x1/2-inch legs at bottom of tummy. For head, attach a slightly flattened ¼-inch ball to the top of the tummy. Add a flattened piece of dough for muzzle; add ears. Attach bear between angel’s sleeves.

Add 1/8 x¾ -inch arms after angel’s hands are in place, so the bear’s arms hang over the angel’s arms.

For the sheep, push dough through garlic press to form a ½-inch-thick "fleece" for body; body should be 1 inch in diameter. Attach four legs, each measuring ¼ x¾ inch to body bottom. Roll a 3/8 -inch-diameter ball of dough for head; attach to upper body. Add ¼-inch ears and "fleece" to top of head. Place between angel sleeves.

For stars, cut 1/8-inch-thick rolled dough with miniature cookie cutters or cut out stars with a paring knife. Attach four or five stars to angel dress between sleeves. Add a few more after angel’s hands are attached.

For basket, roll a flattened shape for basket bottom; it should measure 1 inch wide at the basket top and ½ inch deep. Attach to angel’s dress front. Fill basket with greens (dough pushed through garlic press). Add a 1/8-inch-thick handle over the greens and angel’s sleeve.

ANGEL’S HEAD: Roll a piece of dough into a ½-inch-thick flattened oval shape that measures ¾ x l inch. Attach to neck ruffle. Place a tiny piece of dough at the center for the nose.

ANGEL’S HANDS: Form two 3/8-inch-thick balls. Flatten slightly and cut four slits with paring knife to form fingers and thumbs. Attach to angel around armload.

FEET: Attach ½ x ¾ -inch feet to center of the dress hem. Add three 1/8-inch-diameter toes to each foot.

WINGS: Shape two ½-inch-thick triangles from dough that measure 1 inch wide at the bases and taper out to a length of 1½ inches. Attach to angel’s shoulder, layering one wing over the other.

HAIR: Push dough through garlic press; style hair as shown in photograph.

HALO: Wind gold wire around a thick pen to shape a circle. Clip ends, leaving ½-inch ends. Twist ends and insert into the top of the angel’s head.

Bake the ornaments at 275 degrees for about 3 hours; check periodically. Ornaments are done when they are completely hard. Allow to cool before painting.

Paint Ornaments with acrylic paints, using the photograph above for color ideas. Draw eyes and animal mouths with a fine-tip marker. Coat the painted Ornaments with a high-gloss polyurethane.