How to Make a Tomato Cage Angel

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Things You'll Need

  • Tomato cage

  • Wire cutters

  • Large Styrofoam ball

  • Clear rope lights

  • Rope light clips

  • Extension cord

  • Twin-size, white sheet

  • 6 feet of thin, gold rope or ribbon

  • Cardboard sheet

  • Construction paper in various colors

  • Pencil

  • Markers

  • Hot glue gun

  • Hot glue sticks

  • Child-size, girl's wig

  • Gold pipe cleaners

  • 4 feet of 24-gauge craft wire

  • Gold spray paint

  • Old sheet

Recycle an angel costume into an ornament by making a tomato cage angel.

Tomato cages are not just for supporting growing vegetables. These cone-shaped, wire cages make the ideal base for a number of crafts including wire angels. The actual assembly of the angel is fairly simple, making this craft an excellent project for parents and children to work on together.

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Step 1

Turn a tomato cage upside down on the work surface. The tomato cage should resemble a pyramid or upside-down cone.

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Step 2

Use a pair of wire cutters to clip the wires on the top of the cage so these wires are all the same length. The wire should be about 2 inches long.

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Step 3

Place a large Styrofoam ball on top of the cage, pushing it down on the wires clipped in the previous step. Choose a ball that is roughly the same size a toddler's head. The ball will become the angel's head, and these wires will hold it in place.

Step 4

Wrap the tomato cage with clear rope lights, starting from the bottom up to the top. Use rope light clips to secure the lights to the wire cage. Plug the rope lights into an extension cord.

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Step 5

Wrap a white, twin-size sheet around the tomato cage. Take two edges of the sheet and tie a knot to secure the sheet in place. Repeat at the bottom. The sides where the sheet is tied will serve as the back of the angel, so it is okay if some of the lights show through the sheet.

Step 6

Wrap the gold rope around the middle of the cage, over the sheet to create the angel's "waist." Loop the rope up around the top of the cage, under the head to create the angel's "neck." The rope should resemble a necklace or the collar of a dress.

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Step 7

Draw eyes, lips and a nose on construction paper. Carefully cut out these facial features. Glue the facial features to a sheet of cardboard. Allow the glue to dry.

Step 8

Cut out the cardboard facial features and use a hot glue gun to secure them to the angel's head, making her face. Place a dot of glue on the face where the eye is located. Quickly press the eye in place. Repeat with the rest of angel's facial features.

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Step 9

Use hot glue to glue a child's wig to the angel's head to give her hair. Place a ring of glue around the crown of the head. Quickly press the wig into place.

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Step 10

Loop a gold pipe cleaner around the rope on the angel's neck, on the backside of the angel. Twist around itself to secure in place. Bend the pipe cleaner to extend vertically above the angel's head.

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Step 11

Twist a small loop in both ends of a gold pipe cleaner. Insert another pipe cleaner into one of the loops. Twist the end around itself to make an additional loop and secure the two pipe cleaners together. Insert the opposite end of the second pipe cleaner into the empty end of the initial pipe cleaner to make a circle. Twist the end into a loop to secure the circle together.

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Step 12

Attach the pipe cleaner halo circle to the vertical pipe cleaner from Step 10. Insert the end of the vertical pipe cleaner into on of the loops securing the linked halo pipe cleaners together. Twist around to secure.

Step 13

Cut two pieces of the 24-gauge craft wire into two foot long sections. Place on an old sheet and spray paint with gold paint. Allow the wires to dry. Flip over and paint the backside of the wire. Allow the wires to dry.

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Step 14

Attach one section of wire to the back of the angel, just below the neck on the right side. Twist the end of the wire around the metal tomato cage to secure. You may need to move the angel's clothing and light to reach the wire cage.

Step 15

Bend the wire to create a large U-shape extending of the back of the angel like a wing. Twist the opposite to tomato cage to secure. This twist should be located below the initial twist, so that the angel's wing resemble a U turned on its side. Repeat on the left side to create the second wing. Plug in the angel to illuminate.

Tip

Pieces leftover from a child's angel costume could but substituted for a pipe cleaner halo and wire wings.

Warning

Young children should not work on this project alone, as working with hot glue, wire and wire clippers could cause injury.

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