Project 9 - Christmas crackers

Today's embellishment is based on anothe playing card slide mount, which was backed on to a small amount of co-ordinating backing paper with inked edges. Cut a Chrisrmas scene from the Vintage Christmas backing paper and ink the edges, embellish witha chipboard frame a narrow ribbon bow and the word joy under a clear bubble sticker.

Project 9 - Christmas Cracker

These can be made simply using toilet roll or kitchen roll tubes. I know at school there is a ruling now we are not allowed to use toilet roll tubes on the grounds of health and safety!!!! So you could cut kitchen roll tubes in half! Start collecting now! If you are not ready to go with gifts, hats and jokes, you can always get one end of the cracker fastened and leave the other end open until you are ready! I make these every year for the school craft fayre, using dog and cat wrapping paper and filling them with treats for the kids to buy cheaply for their pets! (See my pet post coming up!!!) For this cracker, I used Anna Griffin papers. It is easier to make them with crepe paper and use the scrapbook paper as a band around the middle, but you can decide. Too thick papers, just tear when you try and tie the ends unless you proceed carefully!

You will need

Hat/novelty/joke contents
Cracker snaps (optional)
Tags
Border punch
Die cut Christmas shapes
Cardboard toilet roll tubes
Silicone glue
Double sided tape
Adhesive gems
Christmas papers
Ribbon or Raffia 1. Using a sheet of Christmas backing paper, use a fancy border punch to decorate the edges.

2. Line up three toilet roll tubes with a gap between each one. Only one will remain in the cracker, the other two just keep the ends in shape until completed. The extra tubes act as an extra pair of hands and keep the ends shaped beautifully - this is usually the give away on hand made crackers!! Lay the cracker snap in position (if using) at this point, running the full length of the tubes.3. Wrap the paper around the tube until it just overlaps, don't leave too much overlap, as it makes it hard to gather later, trim and then apply double sided tape along the cut edge. Wrap up the tube and secure.4. Carefully feel for the gap between toilet roll tubes with your finger and make a slight depression where the raffia wants to tie around. Pull lightly and then ease with fingers again, pull again and squeeze with fingers until you have made a narrow tie that the gift will not fall out of! This is the tricky point when it could tear, so proceed with caution!!! Trim the ends of the raffia close to the knot.

TIP: Thinner paper gather better, but can also rip! If using wrapping paper, sometimes I do it double or with a layer of crepe paper underneath. Experiment! If you are worried about things falling out, make a small packet of tissue paper, containing the hat, gift and joke together.

5. I used some matching Anna Griffin die cuts to decorate, which I popped out and assembled with silicone glue and left to dry. You could use what you want. For the greeting, I stamped an Anna Griffin stamp on to some white card stock and just cut out the greeting. I then layered this white greeting on to some Anna Griffin fabric and then on to some toning bazzill cardstock. Punch a hole through the assembles greeting tag, using your Cropadile, then knot a piece of ribbon through it.

6. Arrange the decorations on the cracker, and secure with silicone glue or wet glue. leave to dry. Trim each end with matching ribbon, knot and cut ends at an angle.

So there you have it! Homemade crackers, in fabulous papers matching your table theme! Pink is in this year!!!

Drop by tomorrow for another craft project. Happy Crafting! TFLx