Christmas Crackers

I have finally managed to finish my Christmas Crackers. I finished all of the inside bits last week, but have been busy at work and therefore not crafting as much as I probably need to be to meet the deadline to be finished in 3 weeks!

Anyhow, I started to make the crackers using instructions from a book, but they didn't quite turn out as I wanted, so I decided to  tweak them a bit.

You need:
 - cracker snaps
 - 6 x 16cm x 28cm pieces of wrapping paper or thin wallpaper
 - 6 x cardboard tubes (I used toilet tubes) measuring 10cm
 - 2 x cardboard tubes measuring 6.5cm - these are used to shape the ends and then re-used.
 - double sided tape (6 x 27cm strips)
 - a piece of wool or string
 - a craft knife and scissors
 - ribbon or card-stock to decorate.
 - presents and jokes to put inside.

1. Put the 10cm tube in the centre and draw a small line at each end. Fold each end of the paper so there is a 5mm lip on the outside edge of it. ( I forgot to take a picture, but it's fairly logical!)

2. Make 5mm incisions along each folded edge of the cracker - this will help it fold in better later.

3. Put the paper face down and a strip of tape at one end. At the other place the centre piece of the cracker and the two end pieces, leaving a gap between the middle and the ends. 
4. Put the cracker snap and gifts inside the cracker.

5. Carefully roll the paper over the tubes and keep rolling until the double sided tape ends the roll.

6. Using the string, loop this around the part of the cracker with a space. Pull very gently to constrict the paper, making sure it is narrowed enough to stop the contents from falling out. Secure each end with ribbon. This bit can be fiddly and a bit frustrating!

7. Remove the two outer pieces of cardboard tubing.  Stick down each end of the cracker snap.

8. Decorate or personalise the crackers!

Ideas for inside the crackers: flower seeds, small pack of homemade meat rub, magnetic pegs, embroidered handkerchiefs, flavoured tea....whatever will make your guests smile.

I was a little bit glad to finish this project, mainly because I wasn't really in the mood to refine today...however I am glad they are finished. I just need to find a box to put them in so they don't get crushed travelling to Germany.  But as my boyf' said....they don't have crackers in Germany so it is highly unlikely his mum and dad will notice if they are a little bit bashed!

Another whole job finished - Hooray!

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.

R xxx