Make your Own Christmas Cracker Favours

The talented Nella from http://www.lostmykitty.etsy.com/ has kindly offered to share her DIY tips for making crackers- these are such a personal favour option and ideal for a festive wedding. Check out her Etsy shop that has unique wedding crafts all made with love and care. From mini photo albums to silk corsages, I am sure there is something that you will fall in love with as an individual piece for your wedding day.

What You’ll Need- Makes a 10 ¼ inch cracker with a 5” x 2” cylinder for filling.

1. Wrapping paper (cut to 7” x 12”) – It is important to use a thicker paper as crackers made with thin sheets will tear apart too easily while being constructed.
2. Center tube (5” x 6” sealed with glue or tape) and ends (cut into 2” x 6” strips) – I purchased a sheet of handmade 90 weight ivory paper.
3. Cracker snaps
4. Fillers: fortunes, jokes, riddles, or a Christmas themed cutout; small gifts; and chocolates – I’ve used Sterling Silver Christmas charms and pretty silver ornaments for mine.
5. Organza ribbon (two 12” and one 5” strips)
6. Jingle Bells – It just wouldn’t be Christmas without that particular little jingle!
7. Utility Knife
8. Scissors
9. Metal Ruler
10. Cutting MatGlue Stick and Tape

Instructions:

Step 1 – Divide your 12” Wrapping paper sheet lengthwise at the intervals 2” 1.5” 5” 1.5” 2”. Draw lines along those intervals. Now mark ½” up the sheet in the 1.5” space and then score on each side. This will make it much easier to close your cracker ends without it tearing.

Step 2 – Glue and tape down your Cracker snap to the lengthwise center of the sheet.

Step 3 – Tape one end of the paper and roll the paper onto the center tube using the center lines you’ve drawn as a guide. Add a strip of glue to the edge of the wrapping paper and seal.

Step 4 – Tie off one end of your cracker with the 12” strip of organza ribbon. Be careful not to tie it too tight so as not to rip the paper. Now you are ready to fill your cracker!

Step 5 – Here I have all the items I’ve put in my crackers I’ve attached the Sterling Silver Snowflake to one of the Christmas ornaments using the 5” strip of organza ribbon. Fill the cracker and tie off the other end using the remaining 12” strip of organza ribbon.

Step 6 – Now that your cracker is complete, roll the 2” x 6” strips into the ends of the cracker to keep them nice and stiff.

Step 7 – To add the jingle bells, thread each bell to each end of the organza ribbon. Push the bell down the ribbon and then tie a pretty little bow.

Step 8 – Your cracker is now complete! Fight the urge to make it snap. I unfortunately couldn’t help myself with this one but it was the best two seconds ever!

What it will cost:

Paperchase Wrapping Paper 2m 3.50 25 Paperchase Round Ornaments 3.50 72 Paperchase Jingle Bells 3.50 90 weight Ivory paper from Jarrold’s 1.70 Roll of Ribbon from Jarrold’s .99 25 Cracker Snaps on Ebay 2.40 Sterling Silver Charms on Ebay 17.99 Chocolates from M&S 1.98

Total 2.40 per cracker. Can’t beat that price for Sterling Silver!