Each year I create my own Christmas Crackers for the family, instead of purchasing crackers with items inside that are usually thrown out. This way everyone gets a small gift that they like and will use.
I make no secret in stating that Prima Romance Novel has got to be my favourite paper from Prima for a long time, I decided
to go non-traditional this year and use this beautiful paper range for my Christmas gifts and tags
This year I decided to make crackers that we can use for years to come. We always have silver on our table and for the past 4 years our Christmas theme has been pink and silver. If I have my way, it won't change for years to come, so using this colour theme for my crackers is a safe bet.
To construct the cracker - use either an empty handee towel roll - or for larger crackers - a rolled bit of cardboard like a pizza box or old cardboard box (these are great because of the ribbing in-between the layers, it allows you to roll your card into a tube much easier). I don't use toilet rolls, it just seems too gross, but that is my own personal opinion, use whatever you want to.
Cut 2 pieces of fabric which will roll around your cardboard tube 1.5 times. Cut the length ends of fabric with decorative scissors. I have used 2 pieces, because the organza fabric on the top will show through to the satin fabric below, giving it a nice double layer.
Place fabric on top of each other. Secure one length to the tube and then roll around until you reach the end then secure.
Tie a bow at each end. I secured one bow with my hot glue gun (remembering these are for future Christmas's), so it is permanently closed.
For the boys
For the above cracker, I first cover 3 x 2.5cm white mulberry leaves with Brushed Pewter Distress Stain or Silver Paint Dabber and put aside to dry. Adhere round silver brass filigree to cracker, add your name tag, coloured white leaves, silver bow and silver bells
I used our silver fibre ribbon, for the boys which comes in 5m bags for $2.50 - so you will definitely get at least 6 crackers from the packet with some left overs. Place gift inside cracker.
The above "Mark" cracker has our white felt stars and scrolls ribbon around the middle of cracker, add name tag, silver bells and silver fibre ribbon
And for the Girls
Tie 2 bows on top of each other from pink organza scalloped ribbon. Add a Round Silver Ribbon Slide, add name tag and place pink roses around tag and ribbon slide.
This one has a mulberry flower backing, round silver ribbon slide, pink crackle glass beads, a pink rose with a mum charm for the name tag
For the adults I always put in a miniature bottle of alcohol:)
This year inside DD's cracker I have made her a Butterfly Clip, available in our filigree section for $1.20 each, plus a few other small girlie things.
For a gift card holder, you can't go past Prima Romance Novel Bookplate,
as there is already one for you to cut ... woo hoo gotta love it when
something is half done for you! So cut it out and also two of the
little round circle tabs on the sheet.
Fold your holder
and apply your tape - BUT DON"T ADHERE YET. Line up where you want your
circle tabs to go and hole punch them. Pierce 2 of our Pink Metal brads
in the centre of the circle tab and through your pre-punched holes on
the gift card holder and seal by folding the brad prongs back to secure
in place. Ink edges with your choice of ink, I choose Versa Color Pine Cone Ink.
Now you can adhere your gift card holder, so you should have this.
Tie pink organza ribbon around the brads and tie a bow with one of our Hanging Present Charms looped inside. I coloured mine with Dark Chocolate Liquid Pearls and Flamingo Liquid Pearls.
To create the name tag I cut a tag from Prima Romance Novel Bookplate, placed pink organza ribbon inside the tag before sealing so it can be hung from the tree. Tie a bow with 3 pink bells from our Christmas Bells 6mm Non Traditional Pack.
Then finished off the tag with 3 pink roses.
And...
Wine Bottle Tag
Using this template, cut from a pizza box for sturdy cardboard, score
the dotted lines and cut out 5cm diameter circle as indicated.
I have used the gorgeous Romance Novel Love Story for my wine tag and inked the edges with Versa Color Pine Cone Ink.
Cut a piece of acetate approximately 3cm x 5cm and hot glue 4 1cm pink roses and a scatter of pink glass beads onto acetate. Trim off excess acetate. Tie 3 pink bells from the Christmas Bells 6mm Non Traditional Pack together with Light Pink and White Bakers twine (I pulled out the white twine so I just had pink thread) and adhere the excess twine to the back of your acetate.
So you should have something like this
The chipboard Merry Christmas have been heat embossed using Stampendous Copper Enamel
And here is a quick easy Christmas Card
Using an oval piece of acetate as a mask, I sprayed around it with Vintage Pink Glimmer Mist and leave to dry (TIP: to prevent so much warping when using Glimmer Mist, lightly spray the backside of your paper first with water).
Centre a silver round brass filigree with a pink lily. Add pink crackle glass beads (see here for instructions on how to attached beads to pins)
To finish off your card, add dots of stickles to the edge of your oval.
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