Cute Crackers

BY ELLEN KHARADE

These crackers made from stiff pastel papers are the prettiest way to gift wrap those small Christmas gifts, such as jewellery. Each takes about an hour to make.

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy peasy

You Will Need

Patterned paper 15cm × 15cm (6in × 6in)

Pink, blue, mint and lavender paper

Cardboard tubes

Felt flowers, small buttons and narrow ribbons

1. Cut one cardboard tube to 7cm (2³⁄₄in) and two tubes to 5cm (2in). Apply a strip of narrowdouble-sided tape to the inside rim of one end of each of the short tubes.

2. Cut a strip of patterned paper measuring 7cm × 16.5cm (2³⁄₄in × 6¹⁄₂in). Cut two strips of plain paper measuring 8cm × 16.5cm (3¹⁄₈in × 6¹⁄₂in). Using thin masking tape stick the long sides of the plain paper to the long sides of the patterned paper.

3. Cover the patterned paper back with wide double-sided tape strips. Cover one long edge and two short edges with narrow double-sided tape strips. Peel off the backing from the patterned paper; lay the large tube in the centre. Lay the shorter tubes either side leaving a 6mm (¹⁄₄in) gap in between. Tightly roll the paper around the tubes.

4. To crease the paper into a cracker shape, tie some embroidery thread around the gaps between the tubes, pull tight and knot several times. Peel off the backing paper from the plain paper and secure around the smaller tubes. Peel off the backing paper from the ends of the tubes and fold in the paper.

5. Decorate the cracker ends with strips of paper cut from co-ordinating paper. Decorate the centre top with felt flowers, with a small button in the centre. Tie long lengths of co-ordinating ribbon into bows around the cracker sections.