It’s a Cracker!

Christmas starts early with crafters, so to kick off, here’s a free template and instructions for you to make your own Christmas crackers.
Apart from making your own table crackers, these are great as ornaments to brighten up your tree or to use as small gift boxes.  They are also great fun to make and really quick and easy.
Use your favourite background papers or why not pop over to The Wendy House to find some great background prints to use and some pre-printed designs for the Christmas crackers like those shown in the image above.
Download the .pdf template for free – follow the link below

Click here to Download the free template

What you need

Template or pre-printed cracker image
Scissors
Double sided sticky tape
Ruler
Paper trimmer (preferred)
Scoring tool – I used an old credit card
Christmas ribbon – about half a meter for each cracker

Instructions

Print off your cracker or template.
If you are using the template, cut out the template and draw the outline onto your backing card, then come back to this point.

Cut out the design on the cut lines (darker lines).  I prefer to use a paper trimmer on longer lines.
You don’t need to do the diamond shapes at this stage, just the outline.

Using the ruler and scoring tool, score all the fold lines (paler lines) and don’t forget the ones that join up the diamond shapes.


Fold ALL your scored lines, this makes it much easier to put the cracker together.

Fold under the end of the cracker so that the middle of the diamond shape is on the fold and with your card folded, snip out the diamond shapes and the two end pieces.  This is the easiest way to cut out the diamonds.

Put some double sided sticky tape on the tab ends, don’t forget to put this on the small tabs as well and fold up your cracker to meet the top edge.
Now you have a nice cracker shape and you can now pinch the cracker neck pieces and the cracker shape is done.

Tie a piece of ribbon around both neck pieces and you have your cracker.
Enjoy!

Make a lined Box Bag – free tutorial

And with no hand sewing.

I just love these lined box-bags, they are fantastic for make-up, pencil cases and any bits and pieces.  Make a matching set; a shoe bag; spectacle case; handbag a bag for so many uses. Experiment with different sizes.  And because the zip goes down the sides, you can easily get to whatever you want to keep in there.

They are great for using up scraps of fabric and recycled zips. Make them the size of your scrap.

Add some beading or a tassel to the zip for that extra special touch.

Make them for your friends but I’m sure you will want to keep them yourself.

Skill level –

Intermediate

Time to make

Less than 1 hour

What you need

Scissors
Sewing Machine
Zip – 12” (30cm)
Two pieces of contrasting fabric 15” x 12”  (38cm x 30cm)
Thread
Optional tassel or beading
This will make a bag approximately 5” long x 4” wide x 3” high (13cm x  10cm x 7.5cm).

Instructions

Cut the fabric to size.

Remember in this bag the length of the bag is the shorter of the sides (12”).
Take the outside fabric and stitch the zip to the right-side of the fabric close to the teeth

Lay the lining over the zip right sides together and stitch the zip (a little further away from the teeth).

Once stitched, if you open up the fabric, right sides on top, this is what it looks like.

Flip over so the the fabric lays wrong sides together and the zip is flat. Press the zip line if you wish.
Bring the bottom of the outside fabric up to meet the top edge of the zip (right sides together).  Pin the fabric to the edge of the zip and stitch close to the teeth.

Now turn over the fabric so that the lining is on the top.

Fold up the bottom of the lining (right sides together) and stitch to the edge of the zip (a little further away from the teeth).

Now you have two tubes attached by the zip. Press the zip line again if you wish.

Open up the top tube so that you are looking at the right side of the lining. Get a hold of the lining……

and turn the whole thing inside out

This will leave you with the bag inside out.
Now for the side seams.
Fold the bag in half with the zip at the top and pin to mark the bottom fold line. Do this at both ends.

Flatten the bag with the zip in the centre and pin the zip to match the bottom fold in the picture above.  Important - Make sure that the zip is partly open at this stage or you won’t be able to turn it back to the right side.

Stitch down the two side seams and neaten.  If you have an overlocker – great, if not use a stitched zig zag stitch.
 
Now the tricky bit  to make the boxed corners.  Take your time with this as this is what gives the bag it’s shape. Sorry for the blurred picture.
Pinch the corner, so that the seam meets the original bottom fold line (where you pinned it) as closely as you can. You can usually line this up by feeling with your fingers.

Pin the seam line to the bottom fold line and flatten the fabric.

Now mark a point 1.5” (3.5cm) from the corner down each side and draw a line across. Stitch this line and neaten the edge.  Do this for all four corners.  If you don’t take care here the box will end up a strange shape.  They must all be the same.

Trim off the corners outside the stitching line.

Turn the whole thing inside out and there you are! Push out the corners and the bag will take it’s shape.

Click below to download the printable version from our sister website.

Click for Printable version

The Wendy House

I’d love to receive your comments and pictures of your creations.  Either leave a comment below or email me.


See you soon……………………………………..

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.

I love sewing and crafting particularly upcycling and recycling things.  It must be my crafty nature that I hate throwing anything away and end up with a stash of "things" that might come in useful sometime.

Here I will share with you some lovely crafting and sewing ideas, tips and patterns and sometimes just my opinion and thoughts on anything.

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