homemade christmas crackers...

23 December 2010

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we must be utterly crackers to stay until 10.30 at night at the workshop, designing a template for some xmas crackers, especially when there will be only us two for dinner!
I don't know why, but we've really gotten into this christmas malarkey, I'm even going to try and make a christmas dinner {meatless though, Nao eats meat but seems to prefer the idea of my Leek and Elemental pie instead!}. so, we finished our christmas crackers this afternoon, we made 8 in total.
We got the idea from Katy, who, whilst we met up for a dinner, told me about a cracker making workshop she went to recently, and said how she really got into it and it was such a laugh. The way she described it made me feel all creative too!
So that evening we stole one end of a cracker from our dinner party, and worked out the rest of the template on paper. We then photocopied the template on the backs of some prints we made of those 18th century book illustrations we used for our RUST jewellery display.

cutting them all out was a bit of a job, I have to admit, but it was very exciting to see how they looked when rolled up!

 

mine were a bit scruffy compared to Nao's faultless Japanese precision as usual.

xmas office.

I began making the paper crowns, this bit was easy peasy, I used a crown that I nicked from the dinner table as a guide. Just fold up the tissue paper like a concertina and you can make six at once!

I made purple and white ones as it was left over from our present wrapping. I stamped them in gold with our wedding stamp. difficult to see in these photos but it looked better on the purple.

then the jokes! also quite pointless as Nao never seems to get jokes {lost in translation maybe?} and I end up laughing to myself like an idiot. I think he got this one though...


i liked the minimal monochrome look of the prints, so just used my new favourite string we found the other day.
for the snaps, we took apart some bought crackers {sainsbury's £1.99} as we'd left it too late to order them on the Internet {you can buy them from Ebay cheap as chips} they were from tiny tree crackers so we had to lengthen them a bit.

i bought some pressies from a shop near our workshop called Magma, but if I'd had the time, i would have collected small things from the flea market. {a note for next year!}

i used a gold pen to make guilded edges with dots, and Nao stamped our logo on the front!

I didn't buy enough pressies so we settled for my favourite...Baileys truffles...

roll it up, tuck in the tabs, add a bit of string and...

TAA DAA!!!

Unimaginable Creatures Christmas Crackers!

hmmm, I wonder if we will have the heart to pull them all? I guess it depend on how much wine we drink on xmas day!

if you are one of our poor family and friends, you may be shocked at the lack of xmas cards {and pressies, oops!} from us this year! we apologise greatly, we can only assume that all the wedding invitation making in august, has sapped our enthusiasm for making cards this year!

we are going to hibernate from all outside contact this xmas...not sure why? maybe it was a tiring year what with moving home in march, moving business in april/may, going to Japan and getting married in august, all the time running two business, blimey I feel tired just typing all that! time to just eat, sleep, and pull crackers!!

...i'm sure I'll squeeze in a few blog post during the holidays though : )

24 comments

  1. it's beautiful! you're so skillful!

    Merry X-mas to you, your husband and your family too! Have a nice time with them :)...



    Greetings from the Czech Republic,

    Dennie

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  2. these are beautiful; what patience and skill. (i wonder if when the little art/nao arrives you'll have time for this. doubt it you'll be too busy knocking up little one delights!) enjoy...

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  3. oh my these are wonderful. we got the last two crackers in the store. it would be wonderful to fill them with treasures and make it personal as you have done. do you buy chance have the template to share? i don't want to ruin the 2 we are saving for Saturday.

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  4. they are gorgeous! ck :) x

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  5. Dennie,
    Thank you! But its just me and the husband this xmas, not visiting our families for the first time...see how it goes!

    Linda,
    Sounds like you know something I don't!?

    Anntorian
    After making our template, I discovered that they are widely available to download from internet. You can find it on google.

    Merry xMas lovely peoples XXX

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  6. gosh, they're so cute! i could not pull it, it would make my heart break!

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  7. I love your crackers! They're beauties! I made some a few years ago with the kids they were very rudimentary compared to yours. How lovely!

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  8. think these are the bestest crackers I ever did see! the gilded edges are an awesome touch. thanks for the constant supply of beautiful and inspiring creations and treasures this year - wishing you both a magical christmas :D

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  9. wow - amazing.. I just don't know where you find the time! I've been making pom poms but haven't found the time to do anything else! Honestly wish I could be spending Christmas like you and Nao!

    Have a really lovely time and take the time off! x

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  10. As per usual anything on your blog is simply stunning. Have a lovely christmas and new year.

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  11. They are beautiful crackers! Too good to pull apart.

    I've had a ball following you this year Artemis! I wish you and Nao a really fun day tomorrow. I'm sure you'll have a great time together.

    Catch you in 2011.

    Ky xx

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  12. Fantastic crackers - have a wonderful Christmas!

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  13. These are seriously the prettiest crackers ever. You put so much effort into them, my golly.

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  14. As ever, an inspiring post. Happy holidays.

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  15. Merry Christmas! I have a completely unrelated question: I read your blog regularly and happen to have the same type of camera as you. I wonder how you do that lovely effect on some of your photos with a very small area in focus and a soft out-of-focus effect around the edges of the photo. I'm still learning about all of the wonderful things I can do with this camera and I'm curious about whether that effect is something you do with the camera or in the editing process. Would love any tips you have! And, I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog!

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  16. that's how rumors start.... ;)

    I love these crackers, you are so inspiring!!! and the japanese paper balloons are the best. I also bought the pandas for our black and white new years party!

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  17. These are so, so beautiful I don't think I could ever snap them. No trouble pulling the ones we made apart though!

    http://smallthingssimplepleasures.blogspot.com/2010/12/cracking-christmas.html

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  18. you are wonderful
    I''m to late now,but I will make some next year
    enjoy the holidays

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  19. Truly glorious crackers-so clever and original.Have recently discovered your blog and love it.So inspiring.
    Anne x

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  20. Lovely crackers do you have some design of christmas cards?
    Gift Card printing
    Scratch Cards
    Plastic Business Cards

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  21. Can I ask where your beautiful paper is from? Did you download the art and print it? If so, what is the site please?

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  22. Anonymous28.10.13

    Absolutely stunning crackers. I love these. Thanks so much fir sharing. Karen.x

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  23. The most beautiful home made crackers I've seen and best pictures. Which template did you use? Can I find it online?

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  24. Just stumbled upon these gorgeous crackers! I don't suppose you sell them do you?

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