How to Make Christmas Crackers

Be on trend this Christmas and celebrate a clash of different cultures, epochs and art movements by creating your own Christmas Crackers decorated with seals made from new solid-coloured glue sticks in red, blue, yellow and green. Decorated with animal skin patterned paper as well as materials such as velvet, embossed leather, feathers and wooden beads. Each one is unique and personalised.

• Dremel Glue Gun 930 and new solid-coloured glue sticks 7mm, clear glue sticks 7mm
• Baking parchment
• Seal
• Metallic ink pad
• Cardboard tubes from the inside of toilet rolls
• Selection of decorative foiled, flock and metallic papers for covering
• Cracker snaps
• Sequin confetti and small gifts to fit inside crackers
• Assortment of ribbon in different widths, plus other items for decorating, such as
  fabric flowers, cinnamon sticks, charms, beads.

To make the decorative seals fit the Dremel Glue Gun 930 with a coloured glue stick 7mm. Dispense a large bead of glue onto the baking parchment and working quite quickly so that the glue remains flexible, press the seal to the surface of the ink pad and then onto the bead of warm glue. Repeat to make more seals. When cool, peel baking parchment from the back of the seals. Practice to establish how much glue to dispense to suit your particular seal.

Cut decorative paper to measure 43 x 18cm. Place face down and score lines 10cm in from each short end, then fold the along the lines and glue the flaps down using the Dremel Glue Gun 930 and clear glue; this will strengthen the ends of the finished cracker. Use a small bead of glue to secure the cracker snap to the covering lengthways.

Place three cardboard tubes end to end on the paper and begin to roll the covering tightly around them. Use the Dremel Glue Gun 930 with clear glue to run a thin line of glue along the edge and continue rolling to adhere the paper around the tubes.

Pull one of the end tubes slightly away from the central tube and tie ribbon between the two tubes, gently manipulating the paper to create a ‘waist’ and tying a secure knot. Insert a small gift and some sequin confetti before repeating at the opposite end of the cracker. Leave the cardboard tubes in the ends while you decorate your cracker; this will help to prevent the ends from getting creased while you work and provide a firmer support if you wish to glue decorations around them.

Using the finished shot as a guide, decorate the cracker with layered paper, ribbons, trimmings and embellishments as desired. To finish, use your Dremel Glue Gun 930 fitted with a clear glue stick to glue short lengths of ribbon to the back of a prepared seal, then glue the seal in place on the finished cracker. Carefully remove the cardboard tubes from each end of the cracker.

About Dremel: Dremel was founded in 1932 by AJ Dremel who introduced the world’s first multitool. Today, it is dedicated to creating and manufacturing high speed rotary tools of the finest quality for  consumers engaged in a wide variety of hands-on DIY & creative hobbies, such as, indoor and outdoor home maintenance projects, automotive restoration, woodworking, model building, as well as a multitude of creative projects from jewellery making to scrapbooking. The Dremel core product line is defined by the Dremel multitool, a versatile high speed motor unit which can be used to drive a system of over 150 available Dremel accessories and attachments. Over the years, the Dremel brand has brought other user-friendly products onto the market, such as, glue guns, engravers, clamps, worktables and butane torches. Dremel products make it easier to perform detailed and intricate tasks for any kind of hands-on project. Dremel. Big on Detail. For more information go to our Virtual Press Office located on www.dremel.com. Dremel is part of the Bosch Group represented in around 50 countries worldwide. For more info, visit the Dremel website: www.dremeleurope.com.