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 Fusion 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.