Christmas crackers!

 A while ago, I decided I would like to make some reusable crackers.  I have made my own for several years, but these still come with a whole host of waste that I would really like to reduce.  I think I saw on a podcast, someone say they were going to make some with fabric and I thought that was a fabulous idea.

With that in mind I earmarked half term as a time to create these for the family.

I decided early on that there had to be a snap (otherwise what is the point) and it needed to come apart.  So I had to make two parts to the fabric tube that could come apart, but I didn't want to break the fabric.  So velcro was my solution. 

I made a quick prototype where I had the velcro all around the join.

But although the snap worked it was too strong to pull apart comfortably, so I made an adjustment on the addition of velcro in just four points. 

Assembling the resources:

Four squares of Christmas fabric (I actually used a rectangle approx 44 x 24cm)

Needle and thread (I wanted to do it by hand but most you could have run up on a machine)

Sew on velcro

Cracker snaps

Ribbon or string

Double sided sticky tape

Cardboard tube

So first I cut my tube into 12cm sections.  I then rolled the fabric around to create the outer tube and found that a rectangle approximately 44 x 24cm was what I needed.  Then I pinned it in place and sewed the fabric into said tube.  I then folded over each end (5mm) double to neatly hem it.

At this point I gave it a press and cut the tube in half.  I hemmed the edge in term and the added four pads of velcro around the circle (personally I wanted the harder hooks facing inwards and the softer pads facing out - I donthink it would make much difference but that how I did it!)

Nearly done,  I attached a snap with double sided sticky tape to the inner cardboard tube, and inserted the cardboard tube into the velcro attached outer fabric tube.

Lastly, I used some Christmas string to tie each end of the cardboard tube to prevent the present falling out.

Ta da!!  My Christmas crackers.