Every year when it’s time to prep the Christmas lunch I begrudge buying the crackers, everyone loves them, but they make me cringe at the waste! So this year I’m determined to do something different, Reusable Christmas Crackers!
No endless bits of paper and cardboard scattered round the table, no silly plastic toy and a smile on myself knowing I’ve not added to landfill! The down side is no bang but I can choose some family appropriate goodies to fill them with to make the kids smile.
While I was making my first few it occurred to me that they’re so simple to make that I should show you too! I feel like some sort of no waste Christmas ninja warrior, spreading earth saving cheer across the land. A bonus too is it’s fat quarter friendly and leaves no scraps behind. Join me!
Are you making your own? Scroll down to the end of the tutorial and sign up to my mailing list and I’ll send you a free Resuable Christmas Cracker Joke sheet. Print it off and put it in your crackers.
Materials for one Reusable Christmas Cracker
- 2 pieces of fabric – 9” x 11”
- Ribbon 40” to make 20″ ties
- Cardboard tube
Instructions to make a Reusable Christmas Cracker
Position the 2 9”x11” pieces of fabric right sides together. Sew with a quarter inch seam allowance around the outside of the rectangle.
Leave a 3” gap on one edge of the fabric.
Cut the corner edges, being careful not to cut over the thread.
Turn the fabric right side out through the hole and using a point push the corners and edges out. With an iron press the rectangle flat.
To close the 3” gap we’re going to sew around the edge of the entire rectangle which will hide the gap and make the whole piece neat.
When you iron neaten the gap edge so the seams are folded in and lined up.
Use a 1/8” (scant/narrow edge) when sewing around the rectangle. That’s this bit done, it’s now time to assemble your cracker.
I’ve been saving all my toilet tubes for this project rather than putting them in the recycling. Place the tube in the centre of the fabric rectangle. Roll the fabric around the tube.
Using one piece of ribbon tie one end of your wrap. Fill your cracker with whatever you want and use the other ribbon to tie the end off the other end.
Don’t forget you can download my free joke sheet for your crackers by signing to my mailing list below.
That’s it the crackers are finished. A fat quarter of fabric is just the right size to make 4 crackers at a time, use different fabric on each side of your rectangle so you can change up the design on your crackers each year! They are so much fun and earth friendly!
Thank you for taking the time to read my tutorial and I hope that you get to make some lovely Christmas crackers for your home. As promised above sign up to my email list this December and get a free downloadable reusable christmas craker joke sheet:
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These are great! Thanks for sharing this easy tutorial. I love those naff jokes inside the crackers because they are the best thing about them. Of course, handmade crackers will be even better.
Thanks Sarah! My kids love the jokes too, my son chose the jokes to go on the list! 🙂
It’s been a while since I’ve looked at your website (bad bad bad). BUT, it is fantastic, it is so friendly to come on and easy to navigate. I am loving the patterns more than ever. You have a natural way to make it all look easy. Great photo guides as well x
Not bad at all Becca! I’ve not been very bloggy of recent months so you really haven’t missed much! I love your feedback thank you, hopefully save the planet one cracker at time!!