Friday, December 16, 2011

Homemade Christmas Crackers


Something a Christmas table can't do without is the traditional Christmas Cracker.

Where everyone has to look dorky with their cool hats, tell a stupid joke, and be told, "That is so dumb!"  Of course the awesome prize that you brag about cuz you are so sure that yours is the best (and then leave it on the table to be taken out with the trash.  Yes the infamous Christmas Cracker....ahhhh.
This year is the year for the cool cracker.....well maybe not so cool, but big.  And you know what they say, Bigger Is Better!
Dollar stores are a haven for Christmas Cracker supplies.  That's where most of this came from.  *Note to family*.....This came from the DIAMOND dollar store, cause I only buy the best for you!  NOW LOOK AWAY!


I found the cheapest, cutest hats they had, but forgot to try them on.  Maybe I just have a big head???

  So I had to do a little alteration on them.
  I cut the back open and sewed a piece of elastic in.


  This worked pretty good, and fit somewhat bigger. 
Red elastic would have been nice but I used what I had in my stash!  We call it Big Heads Stash.


I cut up some cardboard that my awesome sister gave me.  (NEED SOME MORE CARDBOARD AWESOME SISTER  hint hint).  This is the same cardboard I used for my scented trees.  Click Here  if you would like to see the tutorial for these.  I made seven of these crackers so  I cut seven pieces 6"x12". 

I rolled them into a tube, overlapping maybe 1/2 inch.  I needed the bodies to be big for all the Diamond awesomeness I was stuffing in there.  I hot glued the seam and reinforced with duct tape, but I must confess, I only did two that way.  The rest were just hot glued. 

It had to be big cuz I wanted to pack them full!
Bigger is Better!

I took the tube and hot glued it to the edge of some wrapping paper.
The snapper part was put inside of it but not glued in.


I cut fourteen more pieces of cardboard.  These were for the ends that held the snaps.  I put a bit of hot glue on the edge and attached a tube to each end of the snapper.  Through trial and error, (that's why you only ever see six in the photos),  I realized that they needed to be smaller than the center tubes.  I cut these at 3"x7".  Rolled them into tubes and hot glued them.


Now you get to roll up your stuff to fit in the tube.  Good Luck!  Nah, it was pretty easy.  I rolled the goodies up  inside the hat,  and stuffed away.

Roll your paper tightly around the center tube and hot glue it together.  The end tubes must be free from the paper so no glue is applied to these.  I did glue the ends where you see my fingers, just to hold  paper to paper.

Now this is a bit tricky.  Kinda scrunch up the paper between the end tube and center tube on each side.  I did one at a time so that I wasn't putting tension on the snapper.  Once one end is done, you can push it towards the center tube so that the other end has a little more play for you to scrunch it up.  I sure hope this isn't the blond leading the blond cause I just can't word this any other way. 
  We are almost done!  You get to put your pretty ribbon on the end and tie.  My ribbon had wire in it so it was pretty stable without a knot or a bow.



I must admit, I could have made them a little more glitzy, but this project turned into a four hour ordeal.  I quickly put initials on the round stickers.  You could put names on but nobody has the same initial in our family.  Any sticker will do, maybe an address label, as everybody has them.  

I poked a hole through the sticker with my scissors and hot glued on a pretty button.


I used my trusty glitter glue and went around the perimeter of the sticker.



Next year these babies will be all decked out with this and that.  They are pretty simple but I think the family will enjoy them.




Hope your week is going well!
Oonga
Sisterkins

Monday, December 12, 2011

Orange Garland


Life as an orange is good...well at least for these oranges. They were dehydrated. That will make them last for a long time.   I just gathered a few supplies that I actually had in my stash. Some dried oranges, buttons, a roll of jute, raffia, and hot glue. I strung my oranges together, few buttons, tied some raffia on and then put a bit of hot glue to hold the oranges in place. Hope you like them.








And now......with the annual railing garland.  I usually wrap my garland around the railing, but I was a little lazy this year.




 P.S.  Please don`t mind the dust.  We are renovating the old house.
In the process of building a new bathroom so my posts  (both blog and railing),
could be a little dusty from here on out.
Have a Dust Free Day!
Oonga
Sisterkins

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Lavender Heat Bag


Good morning or afternoon or evening. Not sure when and where you are so I covered all my bases. I would like to share with you how I make my Dad, his annual heatbag. 


I started this time with a towel.

I usually use corduroy but I am out. You have to use 100 percent cotton fabric and thread, as polyester thread and fabric wont hold up to the heat over time.

I figure out what size I am going to make him and fold the fabric in half and cut. This bag is 16" x 12" so I cut my fabric 17" x 26". You can make whatever size you want! Sew up the sides and press the top over for a finished hem.
Turn right side out and sew tubes from the bottom to top. Fill these with rice and lavender. I add about 1/2 cup of lavender to 3 cups rice.  It probably took around 9 cups of rice and 1 1/2 cups lavender. 

Fill each tube about 2/3 full. Sew the top closed.   I double sew this so no rice can escape from its little cell.


I like to make covers for the bags as they can be taken off and thrown in the wash. I make them the same way, except I don't sew the tubes.

I add a piece of Velcro to the top and that's his annual heatbag.


Microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes at the most. The rice will burn the bag if left for too long in the microwave. You can use these as cold packs too. Just pop into the freezer and leave them in there all the time, until you need it. It will stay cold for quite awhile.   *Note*  The lavender scent will eventually fade.
 Stay Warm!
Oonga
Sisterkins

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