The Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials: Day 12

Hello G45ers,

We're counting down the days until Christmas with gorgeous ideas for handmade gifts! Welcome to the final day of the Graphic 45 Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials! We've got more festive holiday inspiration that's sure to brighten your day! We'll be sharing another magnificent card by Gloria Stengel. Then Nichola Battilana is going to share a fun tutorial for creating a beautiful Christmas cracker, complete with a decorative holiday crown! You're going to fall in love with today's amazing crafts! Lets get inspired to make this the best holiday ever with Graphic 45!

Just a reminder, G45ers, today is the last day to enter to win this breathtaking prize pack! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment for your chance to win this fabulous grand prize that includes our 12 Days of Christmas collection as well as fabulous products from Core'dinations, Xyron, Petallo and Scor-Pal! This amazing prize is worth over $135 and its got everything you need to craft a perfect holiday season! Be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win! A random winner will be announced on our blog tomorrow! Stay tuned to see if you've won!

The twelfth day of Christmas celebrates the twelve drummers drumming. This fabulous image comes to life in Gloria's dazzling holiday card featuring our 12 Days of Christmas collection. The holidays are such an enchanting time for getting creative. The magnificent papers and embellishments from 12 Days of Christmas offer endless possibilities for perfect handmade cards and gifts! Let Gloria's wonderfully festive card inspire you to let your imagination run wild! Here are some of Gloria's helpful tips for how she created this vibrant holiday treasure. Take it away, Gloria!

This was the hardest card of the entire set to complete. Perhaps because it was the last one or maybe because I was unsure which image to chose. I am happy with the outcome and love the small details such as the glitter flower centers and my "real wood" drum sticks!

I am happy to have purchased a set of Christmas trinkets and that I hoarded them for just this set of projects. They added just the right vintage touch to the cards! I love the vintage metal paired with the sparkle on the flowers.

I cut the flowers with a poinsettia die and then chalked the veins with white chalk ink to give the flowers more dimension. The drum sticks are actually toothpicks cut to size and "stained" with an alcohol marker!

I decorated the inside of the card a sticker and a strip of paper.

Supplies:

Graphic 45 The Twelve Days of Christmas papers:

Joyeux Noel

Drummers Drumming

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Graphic 45 The Twelve Days of Christmas Cardstock Stickers

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers Original ColorMates Light Totally Tan, Deep Berry Red, Light Berry Red, Elan Metallics Antique Gold, Smooth Deep Spring Green

Trinket: Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Die cut template: Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia

Gems stones: Couture Creations

Ribbon: Stampin' Up!

Toothpicks: grocery store

Brad: unknown

Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk Alabaster; Copic Markers

Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L 3D Foam Squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape runner; Beacon Fabri-trac; Aleene's Tacky Glue

 

Next we have a beautiful gift tutorial by Nichola that also features our 12 Days of Christmas collection! This is her amazing Christmas cracker! This is such a fun holiday tradition! Have a great time creating these sweet gifts for your holiday dinner guests, friends and family! It's the perfect way to bring even more festive cheer to your Christmas celebration! Take it away, Nichola!

We have a combined Christmas in my household, celebrating both my husbands Italian roots and my British background. One of the Brit traditions we always include is the Christmas Cracker. Just before dinner, guests grasp the ends and pull apart these little treats, a small snap inside ‘CRACKS!’ as it breaks open. Inside is a paper crown to be worn during the feast, a joke or motto, and a small treat, gift or trinket.

 

 

 

 

Supplies:

12 Days of Christmas:

• 12 Days of Christmas

• Joyeux Noel

• 12 Days of Christmas Banners

• 12 Days of Christmas Chipboard Die-cuts 2

• 12 Days of Christmas Stickers

• 12 Days of Christmas 6x6 Patterns & Solids Pad

Cracker snap (I purchased mine from Michaels’s 12 for under $3)

Tissue Paper

Double Sided Tape

Various May Arts Ribbon

Petaloo Flowers

• Botanica Minis in Cranberry/Amber/Orange

• Velvet Hydrangea leaves

Trinkets and treats for inside the cracker.

 

Here is how to create your very own Traditional English Christmas Cracker.

 

Tutorial:

 

Begin by creating the paper crown. The crown should be quite simple and not heavily embellished as it will be rolled up. Create your own version or use THIS .template

  Download Graphic45_12DaysofChristmas_Cracker_Crown_template

I’ve cut the two pieces from the template from 12 Days of Christmas. **NOTE the template only measures 11” across. Clip or incorporate the extra 1” however you see fit.

Use some double sided tape to adhere the layers together. Take a 28” length of coordinating ribbon and affix it with double sided tape to the crown, adhere the middle of the ribbon with the middle front of the crown. The extra length at the sides will be used to tie the paper crown to your head.

 

 

I lightly embellish with some dots from the 12 Days of Christmas Banners and a festive 12 Days of Christmas Sticker. DO NOT over embellish.

 

Now we move on to creating the actual cracker. Begin by cutting two pieces of coordinating paper into 5” x 6” rectangles.

 

 

I’m going to use the piece from the 12 Days of Christmas 6x6 Patterns & Solids Pad for my inner tube. I place a double width of 2 sided tape down the length of the short edge of the paper. I want this inside tube to be slightly smaller than the outsider one.

 

 

With the inner tube now created, I roll my paper crown tight enough to fit inside. I can also place any other treats, jokes or small items inside at this point. (Psst! If you have trouble keeping them from falling out, you can sneak them in later!)

 

 

Using a small piece of tape (or hot glue, or any other adhesive) tack a snap into place. This will help to keep it in place when it is pulled apart. Do not affix it in the centre, where the snappy bit is.

 

 

By bending the strip like the photo below, you further help the snap to stay in place.

 

 

 

I fold a standard piece of tissue paper in half and tightly roll it around my tube. Don’t worry about the excess width, we’ll need it. Tack in place with a tiny bit of hot glue or double sided tape.

 

 

 

 Try to avoid squishing the ends as you wrap the second piece of 5” x 6” paper around the outside. Align this outer roll with the inside one.

 

 

You should have something that looks like this...

 

 

At this point I usually trim about 1” from either end of the tissue. Making sure the the ends are neat and tidy.

 

To create clean, crisp rolls at the end I make an extra tube that is slightly smaller than my cracker. This doesn’t have to be pretty as it is going to be my rolling tool.

 

 

 

Insert the roll tool inside the end of the cracker. You’ll want to leave about 1-2” of space between the end of the tool and the edge of the crackers tube.

 

 

 

Firmly twist until you have a nice tight seal and a neatly rolled end. Peek inside and you should see the end of the snap poking out of the centre of the twist.

 

 

 

To ensure the twist does not unfurl, tie a small piece of ribbon to hold everything in place.

 

 

 

If you were having trouble keeping your treats inside the cracker, you can now sneak them inside by pushing them in the open end before repeating the same twisting technique to seal the opposite side.

 

The final step is to embellish the exterior. Use coordinating ribbons, and tags, Fussy cut flowers and lords-a-leapin’. I’ve added a decorative brad and some beautiful flowers and leaves from Petaloo.

 

 

When you’re setting your Christmas table, place one cracker on each plate and have guests pull them apart before the feasting begins. And make certain that everyone wears their silly paper hats… they make Christmas merry and jolly indeed!

 

Wasn't that fun?! We've got one more special treat for you G45ers! Here is another gorgeous series of cards that Gloria created with our 12 Days of Christmas collection. You can download the project sheet for these amazing cards as well as a decorative card storage box! Click on the links below to download the project sheet tutorials. Have a wonderful time creating the perfect cards for friends and family! Happy holidays from all of us at Graphic 45!

 

 

Click the link below to download Gloria's card tutorials!

Download Tutorial 12Days-12CardClass

Click the link below to download Gloria's decorative card box tutorial!

Download Tutorial for 12Days-Box

That's all for today's very special blog, G45ers. We had so much fun getting to share this incredible holiday event with you! Be sure to stop by our blog tomorrow when we announce a winner for our amazing grand prize! We will also have a fantastic featured artist and some incredible crafts to inspire your weekend! We can't wait to share the inspiration! Big thanks to Gloria and Nichola for their stunning work today. We also want to thank all of you G45ers for joining us! Have a fantastic day!

Happy Holiday Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Related articles

Deck The Halls With Holiday Tags

The Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials: Day 5

The Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials: Day 4

The Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials: Day 3

Comments

[Paula Zaitz]

I've been good! Pick me, pick me!! =) Seriously, all your products are just gorgeous...these don't disappoint!!

[Elaine S.]

Yes, this was great fun. I wish I could make them all - I may just do that one day.

[Cathy Osborne]

#12 - sad the end of the adventure. Gloria, your cards were inspirational and sooooo beautiful. All the special touches and extras were sensational. The box is over the top...thank you for sharing your talents.

[carrie jile]

Very nice altered box indeed. Love the twelve days of Christmas papers, and tons of ideas for Christmas crafts. I love G45...

[Candy]

I can't decide which card I love more. Then there is the paper which is gorgeous!

[Anne Schilling]

Oh my what wonderful projects!

[Sophie Frizzell]

Thank you for the amazing inspiration and wonderful tutorials of the last 12 days, and all the many days before that too. Hope you all have a merry christmas and a happy and healthy new year!

[lorrie]

I love all these they are great!!!

[Amante del Papel]

it's a beautiful projects!

[Julie Venn]

Apart from my girls homemade xmas presents winning this would be up there with the best. Your tutorials have been wonderful so with the prize I could get scrapping

[Linda Carson]

Such inspirational artwork by amazing designers!

[JessicaK]

Amazing creations, wow! Thank you guys so much for sharing this inspiration, and offering a chance to win these cool products to play with!

[Kris Martinez]

Thanks for the Christmas crackers tutorial. Look fun to make!

[Karen]

I love the card. What a way to end the 12 days of Christmas. I love the poinsettia's! And the drum sticks, what a cute idea. It has been a joy watching all of the amazing cards and projects that have been submitted the last 12 days. It couldn't be done without G45 papers. What a fantastic paper company. They definitely have not only the crafter in mind, but also the artist when they design their papers. Thanks to all of you for sharing your amazing artwork and giving us directions so we can try to do something similar. Some of us just need that little boost. It is greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas to all!

[Gabriel Kingsley]

Wow thank you for all the Beautiful tutorials! I will have to do a lot of these next year.

[Lisa Duarte]

G45 has the best projects and paper to get anybody in the Holiday Spirit..Thank You!

[lisa malterud]

i just love all your projects. your paper lines are absolutely beautiful.

[Deborah W]

Thank you so much for ALL these fabulous projects - I got so inspired this year!

[Tammy Hayes Thompson]

What great projects! I wish I had the kind of creativity that comes up with these ideas! This paper line is incredible. Thanks for the chance to win. I love G45!

[Elisa VanWormer]

Your papers and ideas make very Merry Christmas albums for gifts; keep up the great work.

[rosebudinnh]

what wonderful projects ! love them thanks for sharing...And thanks for the chance to win.

[Jeanne Dunn]

You were really busy so close to Christmas. Thanks for all the lovely cards and box and all of it. Love it.

[Debbie Calvert]

What a great collection of ideas. Thank you so much.

[Tammy Lapointe]

oh Please please, I want to win G45 goodness sooo badly!!!

[Pam Latham]

I love all your products. Thank you for the chance to win.

[Jenifer Sue]

Beautiful papers & projects!

[Diana Pyeatt]

These projects are beautiful! And, you are so right...this is an amazing prize package. I would love to win all these wonderful products. Thanks for the chance to win.

[Imma]

Beautiful projects. Just love those poinsettias on the card. Thanks for all the inspiration !!

[Imma]

I love the crown!! Beautiful papers. Thanks

[CraftyAuntDee]

The 12 days of Christmas has never had so many wonderful projects and tutorials as what you have done. Many thanks to all the wonderful Designers for their great designs and ideas. It's been so much fun and so exciting to see each day.

[Marsha]

Great projects!

[Lindy]

All of these projects have been simply amazing! Thanks G45!

[Cindi Lou Byrd]

I love the poinsttia!

[Bernice Pierre]

Graphic 45 is the best!

[Karen L K]

Really nice looking card and that cracker was a fun idea. Nice instructions for creating the cracker.

[Lori Awde]

Love the new paper as I have any of your other papers

[Amber Hannah]

I think the cards are so pretty.

[Eileen S.]

I admire the talent and creativity in these projects. It provides me with ideas and inspiration!

[Judith van Stam]

Love them all! Thank you for 12 days of inspiration.

[Beneta]

Love all the tutorials. It is wonderful to have such talented people share with everyone. Thanks so much.