Festive Fabric Cracker Tutorial
Add a handmade touch to your dinner table this festive season!
Add a luxury handmade touch to your Festive dinner table this festive season with your own fabric crackers that you can use again and again each year.
These gorgeous crackers with a soft velvet ribbon trim are a great way to add a personal touch for your dinner guests. They may not snap like traditional paper crackers but they will still go down with a bang as everyone opens their own special cracker. The internal cylindrical box of each cracker can be filled with your own jokes or perhaps a dinner table game like truth or dare. Add in your favourite chocolates, paper crowns or some table confetti, you could even find little personalised gifts that will be useful for each guest rather than the typical cracker prizes that so often end up in the bin!
If you fancy giving this project a try you can purchase a cracker pack from the website (while stocks last) or source your own supplies to fit in with your table decoration theme. Each cracker is a bagged out rectangle of fabric constructed of co-ordinating fabrics and decorated with a velvet ribbon trim. The rectangular shape is then wrapped around a cardboard cylindrical box and tied with satin ribbon to give the cracker effect.
I've made a video tutorial as well as a photo based tutorial depending on your preference of learning. Click the image below to watch the video on Youtube or read on for written instructions.
Handmade Fabric Cracker Tutorial
What you will need (to make 4 crackers)
Use one of our cracker packs or gather your own supplier of the following
- 30cm x 55cm (12 x 22") of 5 different fabrics that co-ordinate nicely together
- 40cm x 110cm (16 x 44") of a plain backing fabric for the reverse of the crackers
- 4m (4.5 yds) of 10mm (¼ - ⅜") satin ribbon to tie the crackers
- 2m (2.25 yds) of velvet ribbon or other decorative trim
- cylindrical cardboard tubes with an outer diameter of 5.1cm (2") and outer height of 11.4cm (4.5")
- Thread - you may want thread that co-ordinates with the main fabrics as well as one that matches the decorative velvet ribbon
Step One - Cut the side panels
Cut the side panels of the cracker with dimensions of 10cm x 24cm (4 x 9.5"). Each cracker needs two of these panels with in the same print of fabric. You can measure and draw out this dimension directly onto the fabric or you can make up your own templates with paper or baking parchment.
If the print you are working with is directional and has a right and wrong way up, make sure that the long edge of the rectangle is parallel to the selvedge of the fabric.
Step Two - Cut the centre panel
Cut the central panel of the cracker in a different fabric with the dimensions of 19cm x 24cm (7.5 x 9.5") . Each cracker needs one panel.
If the print you are working with is directional and has a right and wrong way up, make sure that the long edge of the rectangle is parallel to the selvedge of the fabric.
Step three - Sew side panels
Sew the side panel of the cracker to the centre panel along the long edge with a 1cm (⅜") seam allowance
Step four - Press seam allowances
Repeat for the other side panel and then press the seam allowance to one side or open.
If you are using a light coloured fabric contrasted against a dark coloured fabric then you may want to press the seam allowances towards the darker fabric so they are less visible. Or if the fabrics have equal dark/lightness you can press the seam allowances open.
Step five - Pin velvet ribbon in place
Cut a length of velvet ribbon to 24cm (9.5") and pin it in place on each side panel 3.5cm (1.5") from the centre panel seam.
Step six - Top stitch velvet ribbon in place
Top stitch the velvet ribbon in place with two lines of stitching, right at the edge of the ribbon. You may want to use a thread that matches the colour of the ribbon here. Repeat for both side panels.
It is easier if you orientate the needle to the middle position of the foot of the machine.
Step seven - Cut and pin back panel to front panel
Cut a rectangle of backing fabric for each cracker. Make sure the longer, bottom/top side of the cracker that is parallel to the selvedge of the fabric to ensure you can get 4 backing panels out of a 40cm x 110cm (16 x 44") section of fabric.
Step eight - Sew back and front panel together
With right sides facing, sew the front and backing panels together with a 1cm (⅜") seam allowance leaving a gap along one edge for turning it through the right way.
Step nine - Turn through and top stitch outer edges
Cut the corners and turn the panel the right way around and press the edges. Top stitch all the way around just a few mm from the edge. It is easier if you orientate the needle to the middle position of the foot of the machine.
And you are finished!
Now it's time to make as many as you need for your dinner guests and fill the inside boxes with festive treats and jokes!
