Page 42 - Silver Lakes December Issue 2022

DIY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
D
IY CHRIST
MAS D

TIONS
ECORA
WITH THE KIDS
WITH THE KIDS
With the kids at home for the long school break, why not keep them busy by crafting some
DIY Christmas decorations?

hristmas crackers can be quite costly, especially if you buy the ones with
small gifts inside. Why not make your own? They are easy to do, and you
Ccan get the kids involved by having them decorate the Christmas crackers.

You will need:
Empty toilet paper rolls
Cracker snaps (not necessary unless you want
a loud bang when you pull the cracker)
Christmas wrapping paper
Sticky tape
Florist ribbon or thin silk ribbon
Decorative bits and bobs
Little gifts, sweets or chocolates Christmas Trees
These Christmas trees are not only gorgeous, they are
To make: also lots of fun to make. The kids will be busy for hours
Take an empty toilet paper roll and measure the correct length of festive decorating their own little Christmas tree – and so will
wrapping paper (for how many crackers you wish to make). Make sure you the adults!
leave about 6cm of extra paper at each end. The paper will be about 22cm in
length and 12cm wide for each cracker. You will need:
• Green paint
When buying gifts make sure they are tiny. Sweets and chocolates are great for • White paint (optional)
children’s crackers. For adults you can go to a thrift shop and find tiny plastic • Pine cones
whistles, lip gloss or lipstick for women or a small tube of hand cream, chocolate • Decorations
balls or Lindor chocolates. For men, you can buy a miniature bottle of liquor or • Jar lids
biltong (put into a small sandwich packet and tie) before putting in the cracker. • Cottonwool
• Glue
You can even include a small handwritten note or joke.
To make:
Cracker snaps can usually be found at a China mall 1. Paint the pine cones green. Alternatively, for a snowy
store or a party store. Insert in the filled cracker. Christmas tree, blotch white paint on the outer edges
of the cone tips.
Place the filled toilet roll on the paper and wrap, 2. Glue the pine cones onto the lids, wide side down.
sealing with sticky tape. Take both ends and 3. Glue cottonwool balls
scrunch up the paper, tying with the ribbon. around the pine cone,
You can use name tags to personalise the covering the lid.
crackers, so you know which one is for 4. Glue decorations
who – and these then also serve as onto the ‘tree’. Use
place names for the table. anything you like, such
as buttons, sequins and
Once made, place them all under beads.
the Christmas tree as décor until 5. Add some glitter for
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, when extra sparkle, or you
you’ll place them on the dining table. Enjoy! can even add battery-
operated LED fairy lights
Source: Pretoria Rekord newspaper to your ‘tree’.

40 | INTRAMUROS DECEMBER 2022