Crafts Beautiful - Quick & Crafty - Let's Make Cards Magazine

Add a spot of colour to a plain dinner table with these beautiful sparkly additions

Basic Cracker

1. To form the main body of each cracker, cut crepe paper, 30cm square. Place an 11cm length of 4.5cm diameter cardboard tube in the centre and position a 6cm section at each side. This will leave a gap of 3.5cm between the middle part of tubing and the shorter pieces.

2. Slowly roll the paper around the tubes and fasten in place with double-sided tape. Tie a length of organza ribbon around the necks, then carefully remove the two short sections.

Kilt Pin

1. To form the droppers, take ten silver head pins, each threaded with an assortment of beads and crystals, varying in length from 1.5cm to 3.5cm.

2. Use round-nosed pliers to bend the wire above the top gem to form a right-angle and trim to 1cm with wire cutters. Holding the end of the pin between the tips of the pliers, turn your wrist to create a loop.

3. Use two pairs of pliers to gently twist open a jump ring. Link to one of the loops on the kilt pin, add two droppers, then carefully close shut. Repeat for the remaining three hoops.

4. Cut a 7cm length of silver chain link and fasten to the coil of the kilt pin with a jump

Beaded Cluster

1. To start, you will need at least 12 droppers varying from 1.5cm to 4cm in length. These should be made in exactly the same way as those used on the kilt pin. Open a 7mm jump ring and thread all of the droppers onto this, carefully closing by reversing the twisting action with the two pairs of pliers.

2. To make the napkin holder, cut purple silk dupion, 22cm x 12cm, roll around a 5cm section of 5cm diameter cardboard tube, then turn the edges inside and sew neatly to hold in place. Attach the beaded wire jump ring with a few stitches in the centre and carefully slide onto the cracker.