How to make your own tinsel and Christmas crackers

Tinsel is quite a hot topic when it comes to Christmas decorations. It divides opinion: is it tacky or is it fabulous? The benefit of tinsel on a Christmas tree is that it draws the eye right around it and provides balance and a fuller look, but we can’t ignore the ecological impact of decorating the tree with metres of plastic and foil.

But we can make this more environmentally friendly with recycled parcel paper or wrapping paper. I’m not going to lie, this does require a little investment of time, but you can snip away as you listen to a podcast or two—and sometimes a mindless task like this can help me unwind.

•       Parcel/packing paper Ruler Pencil Scissors

•       Glue stick

1.     Lay your paper flat on a solid surface. Measure and mark 10cm distances along the shortest edge of the paper.

2.     Cut along the length of the paper using the marks as a guide. You don’t have to worry about being too accurate here, a few wobbles are fine, but try to keep roughly the same distance from the edge of the paper as you cut.

3.     Once you have cut all your paper strips, fold each one in half along the length to give you long, thin strips.

4.     Run the glue stick along the paper at the fold. Line up another strip of paper with the folded edge and press into place. Repeat two more times.

5.     Using scissors, make cuts along the width of the paper around 1cm wide. Cut from the non-folded edges through all the layers at the same time, stopping around 1cm from the folded edge. Cut all the way along the paper until you reach the other end.

6.     Repeat steps 3 to 5 to create several pieces of paper fringing. Use the glue stick to attach the pieces together at the ends until you have the length you need. I like to make several pieces around 2m long to make them more manageable to decorate with.

7.     To create the classic tinsel look, hold the paper in place at one end and twist the other end. This should fan out the tassels evenly, but you can help to make them look more fluffy by gently shaking them out with your fingers.

8.     Weave the tinsel around the tree, using the branches to secure it in place.

I enjoy the traditional, popping Christmas cracker as much as the next person—the awful jokes, tissue-paper crowns and useless trinkets are an essential part of any good Christmas dinner.

But there are times that call for something more special; think a romantic dinner with a piece of jewellery hidden inside. Perhaps you can replace the cracker joke with an experience voucher or gift card? I love this grown-up take on Christmas crackers. It’s a really lovely way to share gifts that might not necessarily go under the tree.

I use my favourite fabric scraps for these, and once the cracker has been opened you can reuse the fabric year after year.

•       Fabric (30cm x 20cm per cracker)

•       Fabric glue or needle and thread (optional)

•       Toilet roll tube

•       Cracker filling

•       Ribbon

1.     Cut your fabric into rectangles 30cm x 20cm. If you want neater edges, fold over a 5mm hem and press down. Use fabric glue or sew in place.

2.     Place the fillings into the cardboard tube. Wrap the fabric around the tube and tie ribbon around it at both ends of the tube to secure.