Create a troop of nutcracker soldiers to fill with jokes, hats, sweets, and treats for your Christmas table decor this year. These crackers use our fillable kraft crackers, cardstock, and teeny tiny bells to transform the base into a set that are almost too brilliant to open!
Follow the tutorial by papercraft expert Jackie Jasper to find out the process of creation - it may be simpler than you think.
Project and instructions by Jackie Jasper
select your items and add them to your basket below.
1 30cm Steel Ruler
1 Fiskars Non-Stick Universal Purpose Scissors 21cm
1 Double Sided Sticky Tape 12mm x 25m
1 Hobbycraft School PVA Glue 300ml
1 Circle Craft Punch 0.6 Inches
1 Circle Mini Craft Punch
1 Gold and Silver Metallic Card A4 4 Pack
1 Bright Card A3 25 Pack
1 Multi-Coloured Jingle Bells 30 Pack
1 Gold Glitter Wooden Stars 30 Pack
1 Silver Glitter Wooden Stars 30 Pack
1 Puffy Metallic Green Holly Toppers 30 Pack
1 Fuchsia Ink Pad
1 Black Card A4 20 Pack
You will also need:
* Craft Knife - available in Hobbycraft stores
* Pencil with a rubber on the end
* Black Fine Liner Pen
Step 1
Step 2
Wrap an 8.5 × 17.5cm panel of black cardstock around one end securing in place using tacky glue. Trim a 9.8 × 17.5cm panel of blue cardstock for the cracker middle, followed by a 5.5 × 17.5cm peach cardstock for the other end securing both in place using more glue.
Step 3
Cut a 4 × 12.5cm panel of black cardstock then draw out and fussy cut a hair line on each of the two shorter sides. Attach the hair to the peach cardstock panel ensuring to leave approximately 1cm of peach cardstock showing around the bottom.
Step 4
To make the hat, trim a 2.5 × 3.5cm piece of blue cardstock, round of two of the corners then make a crease line approximately 1cm from the straight edge. Make tiny cuts from the straight edge to the crease then glue this cut part to a trimmed 4 x 17cm panel.
Step 5
Fold up the hat peak and fix in place over the face and hair. Use the end of a pencil rubber to create the rosy cheeks, dab the rubber into a pink ink pad and stamp on to the face.
Step 6
Fussy-cut a moustache shape and fix to the centre of the face, draw two tiny eyes and a smile.
Step 7
Decorate each soldier using a variety of different embellishments, mix and match the colours so that each soldier compliments each other.
To make the arms, cut a 1.5 x 13cm strip of cardstock, fold in half and fix a piece of double sided tape to one side. Place a punched circle of peach cardstock at one end then fold the strip creating an arm and hand.
Top tip: Make a template for the hair and mustache, then use these to draw and cut them all out.
Step 8
Your crackers are then ready to be added to your Christmas table!