Christmas Cracker Hat Craft Tutorial

This year I've decided to make my own crackers. I decided this just after Christmas and then it became much easier with the Tonic cracker dies which they started selling in the summer (early I know but you have to be prepared!)

So I have the crackers theirselves sorted but I wanted to make my own hats as a cracker isn't a cracker without a paper hat. Today (27th October 2013) it was really handy as Aldi had a special on lots of Christmas wrapping including tissue paper so I sent my husband off with a list of things to get when he popped round there (it's virtually next door to us) while I slept off my migraine (grrrr). With all this windy weather my husband told me he was nearly run over by the outdoor plant shelving units on wheels! Luckily he ran out the way. 

So my husband came back with a pack of tissue paper, curling ribbon and fabric ribbon. I just said 'get any design' as my migraine had taken hold and he came back with the ones I actually wanted so that was amazing (I wouldn't have minded design as long as I had the actual items)

So now to the tutorial. To make paper hats for crackers you will need:

Scissors

A ball point pen (I used a white ball gel pen)

Double-sided tape

Ruler

Tissue paper (you will need enough to make 2 pieces 31cm x 12.5cm for each hat).

1. Get your tissue paper and measure and cut into two pieces that at 31cm x 12.5cm (if you have tissue paper 61cm long you can just cut this 12.5cm tall)

2. Use double-sided tape and stick this on one end of each piece of tissue paper. (If you are just using one piece 61cm long just put tape at one end) 

3. Stick the two pieces of tissue paper together to make a round piece of tissue paper. NOTE: Make sure if you are using a pattern that as to be up a certain way that you stick the paper together with both pieces up the right way)

4. Fold the hat flat so it looks like the below.

5. Mark every 5cm and then folder that hat in a concertina way.

6. Snip the top of the hat diagonally 

7. Ta-da you now have a paper cracker hat!

Just fold and put it in your cracker ready for Christmas (don't forget to put a present and joke in your cracker too!)

I made my hats in a few different patterns. You could also print on white tissue paper and make your own personalised hats (I've not been brave enough to print on tissue paper yet)

You can also make smaller hats for children or make a curvy line instead of a zig-zag. I did try to punch shapes out of tissue paper but found as it was so delicate it tore the paper but worked if I put paper in the punch with the tissue paper. 

With my tissue paper due to the size I had off cuts so I used them to decorate some tags for my gift wrap so very little wastage.

Easter Egg Showdown - Cadbury v Aldi

A few weeks ago while watching Super Scrimpers they did a test on 3 Easter eggs: Cadbury, Lindt & Hotel Chocolat. I decided (after seeing Aldi was running a special on Easter eggs) to run my own taste test as I always go for Cadbury and everyone raves about Aldi chocolate (I've tried their hazelnut chocolate and its lovely).

Also living virtually next door to Aldi it was easy to source the chocolate.

We always have lots of chocolate in our house for emergencies, this includes some minstrels from 3 years ago which I must throw out (having just remembered).

Egg Statistics

Aldi - £2.99
Choceur Milk Chocolate Flame Egg 350g
Milk chocolate egg filled with a selection of chocolates
The selection of chocolates includes:
milk chocolate with apricot flavour centre
Almond nougat with cocoa pieces
Nougat in milk chocolate
Soft caramel covered with crisped rice and milk chocolate
Marzipan with almond in chocolate

Per 100g:
530kcal
28.9g fat


Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons egg
99p at Aldi (brought on 13th march 2013)
Hollow milk chocolate egg with milk chocolate buttons.
162g
Per 100g
530kcal
30.1g fat

Verdict:
Nothing will be better than Cadbury in my eyes (or mouth) but the Aldi egg is really nice and compatible to Green & Blacks. The chocolates that came with the Aldi egg are amazing and I think due to that the Aldi egg is my favourite. I also love rhe packaging as each half of the egg was wrapped and the chocolates were in the middle. You would definitely think this egg would be in the higher priced section of a supermarket.

My verdict: Aldi egg (but mostly due to the chocolates inside) but the chocolate egg is still delicious and much nicer than other other supermarket ones I tried before. Nothing will match Cadbury as it has its own taste but overall Aldi was better.

While at Aldi I also brought some marzipan eggs for my Mum who loves marzipan (as I do) and her feedback was that they were lovely! Might have to buy some more!