Love Is In The Air

Love is in the air....okay, okay, enough of the corney lovey, dovey stuff....right?! WRONG!  I'm so corney I can't go a day being normal...what's normal anyways! LOL 
Today I'm sharing a project with you that I've been working on the last couple of weeks.  No, it's not a difficult project it's just that I'm making a lot of them to send to my nieces and nephews and I can't forget the office at work. They know I've been up to something because I put a box in the ladies room asking them to save the toilet paper rolls. Tee hee! 
So it was with great surprise ( no insider trading lol) that Peechy Keen's Stamp Challenge this week was do something with a toilet paper roll. I said, Self, you gotta be in this one!

This is what I've been working on the past few weeks:  CRACKERS

This idea was inspired by Veronica over at VK Create on her Eighth Day of Christmas with Emma's MCT 12 Days of Christmas.  To see an actual video demo click here  I'm also going to give you pics below with some helpful TIPS on how to make these super easy Crackers!

Lots of FLUFF, like glitter, I like lots of Fluff!  I went to my local dollar store and bought a pack of white with glitter embedded into the tissue paper, and another pack of colored paper that included, Red, Pink, Dark Pink, and some Green.  I also went to Joann's for some Valentine's open stock paper.
You'll want to make sure all the toilet paper is off the cardboard roll. If it's pesty and won't come off easily with your fingers...TIP: use an emery board to scuff off the unwanted toilet paper.
Then you will cut your white with glitter embedded tissue paper leaving a few inches on each side of the paper core.

Use tape to adhere the one end and then roll, making sure it stays fairly even on both sides. Tape the other end.
Next you will use a small piece of colored tissue to wrap around the white tissue. The white is really for more FLUFF. Remember I like FLUFF!



 Now it's time for your printed Valentine's paper, cut it so that the edges are the same width as your paper core and the length should be just enough that they over lap for gluing.

TIP: You will want to use a glue gun to glue the ends of your Valentine's paper.  You'll want a strong hold on the paper, so when you go to 'crack' open the treat the main part will stay in tact. 

Next, grab your scissors and cut slices into the tissue paper all the way around and on both ends. TIP: Cut close but not all the way to the paper core. Leave appx 1/8 inch or so.

Next, you'll want to close ONE end of your cracker.  TIP: Use wire, or a twist tie - easier to close the ends

I picked up this frilly wire at the local dollar store (LUV the dollar stores) I cut pieces appx 2 1/2 inches, so I could hold onto it a little better than a smaller piece. 

TIP: Hold your cracker lengthwise, so all your frillie tissues pieces are hanging down. Gather the frillies tissue pieces with one hand, and your wire piece in the other.

Wrap it around then twist tie the wire a few times then fold in the extra wire.  Once it's tied, fluff the tissue ends with your fingers.

Now you'll want to gather your candy to stuff inside...TIP: Think small, when buying your treats to add inside.

I also made Valentine's Trivia slips to add inside too.  Trivia like: What does the O stand for in XOXO and on the back side is the answer: Hug.  If you would like a copy of my Valentine's Trivia sheet, for you to print and cut out, sent to you via email, FIRST join my Blog, then email me HERE with Valentine's Trivia in the subject line.  Enough of that for now, let's move on....

Add your candy and your trivia slip of paper into the paper core.

TIP:  Move your tissue frillies so they fall to the outside of the core, and hold them with one hand while your adding candy with the other

Last, close the other end.  Now you can dream up of anything you'd like to add to the outside.  I used MCT scallop and stitched circle, and PKS Every Day Character Faces.  I also found, at the dollar store, some ribbon that said Hugs & Kisses.  I cut off sections and added it to my Face.

Wow, I didn't expect this post to be so long but I didn't want to leave anything out. Well as you can see, I still have lots of faces to put on these 40+ Crackers so I better get going.

Chao for now!