Christmas crackers are a family tradition. We like them for the silly hats and groan-worthy jokes, but at the end of the meal the table is littered with plastic trinkets that no one needs. So we thought, why not make our own? There are scores of instructions for complicated crackers requiring lots of cuts and folds, but we found an easier method using recycled craft paper. (You can buy cracker wrappers, but I promise making your own is not hard!)
We like to garden and we compost, so this year we used paper based washi tape, recycled craft paper, and paper raffia ribbon.
DIY Instructions
The trick is using rolled craft paper. It should be thicker than normal wrapping paper.
Step 1: Cut your craft paper roll down to the desired width (we use 12-14”). Make sure your fillings can fit! (You can also buy craft paper in any width to skip this step!)
Step 2: Cut a 2” slit, 2” from either side. You want to go through multiple layers at a time.
Step 3: Unroll and cut into 8” sections.
Step 4: Stuff, roll, secure with washi tape, and tie each end with a raffia bow.
Ideas for Filling
You can buy pre-made filling kits, but your DIY Christmas crackers might as well be unique!
Half the fun is coming up with something that suits your family.
Lego Pieces: Put in enough pieces so everyone can work together. Lego isn’t just for kids! Its fun to see what everyone comes up with, and classic Lego Creative is great to get the creative juices flowing!
The kit above from amazon contains lots of bigger pieces, perfect for stuffing crackers!
Hats: Christmas hats are usually made of tissue paper, and rarely last the night without getting soggy or torn. You can make your own with 1 meter long rolls of plain white paper. Let the kids color it first! Double sided tape makes them adjustable for everyone in the family!
Wildflower Seeds: Native wildflowers are a drought resistant way to attract bees and butterflies to your yard. You can buy them in bulk and put them in small paper envelopes with an inspirational quote written on them.
Music: We have a set of wood and metal resonator bells that fit perfectly in crackers. The chaos and laughs as someone tries to conduct jungle bells is hilarious! Amazon has options for all price points. We collect them once the rowdy uncle (Because every family has at least one!) has attempted a one-man-band and pack them away for next year.
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