Erin FoxChristmas crackers are a creative way to present small gifts
The Christmas dinner table is not complete without crackers! After exchanging presents throughout the day, you get another small gift and a smashing hat that must be worn throughout dinner. Have a go at making your own crackers this year; fill them with sweets and other treats, write your own jokes and make your own hats!
You will need
For the crackers and contents you will need: sheets of leftover wrapping paper, each measuring 6.5in x 15in, ruler, cardboard tubes 4 inches long, scissors, glue, cracker snappers, stiffener ends made out of paper card measuring 4.5 inches each, ribbon, scissors and tissue paper.
Directions
First prepare your cracker fillings. For the hats, cut a strip of tissue paper that is approximately 4 to 5 inches wide and long enough to wrap around your head. Fold the paper in half and glue the short ends together to make a round circle for wearing. Fold the crown three or four times until it is approximately two to three inches long. Cut one angled line from the top left corner of the folded rectangle going down to the right side by a few inches. When you unfold it, you will have a paper crown.
Now get started on the crackers. Roll the paper around the tube and secure with some glue. Put the cracker snapper inside the open tube and pop in a wrapped sweet, folded hat, a joke card and a little gift. Roll the stiffener end into slightly smaller diameter cylinder than cracker and insert into end of cracker until even with outer edge. Spread stiffener out firmly against inside wall of cracker end and glue into place.
Gently pinch the paper together where it reaches the end of the tube and the end of the stiffener, and tie in place with a length of ribbon. Repeat on the other end. Place the crackers on the dinner table on Christmas Day.
Christmas crackers are also a creative and unique way of presenting small gifts to family or friends. Pop the gift inside the cracker and stick a gift tag in the centre.
Some jokes to include: "What does Santaís cat want for Christmas?" Answer: "Some new Claus."
"What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?" Answer: "A Christmas quacker!"
"What do you call a snowman in the summer?" Answer: "A puddle."
"What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?" Answer: "Frost bite."