Christmas Crackers

Reuse scraps of gift wrapping paper to make your own Christmas crackers for your festive table and have a laugh by adding jokes too!

We make these Christmas crackers(or bonbons as it is called in Australia) every year and it’s a huge hit. They are so easy to make and a great way to use up any small leftover pieces of Christmas wrapping. Because these do not contain a friction strip, they are ideal if you have pets or sound-sensitive children. The paper itself does still make a bit of noise. These are so quick to make and you need minimal materials.

You will need:

• Empty toiletpaper/cardboard rolls
• Leftover pieces of giftwrap
• Sellotape
• Ribbon or string
• Plain paper
• Optional – small toy, sweets, a party hat, paper crown, or the friction strip if you prefer it.

What to do:

Measure the gift wrap so that it covers the toilet roll with about a 1cm overlap on the width. Allow for an overlap of about 8cm on either sides of the toilet roll length.

Fold the paper over the toilet roll and secure the middle with a bit of sellotape. Scrunch the one side and tie a piece of ribbon or string around to secure. Do the same with all your crackers.

Print or write out your list of jokes or inspiring messages on paper and cut them into strips(you can find these to print on our Freebies page). Fold your message or joke and put it into the toilet paper roll. Add a sweet, party hat or paper crown if you wish. Scrunch up the other side of the openings, tie ribbon or string and you are all done!

You can make the wrappers simple or go more decorative by adding scrapbook embellishments. Alternatively use normal brown / plain paper and the kids can paint it themselves or use Christmas-themed stamps.

I added Christmas Jokes for kids this year but as I was working I had the idea of a treasure hunt. So instead of jokes or messages, use clues or riddles. Kids will need to interpret the clue or solve the riddle in order to find an extra hidden surprise gift!

Easy-to-make Christmas crackers you can make with your kids!

Also see our New Years crackers!