Inside: Make traditional Christmas Crackers for your Christmas celebration this year.
This year for Christmas school we have been learning about A Christmas Carol. To go along with that we have been learning about Christmas traditions in England. So of course we had to make some Christmas Crackers.
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My kids were so excited to make the crackers they have seen in Bluey.
Making Christmas crackers at home is surprisingly easy and such a fun holiday activity to do with kids.
Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers are a popular holiday tradition, especially in the UK. They’re decorative paper tubes that “crack” when pulled apart.
The Christmas cracker was invented by Tom Smith in 1847 in London. They usually contain:
- A small toy or trinket
- A paper crown
- A joke or fun fact
When two people pull each end, the cracker snaps, and whoever gets the bigger piece keeps the prize.
For our crackers we included:
- a joke and fact (free printable at bottom of the page)
- a paper crown (homemade)
- a candy
- a little toy
Making Christmas Crackers
Making Christmas crackers was easier than I thought it would be along with the stuff you are putting inside your cracker you will need a few supplies.
Supplies for Christmas Crackers
- Toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls cut in half
- Wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, or kraft paper
- Tape
- Ribbon, string, or twine
- Small surprises (mentioned above I used ones I had left over the favorite was sticky hands)
- Paper crowns (store-bought or homemade)
- Jokes or fun facts (printable at bottom of this post)
- Optional: snap strips (buy online or make your own)
Prep the Supplies for Your Christmas Crackers
Before you put together your Christmas cracker you need to prep the supplies like making your paper crowns, cutting out the jokes and cutting squares of paper.
Making Paper Crowns
You can buy paper crowns online or make your own. I made them with some tissue paper and glue.
Simply cut points along a strip of tissue paper (the top of the crown) and keep the other side straight. Take the two ends of the strip and use a glue stick to glue them together to make a crown.
Paper Squares for Crackers
The paper for your cracker needs to be two or three times the length of the paper tube you are using (toilet paper roll or paper towell roll). We made ours three times the length.
To do this I simply lined up three of the paper tubes and cut a long strip of wrapping paper that wide.
The paper needs to wrap around the tubes with a little bit of overlap. I rolled the tube in the paper to figure out how much I needed.
Then I used that piece of paper to as a template to cut out the rest of the paper I need to make all of our crackers.
Jokes and Facts
You can use the jokes and facts we used (free printable at bottom of this post) or you can make up your own.
According to my brother in law who is from England the jokes are dumb ones like those you would find on Laffy Taffy or the cap of a Snapple.
Put these jokes and facts on a strip of paper and fold it to fit inside the cracker.
How to Make Christmas Crackers (Step-by-Step)
Follow each simple step and in just a few minutes you will have made your own Christmas Cracker.
Snap Cracker
If you’re using snap crackers, place one inside your tube now before you start. Lightly tape the cracker to the paper tube so that it doesn’t move around.
I had a really hard time finding snap cracker strips online, so I ended up making my own (see how I did it here). My kids didn’t love the loud crack sound so honestly if I make them again, I will probably skip the snap cracker.
Wrap the Tube
Lay your paper flat, place the toilet paper roll in the center, and roll it up snugly. Secure with tape in the middle and on the two ends.
Tie One End
Using your string or ribbon of choice (I used twine) tie off one end of the paper tube.
Fill the Cracker
Slide in your joke and fact, paper crown, treat and/or prize.
Tie the End
Gather the paper at open end of the tube and tie tightly with ribbon or twine.
You can trim the ends of the snap cracker if it pokes out past your paper. You may also want to tape the ends of the snap cracker to the paper so it’s secure. (I did this on some but not all of our crackers)
Decorate (Optional)
Add name tags, stickers, or a little greenery tied into the ribbon for extra charm.
That’s it! You’ve just made a Christmas cracker.
You can enjoy your Christmas cracker with Christmas dinner or any other time you want. We had our crackers with our Full English (fry up) dinner after learning about Christmas in England.
Free Printable Facts and Jokes
This printable has 10 jokes and facts paired together to go inside 10 Christmas crackers. Please keep this printable for personal and class use only.