Make Your Own Christmas Crackers

Seeing a household that doesn’t do their own homemade Christmas crackers or hangs Christmas stockings is incredibly rare, and even we are all about it today. So, put some Christmas music on, and let’s begin with the preparation!

Before You Start

DIY Christmas crackers should be 10 inches long and have a space that is a couple of inches in diameter and 4 inches long.

To prepare your Christmas crackers, you’ll need to purchase the necessary equipment and materials at stationery and craft stores. While some of these things are easily accessible in stores close to you, some are hard to find.

Before we go into details on the steps you should follow to make your own Christmas crackers, you should know what you need to make homemade Christmas crackers.

What You Will Need for Your Homemade Christmas Crackers

• Cutting ribbon
• Scissors or craft knife
• Stiffened ends (2.25″ by 7″). We recommend using white card stock or thicker paper
• Wrapping paper (7.5″ by 12″)
• Low-temperature glue gun or glue stick
• Jokes or riddles
• Cardboard tubes (2″ by 4″)
• Cracker snaps
• A pair of cracker rollers
• Small gifts
• Tissue paper hats

With all these above, you’re now ready to make your own homemade Christmas crackers for your table decorations.

Steps to Make Your Own Christmas Crackers

Step 1

Put the cracker rollers into the ends of the cardboard tube. If the cardboard tube and cracker rollers don’t fit well enough, apply masking tape to the smaller end of the roller.

Step 2

The next thing is to open your wrapping paper and lay the assembly of your roller and tube on it. Ensure the cardboard tube is placed across the paper’s length. Use the glue gun to put a little drop of glue on the lower middle edge of the wrapping paper. Once you apply the glue, roll the cardboard tube over the glue.

Step 3

Position the cracker snap beneath the front edge of the tube-roller assembly. Ensure the cracker snap is in the center of the wrapping paper.

Step 4

Roll the paper on the tube-roller assembly till there’s a half inch of space left to the end of the paper. While rolling, ensure the paper is rolled evenly on the tube-roller assembly.

Step 5

Use the glue gun to apply a thin trail of glue on the paper’s back. This trail of adhesive should be roughly a quarter-inch from the upper edge of the paper. Now, roll the paper over the adhesive and press it on the table for some seconds to harden the glue. If the bead of glue goes out of the seam towards the outer surface of the wrapping paper, adjust the application of glue inwards.

Step 6

Hold the paper cylinder in the center while holding the cardboard tube. Then take off the roller from the cylinder ends.

Step 7

Roll the end of the stiffener into the smaller diameter of the cylinder. Then insert this into the end of the cracker till it’s evenly placed with the outer edge. During this step, avoid covering the cracker snap so that it will be free at the end of the cracker.

Step 8

Spread out the stiffener against the interior wall of the cracker end. Then apply glue with the glue gun to hold it in place. Repeat this process at the other cracker end.

Step 9

Use your forefinger and thumb to clamp one cracker end between the reinforced stiffened end and the tube. Repeat this process on the other cracker end.

Step 10

Get a curling ribbon with any length ranging between 10 and 12 inches. Tie this festive ribbon on the clamped end of the cracker in a double knot. Then use your scissors to cut off the remaining ribbon strands. Repeat this process on the other end.

Step 11

Put your messages or gifts into the exposed end of the cracker. Ensure the items you want to put in the cracker will be an ideal fit for the space so you can easily close it up. While filling your Christmas crackers with messages and gifts, ensure that you don’t alter the position of the snap towards the cracker’s center. Repeat this process on the other end.

Step 12

Inspect the cracker ends to ensure that the cracker snap is positioned close to the outer edge of the cracker. It wasn’t done properly if it’s very far down the cylinder. If that’s the case, adjust its position using your fingers. This is the final step.

At this point, your very own Christmas crackers are finished and ready to be decorated on the Christmas dinner table. For visually appealing crackers, ensure that you use the rollers properly and consider the stiffened ends.