Why do we love crackers? Is it the satisfying pop of the inner snapper? Is it the promise of a prize or silly hat? Or the competitive nature of actually getting a gift at all? Whatever it is, we can't help but feel a little childlike thrill at the thought of making our own decorative 'Christmas bangers'.
Heaps + Stacks, one of our cultural events partners, are heavily into their crafting... so they were the perfect source of some good cracker knowledge. Read on for their speedy guide on how to roll your own Christmas crackers this year; and how to make them stand out.
You will need:
- Flat crackers ready to roll
- Scissors
- Cracker snaps
- Paper crowns
- Jokes
- Glue
- Transparent or colourful tape
- Gold markers or metallic paint and paintbrushes
- Twine, string or ribbon
- Foliage or berries (for decor)
Step one:
If you want to get real artsy with these crackers with freehand drawings or people's names, you're going to need to get that done while they're still flat, so get sketching!
Step two:
Now roll those babies up and secure them in place.
Step three:
Fill up your cracker with the snapper, a hat, a joke and your Christmas goodies of choice. You can get really creative with what you put in at this point. Why not jazz up the usual fillers with sweet treats, chocolate coins, grow-your-own seeds, pins, badges, stamps or tiny handmade gifts. Instead of terrible jokes, why not include positive affirmations, ideas for dinner party games, dares, gift cards for hugs or... and here's a crazy idea... some good quality jokes.
Step four:
Close the cracker ends with colourful ribbons, string or twine to keep those goodies safe.
Step five:
Decorate 'til your heart's content. Go as wild as you want with patterns, Christmas foliage, berries, bells and anything you can lay your hands on.
Now your crackers are complete, it's time to lay the table and get that turkey out of the oven! You can use them as decorations around the house, pop them on the tree or use them as place cards on the table. The options are endless.
Don't forget to share pictures of your creations and tag @thecollective_living @heaps_stacks