What to put in homemade Christmas crackers (and how to make them)
A homemade cracker needs a snap, a hat, a joke and a gift that fits the tube. Filler ideas for children and adults, the materials, a step-by-step method, the hat and the UK rules on snaps.
A homemade Christmas cracker needs four things inside: a snap, a paper hat, a joke and a small gift. Shop crackers are built on the same plan, a segmented cardboard tube in a twist of decorated paper with the prize in the centre. The idea is credited to Tom Smith, a London confectioner, and the Tom Smith brand dates its crackers to 1847. With a toilet roll tube you can make one at home in a few minutes. This guide starts with what to put inside, then covers the materials, the method, the hat, the shortcuts and the rules on snaps.
What to put in homemade Christmas crackers
Every cracker gets the same basics, a hat, a joke and a snap, plus one gift chosen for the person at that place. The gift shares the middle of the tube with the folded hat and the joke, so check that it slides through your tube before you buy a batch.
| For | Christmas cracker filler ideas |
|---|---|
| Young children | Stickers, a temporary tattoo, a mini notebook, a hair clip, a wrapped chocolate, a finger puppet |
| Older children and teens | A keyring, a mini puzzle, a spinning top, a friendship bracelet, a gel pen, a mini pack of cards |
| Adults | A lip balm, a golf tee and ball marker, a good tea or coffee bag, a packet of seeds, a nail file, a scratchcard |
| Food lovers | Wrapped truffles, a piece of fudge, chocolate coins, a mini bag of sweets, a mulled wine spice bag |
| A personal touch | A rolled photo print, a prediction for the year ahead, a voucher for one job such as the Boxing Day washing-up, a family in-joke |
| Plastic-free tables | Seed paper, a small wooden toy, a pencil, a bookmark, a metal keyring |
Put a game in every cracker
- A quiz question for the table, with the answer on the back
- A charades card, or a “who am I” name to stick on a forehead after pudding
- One gold star in one cracker: the winner chooses the film or skips the washing-up
- A job for the day: toast-maker, joke reader, keeper of the remote
What not to put in a cracker
- Anything heavy or breakable, such as a glass bottle: it flies out when two people pull.
- Sharp objects of any kind.
- Small parts, at a table with children under 3.
- Unlabelled food when a guest has an allergy. Use wrapped sweets with the label on, or write the ingredients on the joke slip.
What you need to make your own Christmas crackers
| Material | Per cracker | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard tube | 1 toilet roll tube, or 3 short tubes for neat ends | A kitchen roll tube cut into lengths also works |
| Thin paper | 1 rectangle of about 30 x 20 cm | Wrapping paper or crepe paper, roughly A4 size; the long side runs along the tube |
| Cracker snap | 1 | Long enough to be held in both tied ends; sold in packs by craft suppliers |
| Ribbon, string or twine | 2 pieces of about 30 cm | Enough to tie a bow at each end |
| Tissue paper | 1 strip | For the paper hat |
| Paper slip | 1 | For the joke or motto |
| Sticky tape and scissors | A few strips | Double-sided tape gives a neater seam |
If you want the shells to go in the recycling afterwards, choose plain paper that passes the scrunch test, explained in our guide to recyclable wrapping paper. Foil, glitter and laminated papers cannot be recycled, the ribbon and tape have to come off first, and not every council collects wrapping paper, so check yours. Take the colours from the rest of your Christmas table decorations, so the crackers sit well with the tablecloth and napkins.
How to make a Christmas cracker, step by step
- Cut the paper to size and lay it face down. Place the tube on one long edge, centred, so the same length of paper sticks out at each end.
- Tape the edge of the paper to the tube.
- Feed the snap through the tube so it sticks out evenly at both ends. A small piece of tape on one end of the snap stops it sliding out.
- Roll the paper round the tube and tape the seam along its length.
- Pinch the paper 1 to 2 cm beyond one end of the tube and tie it tightly with ribbon, catching the snap in the tie.
- Drop the gift into the open end, then the folded hat and the joke.
- Pinch and tie the second end the same way, again catching the snap.
- Fluff out the paper ends and trim them straight or with pinking shears.
Keep tape off the necks between the tube and the ties. That is where the paper should tear when two people pull, and tape there turns the pull into a tug of war.
Neater ends with three tubes
For crisp, shop-style ends, cut a kitchen roll tube into a middle section of about 10 cm and two end pieces of about 5 cm. Line them up with a gap of 2 to 3 cm between each, roll the paper round all three and tie the ribbon in the gaps. Slide the end pieces out for soft ends, or leave them in for stiffer ones.
How to make a cracker hat
- Cut a strip of tissue paper about 12 cm deep and long enough to go round the largest head at the table, plus 3 cm for the overlap.
- Fold the strip in half end to end, then in half twice more.
- Cut a zigzag along the top edge through all the layers to make the points of the crown.
- Unfold it, tape the ends into a ring, then fold the hat flat and roll it small enough to slide into the tube.
Jokes and mottos
Print or write each joke on a slip about the size of a business card and fold it in half. Mix groan-worthy puns for the adults with simple jokes the children can read aloud: our list of Christmas cracker jokes has 100 to copy.
Fill-your-own crackers and kits: the shortcuts
If you want to choose the gifts but not build the shells, there are two shortcuts. Fill-your-own crackers come ready-made, with the snap, hat and joke inside and an end you untie to add your gift. Make-your-own kits come flat, with pre-cut card, ribbons, hats and joke cards, and you fold each cracker yourself.
Our Christmas crackers collection includes make-your-own kits of flat-packed cracker boxes. Some of them come without a snap, so read the listing and add a pack of snaps if your table wants the bang.
Wrendale Designs
Season’s Tweetings Christmas crackers, set of 6, with glass magnet
Is it cheaper to make your own Christmas crackers?
Usually, if you already have the tubes and some paper. The shell costs little: saved toilet roll tubes, leftover paper, ribbon and a snap. The gifts set the real price, whichever route you take.
| Option | What you buy | Time per cracker | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| From scratch | Snaps, ribbon, tissue paper and the gifts | A few minutes once you have a production line | You want full control of the look and the gifts |
| Make-your-own kit | Flat-pack card, ribbons, hats and jokes; some kits have no snap | A couple of minutes to fold and tie | You are making them with children |
| Fill-your-own | Assembled crackers with snap, hat and joke | Seconds: add the gift and tie the end | You want personal gifts without the craft |
| Ready-filled box | Everything, gift included | None | Time matters more than the choice of gift |
To compare ready-made boxes by type, size and gift, see our guide to the best Christmas crackers.
Cracker snaps: safety and the rules
The bang comes from the snap, two overlapping strips of chemically treated card: when the cracker is pulled, friction between the strips sets off a tiny explosion. In the UK, the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015 set 12 as the minimum age for buying Christmas crackers.
- Let an adult buy, store and fit the snaps.
- Keep snaps and finished crackers dry, and away from candles and the fire.
- Pull crackers away from faces, and leave the snap out for guests, or pets, who hate loud bangs.
- Leave homemade crackers out of your luggage if you fly. The Civil Aviation Authority allows crackers only in their original retail packaging, some airlines forbid them, and US airport security bans them from hand luggage and checked bags.
Laying homemade crackers on the table
Lay one cracker per place, across the side plate or the folded napkin, and make one or two spares in case a snap fails. Tie a name tag to the ribbon and each cracker doubles as a place card. If you would rather buy some and make the rest, mix them with ready-made crackers in the same colours, and finish the table with our table decorations.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to make your own Christmas crackers?
Usually, as long as you reuse toilet roll tubes and leftover paper. The shell then costs little more than the snap and the ribbon, and the gifts decide the total. A fill-your-own box sits in between: you pay for the assembled crackers but choose and buy the gifts yourself.
Is it hard to make your own crackers?
No. After the first one, each cracker takes a few minutes: roll paper round a tube, feed the snap through, tie one end, fill it and tie the other. The only fiddly part is tying close enough to the tube for a clean neck without tearing the paper.
How do you make Christmas crackers at home in the UK?
Wrap a sheet of thin paper about 30 x 20 cm round a toilet roll tube, thread a cracker snap through, tie one end with ribbon, add a gift, a tissue hat and a joke, then tie the other end. Snaps are sold in packs by craft suppliers. UK rules set 12 as the minimum age for buying Christmas crackers, so let an adult handle the snaps.
What can I put in a homemade Christmas cracker?
Anything small and light that slides through the tube with a folded hat: stickers, a keyring, a mini puzzle, lip balm, seeds, wrapped chocolates or a rolled photo print. A quiz question or a forfeit card turns the crackers into a game for after dinner. Leave out glass, sharp objects and unlabelled food.
Can you make Christmas crackers without a snap?
Yes. A cracker made from thin paper still tears open at the neck when two people pull, just without the bang. Some make-your-own kits come without snaps, and a quiet cracker suits young children, nervous guests and pets.
How far ahead can you make Christmas crackers?
Weeks ahead, as long as you store them flat in a box somewhere dry and away from heat. Add chocolate and other food closer to the day, and check the dates on anything edible. Keep finished crackers away from candles and the fire.
How do you make a paper hat for a cracker?
Cut a strip of tissue paper about 12 cm deep and long enough to go round the largest head, plus 3 cm. Fold it in half three times, cut a zigzag along the top edge, unfold it and tape the ends into a ring. Fold it flat and roll it to fit inside the cracker.
