I didn’t “do” Christmas Crackers growing up.  When I was dating my husband & met his family one Christmas (they used to celebrate early because of shift workers in the family) I was introduced to the British Christmas Cracker.  Everyone  held the end of their cracker & someone else’s & the cracking began.  We then sat around the Christmas table with the crepe paper crowns & tell the bazooka gum bubble gum corny joke that came with the treats after grace.  I still smile remembering seeing a funny peek at this family.

We, now as a family, do the Christmas Crackers.  Sometimes we buy them, sometimes we make them.  This is how we make them!

The paper you make the cracker with has to be something that is easily torn, like tissue paper.  If you use Card Stock Paper, there WILL be an accident as a determined child vigorously tries to break it & ends up flying their fist into their neighbour.  Seriously.  So this year, I’m using flimsy paper lunch bags.  Cheap & the brown paper matches the poppers.

Each bag will make 2.  Cut the ends of the lunch bag.

Trim other end.

then, trim in half.  In this photo the ends we trimmed above are at the top & bottom.

Unfold & there you have a piece of kraft paper that is about 8″ square.  The Cream CS is about 3″x5″& the candy stripped paper is about 1.5″x5″.

So take the 3×5 Cream CS & glue on either side to make the tube:

It overlaps about an inch, for stability.  You could use a toilet paper roll.  I don’t, but you could.

Now adhere it to the Kraft Lunch bag Square.

Rrrroooooollllllll

Glue Again.

Poppers.  Um, I’ve had mine for years, as you can tell from the Lewis Craft Label.  I remember buying them thinking, Do you sell them in smaller packs?  Our family isn’t that big?  Anyways, I’m sure craft stores have them.

So put in  1 cracker & decorate.  Closing 1 end by tying with Raffia or ribbon.  You can then drop in candies, little toys, maybe tealights if it’s for grown ups, whatever.

Tie the other end.

And Bob’s Yur Uncle–A Christmas Cracker.

Used:  Lunch Bag, Raffia, Stampin’ Up Merry Moments DSP, Rick Rack, Bell, Cream CS, Cracker, Treats.

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