Making a basic christmas cracker from scratch

Getting the pieces of the cracker ready

It is easier to decorate the cracker before you start making it (because it's flat!) so decorate the A4 paper however you like... You could do really colourful patterns or draw holly or maybe even mince pies!

If you want to use wrapping paper for the cracker, cut it to the same size as an A4 piece of paper. As wrapping paper is easily torn you will find it easier if you stick it to a piece of paper - this makes it stronger.

When your design is dry, turn the paper over making sure one of the longer sides is at the top.

Put your cardboard tube on the paper so that the ends are pointing toward the shorter sides of the paper. Making sure the cardboard tube is in the middle of the paper, make a mark at each end of the tube.

Using the two marks you made, draw two lines from the top to the bottom of the paper. It should look like the paper is divided into three.

Now measure 2cm and 4cm from each line, (going toward the end of the paper) and draw lines from the top to the bottom of the paper here too. You should now have three lines at each end of the paper.

Fold along all of the lines and then flatten out the paper. By folding the paper now it will help the cracker look neat when you put it together.

Putting the cracker together

At one end fold along the middle of the three lines you have drawn again. About 1cm from the end of the paper make a cut from the fold to the line you have drawn. Keep doing this all the way along the fold, making the cuts about 1cm apart.

Repeat this with the other end of the paper.

You are now ready to start putting the cracker together!

Put the paper on a flat surface with the lines you have drawn facing up. Now put a little glue along the bottom edge of the paper - make sure you don't put any glue where you have made cuts.

Now, put the cardboard tube at the top of the paper, in the middle, and roll the paper around it. When you get to the bottom press it down to help the glue stick it together. You might want to use some sticky tape to help hold it together.

Finishing the cracker

If you have cracker snaps, you will need to stick them in place now.

Using the ribbon (or wool or sting) tie the end of the cracker up. The cuts you made earlier will gather in and it will look like the crackers you get in the shop.

Now you are ready to fill the cracker. You could put anything you like inside it... sweets, little toys, anything that fits! Don't forget to write a joke on a small bit of paper and put that in too.

Now tie up the other end of the cracker and it's finished!

Ingredients

To make your own from scratch then you will need the following items:-

  • Paper to go around the tubes
  • Toilet paper or kitchen roll tubes
  • Something to tie the ends up with e.g. ribbon, string or raffia
  • Something to decorate the cracker with e.g. pretty paper, glitter pens, shapes etc.
  • Sellotape and glue
  • Cracker snaps
  • Scissors

If you wish you can stick on Christmas paper or any other coloured paper first before you attach it to the tubes.

Put your cardboard tube in the middle of the sheet of paper which is landscape and mark the paper at either end. Draw a line from top to bottom so you have three sections drawn on the paper. Then draw another line either side of those you have drawn about 2cm and 4cm from the 1st line at either end. Fold along these lines. Now open out the paper again and cut along the middle of the two lines at either end about every 1cm. Glue the tube onto the paper in the middle making sure not to stick it on the cut bits. Add your cracker snap. Roll the paper around the tube. Now you can tie the cracker up either end with the string or ribbon and decorate as you please.

Hard work but fun!

A much eaier way is to Make a cracker using one of our kits.