Homemade Christmas crackers

Create your own crackers this Christmas

For some families, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a few corny jokes, some festive paper crowns and a surprise gift. But, let’s face it − most of us would agree that crackers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Although their brightly coloured exterior may spruce up the Christmas table, their contents are usually a huge disappointment. The bang is sometimes inaudible, the paper hat never sits on your head properly and the gift is usually pointless or broken within minutes. But if the thought of going sans crackers this year is too great a step to take, why not consider making your own? Although it may sound like too much hard work, you’ll be surprised at how easily and cheaply a decent cracker can be made. 

Cracker snaps come in packs of 144 for just £3.50

What you’ll need

• Coloured crepe paper or good-quality luxury wrapping paper
• 1 toilet roll per cracker, plus another 2 to form the shape (these can be used again and again)
• 1 cracker snap per cracker 
• String or ribbon
• Decorations such as bows or beads
• Treats for the crackers
• Glue

Step-by-step guide

1.    Lay out your wrapping paper or crepe paper (if using crepe paper, use several layers of different colours).

2.    Place the three toilet rolls in a line on the paper, spacing them out evenly. This will create the shape of the cracker.

3.    Glue along one edge of the paper and roll tightly over the three cardboard rolls. Stick the edge down firmly.

4.    Stick on any decorations you have. Beads and bows work well, but anything goes.

5.    Place one cracker snap inside the cracker and add your chosen treats. The beauty of making your own is that you can add whatever you like. You may want to include a coloured hat and a joke, but you can also slip in other small gifts, such as luxury chocolates; miniature bottles of wine/spirits; mini bottles of perfume/aftershave, hand cream, body lotion and bubble bath; lip gloss; nail polish; earrings; little wind-up toys; erasers; balloons, tattoos; mini pens; and scratch cards. Just make sure they are small enough to fit inside your toilet roll. 

6.    Use ribbon or string to tie the two ends of the cracker (i.e. both ends of the middle toilet roll) and remove the two end toilet rolls. 

7.    Your cracker should now be finished and ready to pull when the time is right. 
 

Picnics Are Back This Summer!

Picnic Season is Back!

Summer has finally arrived! We are ready to host our enjoyable family picnics or those peaceful and romantic picnics in the sun! By definition, a picnic is an outdoor meal which ideally takes place in a nice landscape in perfect weather conditions. People bring along pleasant snacks for picnics, including sandwiches, salads, finger foods, and breads, occasionally consumed with a glass or two of cool wine or luxurious champagne, or perhaps just some fruit squash. Of course, to appreciate such a pleasurable meal, one must be prepared for serving and storing foods. A few sets of equipment would be needed when having a picnic. Picnics ideally use lightweight, reusable and shatterproof tableware such as plastic bowls and plastic plates. Similarly, picnic cutlery tends to be lightweight and reusable, with them either being  a metal or a plastic cutlery set. These are essential items needed!

Some picnics require a cloth to be laid on the floor so a couple or a family can eat, however others feature on park benches, or on fold-up tables. In such an occasion, one must be prepared to either prepare a cloth for the ground or to prepare a table cover when hosting a picnic! We, at Party Tracker, hope you enjoy the summer in style, and have some fantastic picnics. Happy Summer!