Aaaah the faithful festive cracker! how about making your own home made Christmas crackers…
Christmas Day just wouldn’t be the same without them – home made Christmas crackers. They add the final flourish to the festive table, the snap and the whoop only add to the cheer, the questionable joke something to unite us in our shared appreciation of silly humour. And who doesn’t love to don a paper crown whilst tucking into their turkey and roast potatoes?
That all being said, you might be fed up with spending an arm and a leg for your Christmas crackers, only to discover they’re full of cheap plastic gifts that nobody in their right mind would truly desire.
“I could have made much better ones myself”, you hear yourself mutter into your cranberry sauce.
Well, now’s your chance! By crafting your very own Christmas crackers not only will you be choosing a more eco-friendly alternative to the ones you buy from the supermarket, but you can also make sure that the gifts inside will be exactly what your guests will want. And you might even have some festive fun while you’re doing it!
Here’s our quick guide and what we think you should put in each cracker:
What you’ll need to make your own home made Christmas crackers:
- Kraft/wrapping paper
- Toilet rolls
- Glue/sellotape (or hot glue gun if you’re fancy!)
- Cracker snaps
- Scissors and craft knife (a kitchen knife will do the job)
- Ribbon, string or raffia
- Ruler
- Small gifts
- Joke and paper crowns
Making your home made Christmas cracker
- Find a good template
There are plenty of good cracker templates available online. Here’s one we used, and we found it worked pretty well.
Hand made christmas cracker template2. Download and print your cracker template on the reverse of your wrapping or kraft paper. To make it fit the standard toilet roll, print it to 12 inches by 6 inches.
3. Cut out your shape.
4. Use a craft knife and ruler to score along the score lines, and cut out the diamond shapes.
Our Template for Christmas Crackers cut out5. Put a strip of glue along the top and bottom of your toilet roll and place it in the centre of your cracker shape, rolling the shape around the toilet roll.
6. Place a cracker snap into the centre of the toilet roll and tape it down.
7. Bring one end of your cracker together by squeezing together the diamond shapes and tying with your ribbon or string.
8. Insert your toy, joke and crown.
9. Bring together the other end of your cracker, tying it with ribbon or string.
Have Fun with the Decorations!10. Have fun decorating your cracker with ribbons, tags and festive accessories.
TaDa! The Finished HOome-made Christmas Cracker
Gift ideas for your home made Christmas crackers
Here’s the best bit: choosing the gifts to fill your home made Christmas crackers!
At Neve’s Bees there’s something for every member of your family. Our products are all-natural, eco-friendly, and with each purchase not only do you get a free packet of wildflowers, but we also donate 10% of our profits to Wildlife charities such as Plantlife to help save our beautiful wildlife.
We’ve picked some of the littlest but most special products that’ll get each of your loved ones buzzing around the Christmas dinner table.
For her: Daily Face Serum – For Skin that Glows with Natural Health
Our daily face serum is packed with natural moisturisers which smooth the skin, diminish the appearance of fine lines, and give you the glow you need to love the skin you’re in.
Key ingredients: English red raspberry seed, organic rosehip oil, organic sea buckthorn, natural olive squalene, organic borage oil. Rich in nature’s super-oils, with the delicate scent of neroli (orange blossom essential oil) our Daily Face Serum is truly a nourishing treat for your skin.
For him: Unfragranced Hand Salve
Is he good with his hands? Partial to a spot of gardening now and then? Our pure and simple Unfragranced Beeswax Hand Salve will give the man in your life super soft, supple and nourished skin. It’s unfragranced so perfect for those with more sensitive skin … or simply who just prefer it simple.
Key ingredients: Beeswax from our bees here in West Oxfordshire, organic apricot kernel oil, organic jojoba oil, natural vitamin E, and pure grapeseed oil.
For teenage daughter: Chocolate Orange Lip Balm
This indulgent Beeswax Chocolate Orange lip balm is perfect for soothing and moisturising dry lips. It’s the ultimate sweet treat for peeling lips – the curse of the teenage girl during the winter months!
Key ingredients: beeswax from our bees here in West Oxfordshire, organic cocoa butter, organic shea butter, organic apricot kernel oil, organic jojoba oil, organic coconut oil, organic essential oil of orange.
For Granny: Bee Happy Solid Perfume
Our bright and cheerful citrus floral perfume is a tin full of happy vibes to keep granny smiling throughout the day.
Key ingredients: grapefruit, sweet orange, bergamot, jasmine and rose.
For Grandad: Goat’s Milk & Honey Handmade Soap
This is a lovely nourishing soap made with plenty of fresh goat’s milk plus a good dollop of runny honey. Great for dry skin and, because it’s unscented, perfect for those suffering from dermatitis, psoriasis or eczema.
Key ingredients: RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, fresh goat’s milk, cocoa butter, shea butter and honey.
For the dog in your life: Lavender and Calendula Dog Paw Balm
Treat your favourite canine to a rich, nourishing balm for cracked dog paws – 100% natural and ‘lick safe’ – in a 30ml screw top tin.
Key “lick safe” ingredients: beeswax from our bees here in West Oxfordshire, organic sunflower oil, organic shea butter, apricot kernel oil, natural vitamin E, calendula oil and lavender oil.
Gifts for everyone: 9 different Lip Balms
If you want to keep things simple, why not put a lip balm in each of your crackers?
You have nine to choose from: Sweet Grapefruit, Mint, Lime & Tea Tree, Rosey, Chocolate Orange, Lemon & Lime, Honey Vanilla, Buttermint and our new Lavender and Unfragranced.
At 3 for £14 they’re also a nice saving to be made!
Happy crafting! We look forward to you sharing your results on social media. Don’t forget to tag us @nevesbees!
