The Ultimate Guide on What To Put in Christmas Cracker

Christmas is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start preparing those festive Christmas crackers. As fun as those cardboard tubes filled with prizes and surprises are, choosing what to put inside them can be tricky. That’s where this guide comes in handy.

I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to create fun, festive, and creative Christmas crackers that your family and friends will love. From small trinkets and toys to clever jokes and paper crowns—we’ve got you covered.

A Brief History of Christmas Crackers

Before we jump into what to put inside those colorful Christmas crackers, let’s first understand where they originated.

Christmas crackers first emerged in Britain in the early 1800s. A London sweetmaker named Tom Smith came up with the idea when he toured Paris and saw how French bonbons wrapped sweets in pretty paper packaging.

He decided to take the concept further by adding the “crack” element through a tube filled with chemicals that created a small explosive snap when pulled apart. Smith debuted his invention in Britain at Christmas—and thus, the Christmas cracker was born!

Over the years, the snaps became louder and paper hats and toys started getting stuffed inside Christmas bon bon crackers. Today, they are a beloved British Christmas tradition that has also spread across the world.

Why Choose Christmas Crackers?

Christmas poppers bring a real sense of excitement, enjoyment, and even silliness to any Christmas gathering. Not to mention, they add a joyful element of surprise for both children and adults alike.

Here’s why you should have Christmas crackers at your upcoming Christmas celebration:

• They Spread Holiday Cheer: The snap, crown-wearing, and finding surprises bring a playfulness that livens up any Christmas party. Even the grumpiest guest can’t resist wearing those paper crowns!
• Ideal Icebreaker: Christmas crackers make for great icebreakers since multiple guests interact while pulling their end and sharing the inside surprises. It sparks conversation and connections.
• Adds Interactive Fun: Rather than just passively taking part in Christmas festivities, crackers allow guests to directly engage through cracking open surprises together. Interactive fun beats plain fun any day!
• They Double as Festive Table Decor: Even unpulled Christmas crackers instantly increase the festiveness of any holiday feast tablescape or display. So they serve a decorative purpose too!

What To Put Inside Christmas Crackers: Ideas and Inspiration

The key element that makes Christmas crackers so enjoyable is what’s hidden inside them. You want the contents to surprise and delight your guests.

Here are some ideas on what you can fill your DIY Christmas crackers with:

Small Toys and Trinkets

Tiny toys, mini games, and other fun trinkets make affordable and engaging cracker surprises since they encourage interactivity. Some ideas:

• Mini decks of cards
• Yo-yos or bouncy balls
• Party blowers
• Matchbox cars
• Stickers
• Temporary finger tattoos
• Mini kazoos or harmonicas
• Mini spin tops
• Cute erasers or pencil toppers

Christmas Joke Slips

Adding some humor and laughter to your Christmas table is what the holiday season is all about. Include kid-friendly jokes or funny puns on slips of paper for guests to share.

For example:

What do you call an elf wearing ear muffs? Anything you want. He can’t hear you!

Paper Hats and Crowns

An absolute Christmas cracker classic—no cracker is complete without paper crowns for guests to wear! Stock up on a mix of colors and designs so there’s enough for everyone.

Encourage your guests to embrace the silliness. Award prizes for the longest-lasting crown wearer or most creatively decorated crown if you want to take the fun up a notch!

Festive Confetti

Once the cracker pops—it’s time for some fun flash and celebration! Fill your Christmas bon bon crackers with glitter shapes, sequins, or color paper confetti so it showers your guests when they pull them open.

Pick confetti colors and shapes that match your holiday color theme. Or go totally eclectic!

Surprise Gift Cards

For an extra element of surprise and excitement—add a small monetary gift card inside your Christmas poppers from popular shops and eateries so guests can treat themselves. Pick different randomized amounts between $5-$20.

DIY Vouchers

Homemade vouchers for hugs, shoulder massages, or chores make fun cracker gifts too. They encourage bonding and connection.

Tiny Food Gifts

Mini candies, chocolates, fortune cookies—tuck them inside your Christmas crackers on the table for delightful edible surprises. Individual mini alcohol bottles also add a festive touch.

Mini Games

Tired of charades? Add a mini deck of cards or solo games like mini Rubik’s cubes, mazes, Sudoku puzzles, or crosswords.

How To Make Your Own Christmas Crackers: Step-By-Step

Looking for a crafty challenge? Then go the whole DIY route and make your own custom Christmas crackers!

Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Get Your Materials

First, prepare and gather your cracker-making craft supplies:

• Cardboard tubes (from toilet paper or paper towels)
• Scrapbook decorative paper
• Double-sided tape
• Party snaps
• Twine
• Scissors or crafts knife
• Assorted filler items

Step 2: Seal One End

Take your cardboard tube and seal one end by folding the scrapbook paper and firmly taping it closed. Make sure there are no gaps and test the seal by slightly crumpling it.

Step 3: Stuff Your Cracker Tube

Next, it’s time to stuff your cracker! Lay out an 8-10 inch sheet of decorative scrapbook paper and place your small surprise item in the center.

Then, place the unsealed end of the cardboard tube perpendicular to one end of the paper so the paper will wrap around the tube.

Step 4: Add the Snap and Seal

Now place the party snapper so half extends outside of the tube. Then tightly roll up the paper lengthwise around the tube and seal securely on the adhesive side with double sided tape.

Reinforce the end with extra tape and twist up the paper protruding from the other end.

Step 5: Add Twine Handles

For the finishing touch, tie twine handles on each side of the Christmas crackers so guests can easily grab an end.

Make sure to tie tightly so the handles don’t slip off when pulled apart.

And that’s it—your custom DIY Christmas bon bon crackers packed with surprises are ready for popping!

Top Christmas Cracker Ideas and Hacks

To take your Christmas crackers up another notch, incorporate these creative ideas at your next Christmas dinner or celebration:

• Stuff your crackers with clues for a secret Santa gift exchange adding to the suspense and intrigue. Who has whom?!
• Glue tiny photos from your last holiday inside the crackers for a fun personalized element to remind guests of happy memories.
• Slip in “dare” fortunes adding some humor and friendly competition to the occasion.
• Design a “cracker dessert table” with towers of Christmas poppers for guests to pull open over post-dinner coffee gaining sweet edible surprises.
• Play a sorting game—separate blank and filled crackers mixing them up as guests take turns choosing then keeping or trading.
• Hold a DIY cracker-making party before your Christmas dinner. Guests can craft surprise-filled crackers for seating neighbors to pull adding personalization.

As you can see, the sky’s the limit on ways to incorporate Christmas crackers and their surprises. Just tap into your creativity!

Key Takeaways on What To Fill Christmas Crackers With

As we wrap up this guide on crafting amazing Christmas crackers, here are the key tips to remember:

• Christmas crackers instantly amp up the playfulness and surprise at any Christmas gathering. They add an element of wonder that appeals to all ages.
• Fill your crackers with small toys, gifts cards, paper crowns, jokes, confetti, sweet treats, games or creative vouchers—the options are endless!
• Try your hand rolling DIY crackers for a fun challenge and full personalization power over the contents.
• Incorporate crackers into group games or challenges to encourage connections, bonding, and laughter all around.

So don’t settle for boring Christmas crackers from the store, or worse—no crackers at all! Use the inspiration in this guide to fill your holiday table and celebration with delightful Christmas poppers your guests will adore.

The crackers (and their surprises) set the stage for a lively, festive and lighthearted occasion enjoyed by all.

Over to you now…what will YOU fill your Christmas crackers with? Share your top ideas and plans in the comments below!