Dinner table gifts/homemade crackers

[Amandine29]

Need inspiration for gifts to go on the table at Christmas lunch. I've heard of people doing this and I think it's something I might start. Also, if you make your own crackers what do you put in them?

Thanks.

[iloveholidays]

what a lovely idea, I might pinch it :) I've bought some cheapy homemade crackers from baker Ross I'm going to make with DD1 and use them for Christmas breakfast.

will be watching with interest. sorry not more help, will have a think on the school run!!!

[Blowninonabreeze]

We do this.... Although on recent years with ever increasing offspring in our family and less and less time, I've started doing lottery tickets or scratch cards. (Never won more than £10 though!)

[fuzzpig]

I'd never heard of the table gift idea before MN - is it basically a way of spreading out the presents a bit?

[girlywhirly]

If you do table gifts as opposed to crackers you won't be as restricted by the size/shape of gift as you would with a cracker. You could present them in little gift bags or boxes, with a label to act as a place name. It is easy to get carried away with the idea and could be expensive!

I used to do crackers, some of the things I used to include were:

small jewellery items
mini cosmetic/toiletries
badges
small cars
small Lego kit
balloons
fridge magnets
key ring
tiny torch
novelty pencil sharpener/eraser
a chocolate in addition to the gift.

The cracker kits often have a label for you to write on the recipients name, so that they get an appropriate gift.

[girlywhirly]

Fuzzpig, yes it could be a way of spreading out the gifts. My XMIL used to have Boxing Day Tree presents, one for each person.

My cousin started a tradition with her DC of a knitted snowman on their dinner table containing a tiny gift for each one of them, they were only opened after everyone had finished their meal so a good incentive for the DC to eat up! Probably a good idea instead of crackers for those too young for them and those who hate the bang. You could have a mini Santa's sack or something instead of a snowman.

[attheendoftheday]

We're doing homemade crackers for the first time this year. I have a fire steel for dp and schleich animals for the dds. I will get something nice for myself too!

[HappyAsEyeAm]

I made crackers (well, with a John Lewis kit, so I suppose I assembled them rather than made them) last year, and I am definitely doing it again this year. The kits are on the JL webiste now - thery are sets of six, in two varieties. They come with a snap, joke and hat.

Last year, I put a small bar of Christmas chocolate from Hotel Chocolat into some of them (I think the bars were £2.50 each, and then on some kind of offer, and they were delicious - mince pie flavours, and possibly almond too), Body Shop 60ml bubbles in others (they just fit), small Cath Kidson hand creams in others (you can buy these in a set of three in Waitrose), the smallest Schleich animals in the ones for the children etc.

Kids ones are the easiest, as you can do erasers, sharpeners, lego minifigure etc.

Or you could get the Lego key rings in things lke Indiana Jones for the adults. Or policeman/fireman etc if that corresponds to their job or whatever.

I must get a wriggle on with mine now that I come to think about it. Last year I only had six to do. This year I think I will have 11.

[SugarHut]

I'm having these, but have asked them to make them in white and pearls and twice the size:

www.notonthehighstreet.com/froufrouandthomas/product/twinkling-red-star-fill-your-own-crackers

Aren't they super duper!!!! I'm putting an OPI glittery polish in all of the womens, a little whisky taster in the mens, a scratch card in all the adults (plus the most important naff joke and hats) and a lego kit in the childrens

[forcookssake]

pssst

You can buy fairy plain/simple packs of crackers from Poundland etc., then extract the naff filling and insert your own - lowers the cost of the overall exercise and saves doing cracker-assembly. Plus, with your own ribbons/tasteful trimmings they look lovely.

[ChippyMinton]

We save loo rolls for the innards, Hawkins bazaar sell the snaps, one DC is responsible for finding and writing out the worst jokes, hats from ebay, and nice paper for the outer wrapping.

We have a collection of wind-up novelties - bugs, reindeer, the royal family and dennis and gnasher for filling, which get raced along the table after dinner

[Twiddlebum]

I've been doing my own crackers for years!! (Kits from tesco)

Women are easy...

Jewellery
Lipstick
Nail varnish

Men are harder...

Miniature alcohol bottles
Key rings
Black chilli seeds (he liked growing his own chillis)

[AnneEyhtMeyer]

I do table stockings for everyone. I made the stockings myself a couple of years ago.

I put in chocolate coins, miniature bottles of alcohol, small gifts like toiletries, and fun items that will provide entertainment between courses like little books of jokes, puzzles, modelling balloons etc.

They always go down really well.

[NannyPlumForPM]

With the mini bottles of alcohol etc... are they plastic bottles?

I don't know about anyone else but my family's cracker pulling is somewhat enthusiastic and could cause a glass filled mess! before they drink the whiskey

[AnneEyhtMeyer]

Just checked the little bottles of Hendricks Gin I have bought and they are glass, Nanny.

[WaitingForMe]

We do table presents and they are usually something to do. This year I got little models of the Taj Mahal from one of the sites selling stuff cheaply in their summer sale. They were £1 each and will occupy us for about 20 minutes of highly focused competition.

We've previously had Lego models, mini puzzles, the toy dinosaurs embedded in clay that you need to excavate. The activity ones are my favourites but I don't do them for inlaws as MIL doesn't really like things that are tricky to do while maintaining a catsbum face.

[CMOTDibbler]

My neighbour (who is vvvv christmassy) makes bags to hang on everyones chair back, then they have an assortment of small gifts and get to rootle and pull one out between each course

[Chottie]

We have table presents too. They are in a decorated basket on the sideboard. The youngest member of the family dons a Santa hat and gives them out after Christmas lunch and before the cheese and coffee are served.

I buy small jars of marmalade for men or chutney.

[Amandine29]

Puzzles seem to be a good idea for the men. Always have loads of ideas for children but men seem eternally difficult to buy for.

[attheendoftheday]

I love the idea of having models or construction stuff. I shall be filing that away for future use when the dds are bigger.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I buy crackers for the table (usually M&S when they have a 3 for 2 on) and those little party poppers.

Then we have "Table Sweets" in a tiny box.
After Eights/Thorntons Double Cream Mints/ Ferrero Rocher/ for the DC and I.
Fudge for DH (note to self: The Aldis fudge last year was gorgeous )

[HardFacedCareeristBitchNigel]

I'm making these for my guests