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Original poster

Bloody Christmas Crackers

259 replies

GlamorousHeifer · 14/12/2024 07:21

I am driving myself mad (admittedly a short drive!) over Christmas crackers of all things!
I must have been looking online researching my options for about 8+ hours (in total, not 8 straight hours, I'm not that crazy!) but none of them are quite right.
Must be:
*Plastic free
*Beautiful
*8 pack
*Pre made, not make yourself
*Decent gift (no toe nail clippers or tiny screwdrivers!) Ideally a keepsake.
*Suitable for teen boys and girls
*Not more than £25.
Aibu to believe the crackers of my dreams exist despite an extensive search coming up with nothing?
For those that need to hear it, this is lighthearted, yes I do have plenty of other things to worry about, yes I know the COL has gone up and some people won't be able to celebrate at all etc etc.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
SeeMyself · 14/12/2024 13:42

Thanks OP, this has inspired me for next year. I will make my own and put in a lip balm and mini choc bar in for everyone!

Original poster
GlamorousHeifer · 14/12/2024 13:31

Thanks everyone, I bought the RSPB crackers with chocolate in them instead of a gift.

OP posts:
Caroparo52 · 14/12/2024 13:18

Best ones ever had contained bells. The 8 of them combined to tunes which gave good laughs and are reusable year after year... the bells not the crackers obv.

WalterdelaMare · 14/12/2024 11:48

Crackers are always crap. I hate the look of them on my lovely table and they go straight in the bin once pulled. We no longer buy them.

I do a box on each place setting now. I’ll put in a scratch card, a ‘Neo’ cocktail, a few Lindor chocs and small cosmetics.

TheCalmQuail · 14/12/2024 11:44

OP are these crackers REALLY for the teens, I personally can't see any teen getting excited over a felt tree ornament 🤔

I realise it goes against the visually appealing requirement. But how about a fun cracker? You can get musical ones from robin reed with hand bells or tin whistles and the idea is that the whole table learns a song. I've also seen guess who crackers which looked fun.

snowdropsy · 14/12/2024 11:36

Previous post notwithstanding, @GlamorousHeifer, I think the RSPB ones are pretty good, they have fillings such as chocolate or pin badges, which are pretty good for anyone, and are a nice novelty. Plus charity, and eco friendly. And they’re on sale:

https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/christmas-shop/christmas-crackers

Borninabarn32 · 14/12/2024 11:34

I'm all for fill yourself ones. Scratch cards or chocolate

KittenPause · 14/12/2024 11:33

All we're bothered about are the paper hats and corny jokes and it's just a bonus if the present inside is actually decent

cherish123 · 14/12/2024 11:32

BadLad · 14/12/2024 07:28

Crackers never, ever have decent gifts.

Exactly. Cheap and expensive ones all contain rubbish. The items in the expensive ones just get thrown in the bin. Who wants a 5cm cheese grater?

KittenPause · 14/12/2024 11:32

I got some nice ones from TK Maxx they had a varied selection in and I also found some old ones in the loft we can use

FeltCarrot · 14/12/2024 11:31

OliphantJones · 14/12/2024 11:23

We made some lovely little drawstring bags with luxury Christmas fabrics and ribbons instead of crackers. We reuse them every year and everyone gets a Christmas scratch card, a nice chocolate, a miniature bottle of what they like (or luxury hot chocolate sachet for non drinkers) in theirs. Some years we’ll add stupid jokes and a hat too. Shop bought crackers are so incredibly wasteful.

Love this idea! Going to pinch it for next year as I just bought the sock shop crackers.

snowdropsy · 14/12/2024 11:31

I have been there, but truthfully, there is no such thing as a Christmas cracker that contains a gift that will be equally acceptable to both male and female adults children and teens. It is impossible! And especially not for an affordable price.

If you want your crackers to essentially be fancily-wrapped gifts, you will need to make your own I’m afraid.

If you just want them for the fun of pulling them, just get some eco friendly ones with with some chocolate inside.

NeedToChangeName · 14/12/2024 11:28

GlamorousHeifer · 14/12/2024 08:54

OMG yes!!
Perhaps that's why I'm frozen with indecision, nothing will ever compare to those lovely little crackers.

Show quote history

I remember those !

pestowithwalnuts · 14/12/2024 11:26

Crackers always seem to have the same gifts don't they. Tiny screwdrivers ..golf tees .metal egg cups

I doctor mine by adding a little gift . It's easy to do. Cut the elastic that holds it closed one end and jiggle it in. Then tie it closed with a bit of ribbon
All the family love them. Iv been doing it for years

OliphantJones · 14/12/2024 11:23

We made some lovely little drawstring bags with luxury Christmas fabrics and ribbons instead of crackers. We reuse them every year and everyone gets a Christmas scratch card, a nice chocolate, a miniature bottle of what they like (or luxury hot chocolate sachet for non drinkers) in theirs. Some years we’ll add stupid jokes and a hat too. Shop bought crackers are so incredibly wasteful.

ThisBrickKoala · 14/12/2024 11:23

gingercat02 · 14/12/2024 11:22

I bought fill them yourself ones last year and put a lottery scratch card in them

this.

im going to nick that! thank you

gingercat02 · 14/12/2024 11:22

I bought fill them yourself ones last year and put a lottery scratch card in them

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/12/2024 11:19

Don’t buy them, can’t bear the waste.

Make your own?

Floralnomad · 14/12/2024 11:19

We’ve gone for the Kuckoo ones this year , one set with puzzles and one construction set . We also needed more than 6 so will put a few from each pack out for variety .

godmum56 · 14/12/2024 11:13

Talipesmum · 14/12/2024 08:48

I still hanker after the “snowbabies” crackers from late 1980s which had little mini ceramic baby animals in them - Penguin, seal cub, snow fox etc. They were so cute.

you can still get the vintage wade animals and they aren't expensive if you haunt ebay. Buy them over the year and use them to fill your own.

Snozzlemaid · 14/12/2024 11:10

Thank you for this thread. I'm always looking for different crackers.
Have just ordered some Kuckoo ones with meccano style models to make inside. Should keep everyone busy for a bit.

MothralovesGojira · 14/12/2024 11:09

Try The Kuckoo Company - we bought the building block ones this year.

WhatterySquash · 14/12/2024 11:09

I am driving myself mad (admittedly a short drive!)

That made me laugh because I can relate - I hate it when I can’t find what I want and get ever more convinced it must exist.

I know you’ve got some now and they look fab. Just posting to agree cracker shopping is hard. I don’t mind naff and I do like the screwdrivers but I hate most of the plastic tat. One year when I somehow had enough spare time and the kids were still young enough to be into it, we did make our own. I put in nice stationery like highlighters and novelty pencil sharpeners, fancy lip balms etc, we made hats and the kids wrote silly jokes. They were a big hit. So worth doing if you can be bothered/have time but it is a faff.

ThisBrickKoala · 14/12/2024 11:04

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