Bloody Christmas Crackers

[GlamorousHeifer]

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.

Tbh I’m just not bothering with crackers.

Im sorry that’s not helpful to you, OP. But I would rather not waste my money

I'm not sure I can help because I think toenail clippers and tiny screwdrivers are top-tier cracker presents. What sort of gifts are you thinking of?

Crackers never, ever have decent gifts.

What kind of gift are you expecting from the cracker would be my question? Things like screwdrivers etc are pretty decent gifts and there's only so much you can fit in them.

It might be easier if you chose a theme e.g socks and looked for crackers to fit that criteria?

Although £25 and hours looking seems quite mental for some crackers so personally I'd not bother.

Good ones we've had before had some kind of game inside we played together.

When the kids were small we had ones with wind up Santas and reindeer and we had a race across the table with them.

Do teen boys really want keepsakes?

I think the requirements for a keepsake x 6 for under £25 is your major stumbling block.

House of Games and Taskmaster crackers are £25 eschew plastic free and loads of fun. I still have my cardboard duck from last year so I suppose that’s a keepsake.

How about bamboo Christmas sock crackers?

www.sockshop.co.uk/products/mens-and-ladies-6-pair-sockshop-christmas-cracker-gift-boxed-bamboo-socks/?colour=Multi&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_G6wFJnScU2LswKl3oyKYLhpWrE&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0--6BhCBARIsADYqyL__3j9gU-yL9UB_vpgovLssMbUBTtG5ITPdI5KopMJE5gwoKnObRIIaAhx6EALw_wcB

I've gone for these from the RSPB - https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/christmas-shop/christmas-crackers/wildwood-recycled-crackers-pin-badges-2x-boxes-of-6.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0--6BhCBARIsADYqyL9lKt-WhAhOi5LHXggCA2_J1ssjXU69bJge-_1hzdIDaRVmxSIaYVYaAs_cEALw_wcB

We love the pin badges and they are something a bit different to the usual tat.

If you want decent gifts you have to make the crackers. I used to do this when I was keen to have good crackers. I don’t worry about it anymore. Lots now don’t seem to have a gift at all. It’s all about the bang, the hat and the joke and ideally the way they look.

I found some one year with tree decorations which was ok and as someone else said the games are ok or musical ones and back in the 80s you used to be able to get table fireworks - they were cool.

a set of make your own crackers with a lottery scratch card in each one and an after dinner mint chocolate.

Have you looked at John Lewis? Theirs are all non plastic anyway.

Sounds like you might need to make your own. Last year we got some with little Santa cars and did races that was fun

I've got these mini ones for Boxing Day.

littlecake.co.uk/product/mistletoe-crackers/

I don't know, I think I've got a mental block with regards to crackers of all things!
I'm sure I had some years ago that came with a felt Christmas tree decoration?
I just want something nice and not too gaudy with a gift that won't be instantly heading for landfill.
I think I will have to give up and make my own!
Thanks for all of the suggestions though.

I agree that nice crackers are hard to find. I’m just going to get some cheapish ones and get some nice chocolates and a lottery ticket separately for each place setting

Ive done similar, the options this year really seem a bit shit. Last year we went for ‘Lego’ ones which were good and the sets have been used again this year, you get kids though. Haven’t found anything I want yet this year and fed up of looking now.

I bought these from here at full price. Now have just ordered more for future years at a massive discount.

www.musicroom.com/christmas-crackers-vintage-nutcracker-6x30cm-rr62231

Kuckoo crackers are lovely and have really nice gifts, we had a version of these ones the other year, plus some fidget toy ones.

https://amzn.eu/d/2hfqVXO

You won’t be able to find really nice luxury type ones in a pack of 8 though. For some reason they are always in packs of 6 or perhaps 4. Strongly suggest buying two packs of 6, and saving some for next year.

I do keep looking at these and I think they are gorgeous however...are they appropriate for the three teen boys? My sister and my daughter would love them but I think I would have to get some different ones for the boys and that bumps the cost up (you can see why I am 8 hours in and no further on 😆)

No one cares about the crackers. Especially not teenagers. Honestly. No one is going to keep anything they get out of a cracker. Just buy some from Aldi.

What is actually inside the cracker please, there doesn't seem to be a picture unless I'm missing something?

I have gone with cheap supermarket charades crackers this year because I thought it would be fun!

But normally I do 'fill your own'. You can then choose gifts for the teens and adults that best suit them. I really enjoy it. Why have you ruled out 'fill your own'? You could have made them in the 8 hours you've spent searching!!!

So you should get fidget ones for the boys and teddy ones for the other family - but it bumps cost up. Mixing and matching the types. But then you save some for next year so it’s cheaper then.

We had them a couple of years ago and my younger teen boys thought they were v cute! But they can be pretty soppy.

I care because if I just buy some from Aldi they will all end up straight in the bin including the tat inside them.
It's just wasting money buying the cheap ones in my opinion, if I get something nice with a decent gift people will be more inclined to keep it.

I have just bought some from TK Maxx with games inside. They are plastic free and completely recyclable.