Christmas crackers

[Thedarknightsaredrawingin]

What Christmas crackers would you recommend? Looking for good value but pretty and not full of utter tat. I need nine in total so individual ones are out.

Are you sure individual ones are out?

I bought a 'make your own' set on Ocado last year and M&S the year before and I would say it takes literally 1 minute to assemble each cracker a pop in hat/joke + something else.

Last year everyone had a light that goes on your coat zip (family of walkers) and DD some hairclips. Year before, everyone got a Christmas decoration for their tree (this latter idea can be done quite cheaply as you can buy a set of a variety of decorations and dole them out).

Like you, I cannot stand the tat that comes in standard crackers. It just feels so wrong in the current climate to have millions of crappy plastic toys produced, the vast majority of which will be swept into the bin by the end of Boxing Day.

If you want to buy a ready-made set I feel sure I've seen some that have a table game for everyone to play.

I didn’t think of fill your own, that’s a good idea. I have purchased. Joma Jewellery one for DM’s stocking and at £18 I was thinking individual would be too £££.

Now to locate paper hats!

I am making my own this year as I am fed up with the rubbish that comes in the crackers. Even the high end ones have the same daft useless honey dripper, bottle stopper that doesn't fit anything and the mini lonesome ginger bread cutter.

I saved some of the good quality hats from last year (but you can get them from Amazon) and the kit comes with snaps. I will print off my own jokes, especially as English is not the first language of two of the guests. I think a joke in their own language will be fun

Gifts inserts I have are Cath Kidston lanyards in the sale 2.50. Silver earring from Lisa Angel sale 2.50. Retractable metal straw keyrings 2 for 3.99. Headphones from Tiger 1 pound. A keyring torch 2.00 also from Tiger. Add another pound for the bag of chocolate gold coins (I will glue one to each barrel) and it will come in a cheaper and more personal than the 30 quid I spent last year.

Other ideas could be a miniature of their favourite drink. Hairbands/scrunchies. Mini travel toiletries. Maybe too late for this year but it's something to pick up during the year for next Christmas.

DH makes our own and have for years. He makes paper hats - pack of tissue paper cost very little and lasted a couple of years.

Ideas to go in them:

Those charity badges (i bought the Christmas mcmillan ones last year and just got it out again to wear this year)

Minitures ie whiskey/gin/vodka

Mini chocs for kids - those snowball chocolates are good

Key rings

Hair clips/bobbles as prev poster suggested

I got DH that snowflake shaped multi tool last year for his

Nail varnish/lip sticks

Small bottles if beard oil

Stickers for kids

Trolly coin key rings

Your crackers sound great @Catflapkitkat. I am looking for a kit just now and like the idea of tailoring each cracker to individuals.
This will save me from twitching as my shopping is complete... any excuse really!

I make my own for dds too. But I cheat and buy the ones from poundland (you get 6 for £1. Or slightly fancier ones £2 for 6!) dd1 is having figures she collects and dd2 lol dolls.

Last year for my mum and her boyfriend i did their favourite chocolates and a £1 scratch card in each one.

nocutsnobuttsnococonuts Do you dissect the Poundland crackers to put your own things in them? Do they have a snap?

Oh yeah we did scratch cards once but never again. I spent £8 on them and in laws won £8 between them and kept the money when Dh and I didn't win a thing! I was most disgruntled so not again 😂 I appreciate I was unreasonable to be miffed as it was their cracker but they had other gifts in there and we pay for everything on the day, they usually bring a bottle or two of wine and a bottle of fizz - but they drink more than half of that anyway. I did think with it being a small amount they might just say - here you have these!

Not having in laws this year due to covid so might get DH and I one each - we might get lucky!

I’ve got some that I’m quite looking forward to using. Each cracker contains a nutcracker decoration for the tree.
I think they’re Robin Reed.

Fantastic ideas, thank you guys.

M&S have origami crackers at 12 for £4 . A hat, a joke and a little fold your own origami figure .
I can’t find them online but they are red and white striped .

I got a make your own kit from Sainsburys, you get hats and jokes included, 6 for £2, I think. I'm putting in lottery ticket, bottle lights and a chocolate.

We like the wind up toy ones, it's fun to clear the table and race them.

As we have accumulated several I now use them in homemade crackers, with a lottery scratch card and a chocolate.

I love Robin Reed crackers - they are paper nit stiff card. You pay more fjr better things inside but they usually end up left behind. We do the racing toy thing or decoration too.
But it is super easy to make your own and I wouldn't neither with a kit. Just toilet rolls, wrapping paper and snap then fill with what you want.

@catflapkitkat yep they have a snap in them or they did last year! I just carefully open from the side and squeeze the stuff in! Doesn't take long at all 😁