Christmas crackers are so much fun, but I hate how wasteful they are! I've been trying really hard to reduce the amount of waste I have, so I don't want Christmas to be any different. This version may not bang, but they look pretty, and can be used year after year.
They use a napkin as the outer, so you then have something to use for your meal too. And I've thought of some ideas for little gifts to put inside and for jokes and games to add.
If you don't fancy making your own, check out my kits here. They come with napkins printed with my cracker design, handmade felt embellished hats, and 'bang' cards to write jokes or games on.
How to tie your napkins
First of all, let me show you a nice way to tie your napkins so that they look like little presents on the table.
1. Lay your napkin out like a diamond in front of you, with the inside facing up. Place your gift/hat/joke etc in the centre (I have rolled my hats up so they're nice and small). My cards need to be on top, facing up, so that they say 'Bang' when you open it.
2. Fold the point closest to you up and over the items.
3. Now fold the point furthest away from you down over them.
4. Take the points at either side, and tie them in a simple knot over the top. Arrange them so that they look a nice shape, and you're done!
Two people can open it like a cracker by pulling the knot from the points shown in this picture.
Cracker gift ideas
Much as I love a tiny set of screwdrivers or a fortune fish, we don't really need them. And most of them probably never get looked at again.
So I have put together some ideas for tiny gifts you could put inside your crackers, that people will actually love and keep! And even better, they're all from small indie businesses. No more generic items that get thrown away!
Going from left to right, top to bottom:
1. This mini set of sweary adult colouring pencils from Little Row Boat will keep people amused while they're waiting for their food!
2. A mini silk satin scrunchie from Mille Saisons is something useful AND beautiful, and they come in lots of lovely colours.
3. These little gingerbread house earring studs by Stop Jewellery are so cute and christmassy!
4. If they're an Elf fan, this badge by The Kitchen Disco would be perfect. Or get one of their other designs inspired by popular culture. I love the Dot Cotton one!
5. For a lover of festive earrings, check out these Merry Christmas dangly ones by Design By Wingers. They come in lots of different colours, so you can pick their favourite.
6. I love these little felt hand embroidered cookie keyrings by Lilo Pop Uk
7. If they're into crafts, one of these mini donut jewellery kits by Tiny Treats Boutique would be so much fun!
8. Give them something to help them relax for the evening with some little scented wax melts. Cosmic Bloom Studios sell these mixed scent sample packs, so you could get a set, then put one in each cracker.
9. Tiny Sarah's Cakes makes boxes of mini chocolate bars in a colour of your choice if you want something edible for after dinner.
10. If you want to splash out on something extra special, how about this pretty little silver snowflake necklace by Sea Worn Jewellery
11. Get them started on eco friendly beauty, with these sample sized solid shampoo cubes from Small Kind. The ingredients sound delicious!
12. And finally, I designed these brussels sprout enamel pin badges to celebrate the best/worst part of christmas dinner.
Extra fun
It's not christmas dinner without some awful cracker jokes. If you don't fancy writing your own, check out this list for inspiration.
Instead of jokes, you could write charades or other games on the cards to keep people entertained. This article has some fun ideas.
I'll leave you with my favourite cracker joke....
"Why are Christmas tree so bad at knitting"
"Because they keep dropping their needles"