DIY: Eco-friendly Christmas cracker

Every year, an estimated 40 million Christmas crackers end up in the bin, according to commercial waste collection experts, Business Waste. But fret not, as there is a simple, crafty solution! Have your cracker and open it too - just take a look below at our DIY eco-friendly Christmas cracker that’s easy and makes for a fun family activity.

You will need:

• Recyclable wrapping paper or brown paper
• Toilet roll tubes
• Twine or ribbon
• Scissors
• Glue or double sided sticky tape
• Cracker snaps
• Paper or foil-wrapped treats; or handwritten jokes to go inside the crackers
• Natural decorative items (sprigs, dried oranges etc.)

Step 1

Line up three rolls of toilet paper tubes and measure out your choice of paper so it’s enough to wrap around the rolls. Cut out the measured paper.

Step 2

Wrap the paper around the tubes and secure using double sided tape or glue. Avoid sticking the paper directly on the two tubes at either end as these will be removed later.

Step 3

Slightly pull out one of the tubes to leave a space between this and the centre tube. Gently twist the rolls in opposite directions so you create a crease where the twine will go.

Step 4

Tie a piece of twine in a bow around the crease. Pull out the tube from that end of the cracker.

Step 5

Add a little glue to one of the cracker snaps and place it through the center of the rolled paper, then press the cracker snap into the paper so that it stays in place.

Step 6

Fill the cracker with some treats or personalised gifts through the open end.

Now, repeat steps 3 - 5 for the other side of the cracker.

At this stage, you can trim the ends slightly if they’re looking too long or uneven.

Step 7

Decorate with anything you like! We chose some little wooden stars but you can use any other natural Christmas decorations like sprigs or even dried fruit.

When crafting, a big bonus is how each item can be personalised for the recipient. Some fun filler ideas include quotes or greetings like in fortune cookies, or even stickers and mini stationery!

Got the DIY bug? Why not try making your own natural air freshener, but with festive scents like pine or cinnamon, or check out some other DIYs we have!