How to make Christmas crackers for your table, hostess or teacher gift
Traditional Christmas crackers can be found on most tables Christmas day in the UK and other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and NZ. The traditional cracker contains a small chemical "banger" which when the cracker is pulled, they snap and "bang" (usually frightening dogs and small children). The contents then spill out of the broken ends and usually consist of a cheesy sort of joke (typed on paper), a paper hat which you place on your head but is usually so flimsy that you continually have to straighten it or pick it up off the table after every mouthful of Turkey, and a little token gift such as a tiny plastic magnifying glass, miniature pen, or a novelty plastic toy, more expensive crackers contain more expensive gifts. I've been making my own crackers for 10 years, each year a different theme. I've made them from brown wrapping paper with shell embellishments and hessian/hemp bows, gold wired organza ribbon and gold paper with a cherub embellish...