Christmas Present Cracker
This Christmas Present Cracker idea will level up your gift presentation & is SO EASY to do! YAY!
I love sharing a good cardstock project!! …And this one is Practical & Pretty!
I have really enjoyed using the designs from this Hobby Lobby Pack. The vintage Santa design looked so good on this Embossed Tile Tree, these Paper Bows are so EASY and cute & this Cinnamon Stick Tree has pretty music sheet cardstock.
You only need a few simple SUPPLIES to create a fun Christmas Cracker Present!
- 12x12in Cardstock (Hobby Lobby Sku# 2235414)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Ribbons (Green one is from Dollar General, Red Velvet from Hobby Lobby Sku# 2197390)
- Ruler
- Shredded Paper Filler (optional)
- Goodies like candies, cookies, gift cards etc.
NOTES: The cardstock I’m using is only printed on one side, & white on the other. If you find double sided paper, they would be cute too! Even kraft cardstock would be neutral & pretty!
If you get this exact paper pack from Hobby Lobby, you get 60 sheets for $9 after tax….that is $.15/cracker minus ribbon. That is AMAZINGLY budget friendly for cute wrapping!
Also, you could opt for double-sided tape or school glue to attach cracker, but I feel the Hot Glue makes them so sturdy!
You could also make these in other sizes, just adjust your paper dimensions to fit your idea!
Let’s go through the STEP by STEP Directions & help you MASTER making these fun Christmas Cracker Presents!
Begin by making a small fold, about 1in
This 1in fold will be the connecting piece for the entire cracker. It doesn’t have to be exactly an inch, but try to get it pretty close.
Next, the remaining part of the cardstock paper will be folded so that it’s divided into 4 sections
Do this by folding in half lengthwise, then half lengthwise again. These folds will create 4 even sections aside from the 1in fold you made to begin with.
Now you’ll want to create a 2in fold on each end
You can choose to do longer than 2in, but the part of your cracker that gets filled with candies/gift cards etc. would end up being smaller.
Keep in mind that you can create these crackers using different sized paper…..so you’d need to adjust your measurements according to the size of the paper you use.
Here is the trickiest part….if you accidentally do this wrong, the ends of your cracker won’t tie up correctly (ask me how I know? haha)
Look closely at the pictures above & see where I’m cutting….it’s important to leave a bit of margin where you start to cut & where you end. This will ensure the ends of the cracker stay connected.
Hopefully the pictures help you understand what it should look like before you begin gluing
Only the little pieces of the 1in fold will not be connected to the other 4 sections
Are you thinking a Short Video Tutorial may help about right now??
I’m a visual person with this sort of thing…so Keep Scrolling to bottom for a quick video of me making one!
Now it’s time to Hot Glue the Christmas Present Cracker
I chose Hot Glue, but you can also use double sided tape or school glue sticks…..I just thought the hot glue made it very secure, so that’s my recommendation.
You will want to glue the 1in section to the inside of one of the other sections.
Use your ribbon of choice to tie 1 end of the cracker
Only tie one end, fill with your gifts & then tie the other end to secure.
Other ideas to use instead of ribbon:
- Jute String
- Baker’s Twine
- Yarn
- Raffia
- Ripped Fabric
- Pipe Cleaners
Next, the let’s add some Festive Fillers
I decided to add some shredded paper for a festive, gift wrapping touch….Then a few candies & a Gift Card.
Think of all the ways you could fill this Christmas Present Cracker:
- Gift Cards
- Candies
- Cookies
- Other Sweet Treats
- Sweet Notes
- Ornaments
- Stocking Stuffer Type Gifts like fuzzy socks, gloves, art supplies, bath bombs etc.
If adding food, I’d place in a ziplock or party favor baggie first.
Can you even believe how darling these Christmas Cracker Presents are?!
You could add gift tags or labels to them as well. I think I want to try a neutral kraft cardstock one too & do a rubber stamped label! I’ll update this post if I create one of those!
I’ve missed you, the group, and your crafts. This cracker gift wrapping idea is so sweet and I am planning to use it 🤩 for Christmas and all kinds of gifts 🎁 thanks Summer for another great idea 💡👍🏻💕
Oh hi Karen! I’m so glad you want to give it a try! Merry Christmas 🙂
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Of course, Susan! I’m really glad you love the idea 🙂
This is a dumb question, but are you supposed to “crack” these open somehow? Or just untie the end to open😬
Hey LeeAnn….really however you wanted…since they’re not traditional cracker made of thin paper, they could be a bit trickier to tear open 🙂 Hope that helps! Happy New Year!