Make | homemade eco Christmas crackers

Create your own eco-friendly crackers with brown paper or recycled wrapping paper

If you liked the colourful Christmas Crackers make in our December issue, but would like something a little greener, or just a little more understated in design, you might like to make these eco-friendly versions.

You will need:

Cracker template (click to download and print out)

Brown paper

Cutting board

Craft knife

Toilet roll or cardboard tube

Cracker snaps

Double-sided tape

Ruler

String

 How to make:

1.      Cut out your template and draw around it on the card. Cut out the main cracker shape and then cut out all the triangles using your craft knife and ruler.

2.      Place your toilet roll in the middle of the brown paper between the cut out diamonds. Take your cracker snap and put it through the cracker then place in the cracker any presents or jokes you wish to fill it with.

3.      Place sticky tape along the bottom edge of the cracker, leaving a space where the triangles are, then roll and stick the cracker together. (If you don’t want to use tape you could little tabs in one side and slits in the other for them to go through to hold the paper together, although this won’t be as sturdy.)

4.      Place your string underneath the triangles, pull tight and tie into a bow.

5.      Cut off any of the cracker snap that may be showing, then personalise as you wish.

NOTE: If you prefer you don’t have to cut the diamonds out and you can just tie with string although this will not be as neat.

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More Christmas decoration inspiration…

More from our December issue…

Cracker jokes: a short history

The men who put the cheese into the (Christmas) crackers

You might or might not know that the Christmas cracker was invented by Tom Smith, in 1847. Smith was a confectioner who sold sugared almonds wrapped in twisted paper, and very popular at Christmas they were, too. He started adding mottos and love poems to his almonds, being as they were largely bought by gents for their lady friends.

Inspired by the cracking of a log in his fire, he added the surprise ‘bang’ (because what says “I love you, my darling” like gunpowder and a minor coronary, after all?)

But it was in the 1900s when his sons were in charge of the business, that they added the paper hat. And, in the 1930s the love poems and mottos were replaced by jokes. How the old romantic Smith Senior felt about this, we couldn’t tell you.

Tom Smith’s Crackers still trades to this day and even supplies the Royal Household. Question: What does the Queen sound like when she groans at a bad joke?... No, this isn’t a gag, we were just genuinely wondering… But if it’s jokes you’re after, we have gathered together a few of the cheesiest, most groan-worthy going. Stand by with your Ba-Doom Tishes!

Q. What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
A. Tinselitis

Q. What do you call Father Christmas on the beach?
A. Sandy Claus.

Q. What happens when Santa’s elves are naughty?
A. He gives them the sack.

Q. Who does Santa phone when he’s ill?
A. The National Elf Service.

Q. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A. Mince spies

Q. What do you call a group of chess players bragging about their prowess in a hotel lobby?
A. Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

Q. What did one snowman say to the other snowman?
A. Can you smell carrots?

You can find more Christmas miscellany (and some rather lovely crackers, too) in our December issue, on sale now.

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Read more Christmas miscellany…

More from our December issue…

Recipe | Nettle & seed crackers

Spring brings tender new nettle shoots. Harvest them to bring a punch of flavour to these delicious, seedy crackers. These crunchy, tasty crackers are great for dipping, loading with toppings or just eating alone

Makes 16–20 crackers
50g sesame seeds
50g linseeds
80g sunflower seeds
80g pumpkin seeds
20g chia seeds
50g buckwheat flour
2 large tbsp dried or fresh nettle tops (blanched)*, plus extra to scatter
Pinch of xantham gum
31⁄2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil or good olive oil
150ml boiling water
1⁄4 tsp salt
Flaky sea salt, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 150C/Fan 130C/Gas 2. Take two baking sheets and line with baking parchment. Add all the ingredients (apart from the sea salt and extra nettles) to a bowl and stir well.
2 Split the mixture in half and place one half on each lined baking sheet. Place another piece of baking parchment on top (sandwiching the mixture between) and roll out the mixture thinly and evenly to fit the baking sheet.
3 Remove the top layer of parchment and scatter with more nettles (for a stronger flavour) and some flaky sea salt, to taste. Repeat with the second batch of mixture. 
4 Bake for around 50 to 60 mins – do keep an eye on them to check the seeds don’t brown too much – until they are completely cooked and dry. Then turn the oven off and leave crackers in the oven while it cools down, to ensure they are completely dry. Break it up into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.

Taken from ScandiKitchen Summer by Brontë Aurell (Ryland, Peters & Small).

 * If using fresh nettles, harvest in spring. To remove the sting, immerse in boiling water and 16 make sure you press all the water out before use or the crackers will be too wet.
 

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View the sampler here.

More from the March issue:

More baking: