Who the heck makes their own crackers?

[Crinkly]

OMG I'm not in the Xmas spirit at all I just spent a couple of minutes reading this thread thinking it was about making your own crackers (ie savoury biscuits). Even talking about putting things in didn't make me twig just confused.

In my defence I've had less than 3 hours sleep today after a nightshift last night and have a lot on my mind but sometimes I seriously worry about myself. :mysmilie_17:

Snap!
Only my excuse is that i am ravenous! :mysmilie_17:

 

[Calvin]

My younger daughter made Christmas crackers for her siblings last year as she had only started her part-time job a month before Christmas and was low on funds. She put a lot of thought into it and her gesture was well appreciated. I think she used empty loo rolls and coloured paper and I can't remember there being a bang, but they were quite novel. Every family does it differently.

 

[HYPE in a JAR]

Each to their own. I have made home-made Crackers as a child. Now I choose to spoil my guests with top of the range Crackers from Harrods, they really are beautifully presented and contain gorgeous items like cufflinks, real leather goods and cashmere socks. I must admit they are a tad pricey at £499.00 for 6 but sometimes it doesnt pay to scrimp on these things.

 

[AndiK]

Hey, thanks for that, I've gone and bought them as I WAS considering the QVC ones. The nephews love bits of useful tat at Christmas!

Great - pleased that was helpful. The Amazon reviews are mixed but at that price, I thought it was worth the risk too. Some reviewers say they received theirs a week later so hope ours arrive quickly too.

 

[ERICS MUM]

I get our crackers from Chelmsford market. We have such fun at Christmas Day lunch, making sure everyone shares a cracker with everyone else, deciding who wants the various plastic fish and frogs and tiny screwdrivers, reading out the jokes and riddles and trying to keep the paper hats on. We even groan when a snap doesn't crackle.

I can imagine the Peony Flaars guest making her own with a miniature faux poinsettia inside. I can even see Chuntley having a go and stuffing them with sample-size beauty products snaffled from Gatineau, Elemis and Decleor kits.

 

[candycane]

Those little bottles of Molton Brown would just about fit in a cracker - I'm giving myself ideas. Hype, surely you don't spend £500 on crackers? I mean if you can afford it, how lovely but it's a tad OTT. When we were children my sister and I got taken to Harrods to look at the Christmas things and we used to pick up the little bits of tinsel that had fallen to the floor - we thought it was real gold after we'd looked at the price :mysmilie_17:

CC

 

[historymystery]

I once went to a craft demo where the demonstrator showed us how to make our own and then let us loose.....Gordon B, you should have seen the state of mine...they ended up looking like ones that had fallen off a lorry and been run over by the car behind. Decided then and there that I would NOT be making my own crackers again, and as strato has said, I've popped extra bits inside shop-bought ones, if necessary.

i am crafty but not that crafty...i find it irritating enough buying the dam things

 

[historymystery]

meCharlie could put fudge and bits of pie in his, he must have enough left over that he's snaffled (but not yet scoffed) from the food hours.

I get our crackers from Chelmsford market. We have such fun at Christmas Day lunch, making sure everyone shares a cracker with everyone else, deciding who wants the various plastic fish and frogs and tiny screwdrivers, reading out the jokes and riddles and trying to keep the paper hats on. We even groan when a snap doesn't crackle.

I can imagine the Peony Flaars guest making her own with a miniature faux poinsettia inside. I can even see Chuntley having a go and stuffing them with sample-size beauty products snaffled from Gatineau, Elemis and Decleor kits.

 

[historymystery]

Has DF found a way to get a copy of her book inside a cracker?

I think QVC are still in the process of figuring out how to get a Green Seasons Hamper inside a cracker, then it'll be "take a cracker round to a friends house when invited for dinner instead of a bottle of wine!".........Yes that sounds silly, but no more silly than making your own crackers and sticking 20 quids worth of Diamonbleek in it, you'd need to remortgage if you've got a shed load of people coming round, more so if they want to pull a few crackers each. :mysmilie_17:

 

[historymystery]

This is life on Planet Q, and bears no resemblance to the real world. Wonder they don't suggest putting a Yong Kim top or diamond bracelet inside each one.

And if so, why would you put items inside them that cost £10-£20 per item?

(Actually I think it's fine if you make your own crackers, I'm more bothered about every QVC presenter suggesting anything small could be put inside your home made crackers)

I had to smile at the Radley lady the other day, when the presenter said people could buy some Radley keyrings (£11 each plus P&P!) to put inside their home made crackers she had a look on her face that said "What the hell, are you mad??!" Even she thought it was a ridiculously expensive idea.

Then last night a man was trying to flog mini torches as great gifts to put inside your home made crackers. Hilarious.

 

[Vienna]

I buy my crackers ready made as I said in my earlier post but I appreciate some people may want a touch of luxury in their crackers and might want to make their own so they can choose what`s inside them. I wouldn`t know where to begin making crackers but it struck me that these would be ideal luxury fillings without being OTT. It`s a set of pure perfume extraits from Galimard perfumiers in Grasse, France, it`s been in business since the 1700`s and reportedly made fragrances for Napolean as well as Royalty. They cost 59 Euros for 6 ( approx £42 ) and you can choose from a drop down list which fragrances you want, all female perfumes, all male or a combination. I treated myself to a box earlier this year and because they`re extraits you dab them on because they`re concentrated. They come nicely packaged in a gift box and each bottle is glass, well stoppered with a small rubber seal, 15ml in each and also with a screw on top. It works out around £7 per cracker.
http://www.galimard.com/index.php/e...rs-echantillons/coffret-6-parfums-detail.html

 

[shopperholic]

Has DF found a way to get a copy of her book inside a cracker?

She's trying H.......oh yes, she very, very trying.

 

[Julius]

Perhaps the people who do this ARE crackers - or maybe they just want more "bang" for their buck!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

If you have the ability and the time perhaps it is a bit like hand made cards, part of it is the pleasure of actually doing it as I'm sure when you add up all the bits it works out very expensive. The only way things like that pay is if you do it in big numbers.

 

[Loveinamist]

Q

Then last night a man was trying to flog mini torches as great gifts to put inside your home made crackers. Hilarious.

Turn it into a missile and risk a chipped tooth, happy Christmas!

 

[Glittergirl]

OMG I'm not in the Xmas spirit at all I just spent a couple of minutes reading this thread thinking it was about making your own crackers (ie savoury biscuits). Even talking about putting things in didn't make me twig just confused.

In my defence I've had less than 3 hours sleep today after a nightshift last night and have a lot on my mind but sometimes I seriously worry about myself. :mysmilie_17:

Make your own crackers, yeah with cheese! Heard this said on air many times and some of the guest presenters do look in astonishment at them! :mysmilie_510:

 

[Loveinamist]

I am making wreathes so not totally void of the Christmas spirit. DD got married 8 weeks ago and she is a nought birthday next week but is unwell but on the mend so hard to muster enthusiasm when we all feel exhausted. As for making crackers, well, definitely no!

 

[Ellaaa]

Loads of folk make their own crackers, and I think it's nice to put a bit of thought into the contents, but aren't crackers intentionally a bit naff? I thought that was part of the fun.

Exactly, a hat, bad joke and naff prize, that's the fun of them!

 

[SallyMc]

Thanks Vienna!

I took a look at the website and ordered the 12 x sample vials to see if I liked the scents......

They are sensational!!

I am so pleased and the mens 1747 is going to be MINE, its lovely.

:heart:

I buy my crackers ready made as I said in my earlier post but I appreciate some people may want a touch of luxury in their crackers and might want to make their own so they can choose what`s inside them. I wouldn`t know where to begin making crackers but it struck me that these would be ideal luxury fillings without being OTT. It`s a set of pure perfume extraits from Galimard perfumiers in Grasse, France, it`s been in business since the 1700`s and reportedly made fragrances for Napolean as well as Royalty. They cost 59 Euros for 6 ( approx £42 ) and you can choose from a drop down list which fragrances you want, all female perfumes, all male or a combination. I treated myself to a box earlier this year and because they`re extraits you dab them on because they`re concentrated. They come nicely packaged in a gift box and each bottle is glass, well stoppered with a small rubber seal, 15ml in each and also with a screw on top. It works out around £7 per cracker.
http://www.galimard.com/index.php/e...rs-echantillons/coffret-6-parfums-detail.html

 

[Vienna]

Thanks Vienna!

I took a look at the website and ordered the 12 x sample vials to see if I liked the scents......

They are sensational!!

I am so pleased and the mens 1747 is going to be MINE, its lovely.

:heart:

So glad you liked them. I have a couple of favourites. A Contre Jour for daytime wear, Nuit Caline or Lapis Lazuli for evening and my hubby loves the Sportissimo for men.