Party Crackers:
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In this issue of Party Yak:
Fun party favor idea: What is silly, elegant, full of fun trinkets, goes "pop" and is adaptable to any party? Party Crackers!
Buy them, buy the parts, or make your own homemade party favors easily.
Party Crackers:
All-Occasion Party Favor Idea
Well, as it turns out, you can stuff yourself with crackers or you can stuff your crackers with stuff. The latter is definitely more fun.
Party Crackers are an old English party favor idea and tradition. They are festively wrapped cardboard cylinders that can be filled with all manner of treasures and trinkets and tied off at the ends. Typically, but not always, a cracker "snap" is inserted which, when pulled from both ends, pops loudly. Thus, "crackers."
You can purchase a variety of ready-made crackers and ready-to-fill crackers , or you can buy the components and make your own. Otherwise, start saving those TP and paper towel rolls now.
When you make your own, crackers can be tailored to any occasion by the choice of wrapping paper and other decorations outside, and the treasures you place inside. Here are some good
cracker assembly instructions.
Party Cracker Filling Ideas
The body of most party crackers is about 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, so what goes inside must be fairly small. If you have something longer in mind, use paper towel tubes, whole or cut to size. Here are a few good stuffer ideas:
- wrapped candy, chocolates, mints, Jordan almonds or other nuts, gum
- recipes, tea/tea bags, coffee, small kitchen gadgets, seed packets
- small toys, stickers, crayons, erasers, mini decks of cards, whistles
- jokes, riddles, thank you notes
- confetti, streamers, paper hats, noisemakers
- potpourri, decorative soaps, perfume, small candles, cameo picture frames
- diamond rings, $1000 bills, theater tickets, keys to a new car
The Wrapping
One thing often left out of party cracker instructions is that the paper you use to wrap the crackers must tear easily for the snap to work properly. These usually work well...
- gift-wrapping paper
- tissue paper
- newspaper
- sheet music
- (treasure) maps, lightweight map book pages
- phone book pages
If you leave the snap out, and that's perfectly okay, you can also use...
- lightweight fabrics, lace, or linen hankies and such
Theme Party Favor Ideas
For bridal party favors (wedding reception favors) you could fill your crackers with Jordan almonds and a 'thank you for sharing in our special day' note, and wrap them in silver foil gift wrap.
You can make kids' party favors with newsprint from the Sunday comics, sealed with a big sticker and stuffed with a small toy, a stick of gum, and a riddle.
You could also make tea party favors filled with some fine tea in a tea infuser, wrapped in ladies' "Victorian" hankies.
For elegant dinner parties, bon voyage parties, going into business parties... well, you get the idea: Party crackers are truly the universal party favor idea, something you can fall back on again and again.
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