How to make your own Christmas crackers

What you need

** A4-size paper (this can be any type of thin paper similar to wrapping paper)

** Glue gun, glue or Sellotape

** A kitchen roll/loo-roll barrel

** String or shoelace

** A snap

** Decorations

** A gift, or toy or sweet

1. Divide the A4-size paper into three by scoring it lightly. Cut up the kitchen-roll barrel into three parts, ensuring that one piece is slightly larger than the others. This will form the central part of the cracker

2. Tape or glue the snap, only sticking the ends to the paper to make sure it'll snap. Place the three parts of the barrel in the centre of each section of the paper

3. Using a tight grip and rolling away from yourself, roll the paper onto the barrel, tucking in the edges neatly. Then glue or tape the seam of the cracker

4. Using a piece of string, tie around the paper at the ends of the central section in the paper to create a neck at either end of the cracker

5. Add gifts to the cracker by dropping them carefully into one end. Personalise your crackers by adding decorations such as bows and ribbons

For more tips, visit www.crackers.co.uk