Make Your Own Pssst Christmas Cracker

As those sensible people on Blue Peter always know, you can't beat something you've made yourself. Not only do you end up with that personal touch, but you also save yourself a pretty penny in the bargain! Hear hear, we cry! So here it is, the Pssst Chrimbo Cracker!

  • Take the inside from a toilet roll and place it carefully on the middle of a piece of brightly coloured paper (perhaps you could stick two YS double pages together).
  • Cut around the toilet roll inside so as to allow enough paper to completely roll around it, and to overlap each end by three inches.
  • Twist one end into the familiar cracker end shape.
  • Now it's time to insert the goodies. Think up a good joke, or, if you're stuck, cut out your favourite Kindly Leave The Stage rib-tickler, and put this inside the cracker.
  • Eat a chocolate Kinder Easter Egg, remove the prize, and drop this inside.
  • Make a hat. Again, some bright and colourful YS double page spreads could come in handy here. Stick them together, measure them around your head, add another inch (since they're always too big), and then stick them together. Trim the top so that it's crown shaped, fold it up so it's very small and drop it inside the cracker.
  • Twist the remaining end up to the familiar cracker end shape, stick a picture from an old Christmas card on to the side and, hey Presto! A home- made Christmas cracker for a fraction of the cost of the shop-bought item!