Print at home Pro Crackers
- Crackin Games Co
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
A professional guide to creating beautiful handmade crackers at home
Introduction
Hi, I’m the Head Cracker Goblin here at Cracking Games Co.
We’ve handmade hundreds of Christmas crackers while prototyping our designs — testing every kind of card, paper, and finish along the way. So, it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about how to make a really good cracker.
Of course, our finished products are all professionally printed, die-cut, and creased, which is a fascinating process in itself. But since most people don’t have a professional printer or die-cutting machine on hand, we thought we’d show you how to make beautiful crackers completely by hand.
Our whole journey actually started when a family friend of our founder brought round some homemade Christmas crackers — and that simple gesture showed us just how special a well-thought-out, carefully made cracker can be in bringing people together, whether it’s handcrafted at home or professionally produced like ours.
⚠️ A Quick Note Before We StartWe’re only going to say this once — please stay safe while crafting!Scissors, craft knives, and hot glue can all bite if you’re not careful, so take your time, keep your fingers clear, and make sure younger humans have a grown-up on hand to help.
Right then — let’s make some crackers!
1. Choose Your Card or Paper
One of the most important things to think about is the type of card or paper you use — because no one likes a limp Christmas cracker!
Professionally, we use something like a 350 gsm box board, which gives a premium, sturdy finish. However, as that can be hard to get hold of, you’ll want to use card around 200–300 gsm for home crafting.Most home printers will run this fine but check your specs if you're not sure.
If you’re using photo paper, aim for the heavier grades — around 280 gsm — so it’s not too floppy. The heavier the material, the more professional your cracker will look and feel.
If you’re wondering, GSM just means grams per square metre — it’s how paper weight is measured. Although there’s a bit of nuance, the general rule is the higher the number, the heavier and thicker the card. So, a 300 gsm card will feel much sturdier than, say, an 80 gsm sheet of printer paper.
You can also choose from different paper finishes: matte, silk, or gloss.
Matte is the same finish as standard printer paper — it’s the easiest to print on and looks great for most designs, especially if you prefer a subtle, natural look.
Silk has a slight sheen and feels smoother, offering a nice balance between matte and gloss.
Gloss gives a shiny, reflective surface that works beautifully for bright, festive, or snowy designs.
All printers handle matte well, but print quality on silk or gloss can vary depending on your printer model. Photo paper normally has a matte back — so if you don’t like the gloss, you can simply flip it over.
2. Gather Your Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own luxury Christmas crackers:
Thick card or photo paper (200–300 gsm recommended)
Double-sided tape (works much better than glue)
Scissors, or ideally a scalpel or craft knife
Cutting mat (to protect your table)
Something to crease with — the back end of a spoon works brilliantly
Ribbon, raffia, or string (for tying the ends)
Any glitter or decorative stickers
Cracker snaps (for that authentic pop)
Paper hats — one per cracker
Printer — if using templates or custom designs
Filler items — jokes, memes, tiny gifts, or chocolates
💡 Pro tip: Keep fillers lightweight so your cracker rolls and ties neatly.
3. Choose Your Cracker Style
Before you get started with printing or decorating, decide what style of cracker you want to make.
The rolled cracker is the traditional circular style — quick and simple to make, and a classic for a reason.
The folded and creased cracker has a more structured, premium look with crisp edges and a defined shape.
It’s completely a matter of taste. Rolled crackers are classic and forgiving, while folded ones have that elegant, luxury finish.
Once you’ve chosen your style, you’ll know how to approach your design and folding later on.
4. Design and Printing
Next, it’s time to decide how you want to get your design onto the cracker. You could print it, draw or paint it on, or even add glitter, stickers, or metallic pen details (just leave these until it’s fully assembled). You can also use embossed foil or other textured finishes for a more luxurious look. If you’re using paint or glue, make sure it’s completely dry before scoring or rolling your cracker — it’ll help keep your folds clean and prevent any smudging or tearing. We provide a selection of printable templates to make this easy:
Full-colour templates (ready to print and assemble)
Black-and-white templates (perfect for colouring, personalising, or printing on coloured or kraft card)
Crease-and-fold line templates, which you can print on the back of your paper — this lets you decorate the front however you like while keeping perfectly aligned guides.
If you’re printing your design, remember that most home printers leave a small white border around the edge. You can:
Trim it off after printing, or
Incorporate it into your design by fading the colour toward the ends or adding a white frame, like we’ve done in our templates.
If your printer struggles with thicker card, print onto thinner paper and glue it onto your chosen card before cutting.
💡 Pro tip: Do a quick test print first to check how your printer handles margins and colours — it’ll save you a lot of time later.
5. Measure and Mark Out
Once you’ve chosen your style and design, print your layout (if needed) or mark the guidelines onto your card.
Allow at least 10 cm for the glue flap on one edge — this is the overlap that holds the cracker closed.
Subtract that flap from your total width, then divide the remaining width by eight to create eight side panels.
Don’t worry about fractions of millimetres — round up to a clean number and add the difference to your glue flap.
Lightly mark the lines with a pencil and ruler so they’re easy to fold later.
6. Folding and Scoring
Before cutting, you’ll need to score and fold your cracker sheet to define the shape. Scoring first makes the folding clean and prevents tearing later on. Start by placing your sheet on a cutting mat or protective surface so you don’t mark your table.
If you’ve printed a template with crease lines, you’ll be scoring along those guides.
Score the tie points first.
These are the shorter horizontal lines that mark where the ends of your cracker will pinch and tie.
Then score any lines running the length of the sheet. This only applies if you’re making a folded-style cracker with defined panels rather than a smooth roll.
If you like, you can apply your double-sided tape now (without removing the backing) — it can make assembly easier later.
Use a straight edge or ruler to guide your scoring tool, blunt knife, or the back of a spoon. Line the ruler up carefully with each score mark so your folds stay neat and perfectly straight.
Once everything’s scored, crease each line gently along the scores to define the folds.
Now, place the sheet printed side down on your work surface. Fold along the scored lines so that the folds form a small “mountain” ridge facing upward — the printed design will be underneath, and the “mountain” will be the back of the cracker.
This “mountain” shape is what you’ll later cut into to create the diamond or triangular notches that give your cracker its shape. You’re essentially folding forward, back, and forward again — creating a base, peak, and other-side base of the mountain.
7. Cutting the Necks
Once you’ve folded your cracker and created your mountain folds along the tie lines, you’re ready to cut the necks — the notches that give your cracker its signature “waist.”
Pick up your cracker and fold it away from you so the printed sides are pressed together along the centre of each mountain fold (the ridge line).
Using scissors — quicker and easier than a craft knife — carefully cut small triangular notches along each fold line.
For folded crackers, cut a small triangle out of every fold line, leaving around 4–5 mm of paper between the base of one triangle and the base of the next. These opposing triangles will form little diamond shapes once the cracker is unfolded, creating the space that lets the ends pinch neatly.
For rolled crackers, you still need to cut small triangles around each tie line, but they can be more sporadic — just enough to help the ends twist cleanly.
The neater your cuts, the more professional your finished cracker will look. Make sure to leave enough paper between the cuts so it doesn’t tear too easily when handled or tied.
💡 Tip: On a rolled cracker, consistency is key — evenly spaced, uniform triangles give the cleanest, most symmetrical result.
8. Add the Snap
If you feel the need to add a snap (we know some people love them), tape it down along the centre line of your card.
Secure each end with a small piece of tape, and leave a slight bow in the snap so it has room to fold when the ends twist.
If it’s pulled tight, it can come loose or get tangled in the ties when you close the ends of the cracker.
9. Rolling and Assembly
Now for the satisfying part!
If you haven’t already done so, use your double-sided tape to secure the edge — one strip at each end and one in the middle works perfectly.
Roll your cracker into shape. If it’s a folded style, fold each section around to form the body; if it’s rolled, simply curl it into a tube.
Press firmly along the seam to seal it.
10. Forming and Finishing
Gently pinch in where you cut the diamond or triangle notches, pushing the ends inward toward the centre to create that signature “waist.”
Tie one end with ribbon, raffia, or string, in either a bow or a double knot. Then add your paper hat, joke, and little gift, and tie the other end closed. If you want to add any glitter or stickers then do it now!
And that’s it — you’ve just made your own luxury Christmas cracker!
💡 Pro tip: Match your ribbon colour to your design for that polished, professional look.
11. Professional Notes
At our workshop, we use heavy card for our high-end crackers and precision die-cutting for perfectly consistent shapes. Every detail is designed to look sharp and pull beautifully.
But our crackers aren’t just about presentation — they’re about play. At Cracking Games Co, we’ve spent countless hours developing and refining the games inside our crackers. Each one is carefully playtested to make sure it’s fun, fast, and brings people together around the table — because a great cracker should give you more than just a hat and a joke.
For home crafting, though, the techniques above will get you incredibly close to a professional finish — so think about what you could add to your crackers to really bring your table together.
Much love,Head Cracker GoblinCracking Games Co
✅ Summary Checklist
Before you start:
Choose your style — rolled or folded
Prepare your design or template
Print and trim your design
Score and cut the cracker shape
Add snap and roll closed
Tie one end, fill, and tie the other
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