It’s only fitting that 2020 go out with a bang on New Year’s Eve, and I’ve come up with the perfect way to give 2020 the middle-finger-send-off it truly deserves. With mild explosives, an ass-ton of confetti, silly (or crude) jokes, small favors, and a whole lot of fun and whimsy with easy DIY New Year’s Eve crackers.

What are New Year’s crackers?

New Year’s crackers are my take on the popular Christmas cracker in England. They’re cardboard tubes that you pop open that are filled with toys and knick-knacks. I wanted to add a bit more pizzazz while integrating some English elements like jokes and ill-fitting crowns made of tissue paper. The result is this New Year’s Eve cracker globecrafting hybrid. To learn more about the tradition of Christmas crackers, here’s a post I found at whycristmas.com.

So let’s make these fun New Year’s Eve crackers. What’ya say?

Here’s what you’ll need to make easy New Year’s Eve crackers:

• A cardboard roll (you can use toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, or the tubes from gift wrapping paper which is the perfect way to up-cycle your leftover rolls from Christmas)
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape (preferably). Regular tape and some super glue would also work
• A tape measure
• Tissue paper
• Wrapping paper
• Confetti poppers (you can find these in most US stores especially around NYE)
• Box cutter (optional)
• Crochet hook (optional but will make this a LOT easier)

Here’s how to make this sh*t:

Step 1:

If you need to, cut your cardboard tube down to size by cutting into it with a box cutter and making sawing motions with it while you rotate the roll all the way around.

Step 2:

About an inch in from one end of the tube, make a hole using an exacto knife or some other small knife, nail, etc.

Step 3:

Using a crochet hook, wire, etc. fish the string from the confetti popper out through the hole you just made.

Step 4:

Using some double-sided tape or super glue, stick the confetti popper in-line with the hole inside of the tube making sure the bottom of the popper (where the confetti will come out) is at the very end of the tube. It may be easier to rotate the roll upside down to do this.

Step 5:

Time to stuff your tube! In England, the staples of a Christmas cracker are super cheesy jokes, a paper crown, and some small gifts. You can go as fancy or as budget-friendly here as you’d like. For a few ideas. you can visit my Holiyay Idea List on Amazon here (this is an affiliated link which means that if you purchase anything through it I may earn a very small commission at absolutely no cost to you. It’s also a great way to support bloggers).

To make a paper crown:

• Cut a strip of tissue paper to measure 3 1/2″ x 24″ (9cm x 60cm).
• Tape the ends together with double-sided tape.
• Fold in half and make a solid crease.
• Fold in half a second time and make a solid crease.
• Fold in half a third time, crease it again.
• Using scissors, cut one edge at an angle.
• Open to inspect paper crown.

Neatly wrap all of your trinkets in some tissue paper and stick it inside of the tube, making sure to leave some room at the end for more tissue paper.

Step 6:

Tape one end of wrapping paper (cut to the length and height – the circumference of the roll -) horizontally starting just outside of the hole. Make sure not to tape the string down. Put another piece of tape at the edge of the opposite side of the paper in the center and ends. Start rolling until the entire tube is covered – again, making sure to not tape down or cover the string.

Step 7:

Make note of which end of the tube is to be pointed away from the person holding it by marking it with a pen or taping a cute little label on the end that says something like: “To use: Pull out the tissue paper at this end. Make a midnight wish, and then pull the string to make it come true! Once the deed is done, enjoy a gift at the other end.”

Step 8:

Crinkle up some tissue paper and gently stuff it into both ends. You can even add more confetti before inserting the tissue paper so it all comes spilling out. If there’s one rule for glitter and confetti on New Year’s Eve, it’s more is more.

Step 9:

When it’s time for the fun (midnight, noon if you’re doing a “Noon Year’s Eve” for the kids, or really whenever the damn you want because you’re an adult!) instruct the recipient (if you opted to not do a label) to pull out the tissue paper at the indicated end, hold it away from them, make a New Year’s wish (like for it to not be a total shit show), and pull the string to make it come true.

Enjoy the looks of delight and surprise and pat yourself on the back for making a little NYE magic. After that, they can remove the paper at the opposite and and rummage through all their tiny trinkets!

I really hope you enjoyed this DIY. If you did, please comment, like, and share as I thrive off internet validation from strangers.

For a tutorial on how to make a traditional Christmas cracker, read this tutorial from Squawkfox.com.

Happy Swearcrafting, and a Happy New Year!

If you liked this, you might also enjoy my post on DIY Flying Wish Paper.