Pink Tinsel Party Crackers

If you love party crackers—a British holiday staple—you're going to adore this DIY tinsel tree version. Made entirely from scratch using paper and pink tinsel, these Christmas crackers offer a unique take on the traditional party poppers.

For starters, the crackers are constructed out of card stock cones rather than the typical cardboard tubes. This creates simple yet recognizable Christmas tree shapes. Each cone is then adorned with metallic tinsel, stuffed with goodies like candy and stickers and then embellished with sparkly stars. The finished product is delightfully sweet and festive!

Worth noting, these crackers will not make the iconic "popping" sound like the traditional kind, though you're welcome to add cracker snaps if you'd like. Each cracker is also designed to be opened by one person due to the shape and construction. With that in mind, this project doubles as an excellent stocking stuffer or Christmas gift during the holiday season. We think even Santa would approve!

Ready to make your own Christmas crackers? Follow this step-by-step tutorial for making tinsel tree holiday crackers just in time for Christmas parties.

Print and cut out the paper cone template. Trace it on a sheet of light pink card stock.

Fold the template along the line. Trace the diagonal edge on the card stock.

Cut out the card stock cone pattern and then fold along the diagonal line, pressing the paper to form a hard crease. This will create a separate "tab."

Fold over the tab and then apply glue runner tape or double-sided tape.

Gently bend the paper into a cone shape, placing the tab along the inside of the opposite end. The edge of the paper should line up with the fold.

Cut a row of tinsel fringe measuring about 5 in. long and 8 in. wide. Lay the tinsel strands side by side, spreading them as evenly as possible.

Add an 8-in. strip of clear tape across the center, picking up as many tinsel strands as possible.

Fold the tinsel in half horizontally along the tape. Press to form a crease.

Add a thin strand of hot glue along the inside of the fold and press to secure. Repeat along the entire row.

Trim the fringe to even out the ends.

Repeat to create a 6-in. and 4-in. strip.

Now, it's time to transform the cone into a tinsel Christmas tree! Hot glue the 8-in. strand around the base of the cone; the bottom of the fringe should fall just past the bottom edge of the cone.

Trim the excess if needed and glue down the ends.

Add the 6-in. layer around the middle of the cone, overlapping with the bottom layer slightly. Repeat with the 4-in. layer around the top, cutting away the excess as necessary.

If needed, glue excess fringe around the top point of the cone.

Cut a sheet of tissue paper measuring approximately 12 in. by 18 in. Place small gifts in the center.

Wrap the gifts in tissue paper and tie it off with a strand of hemp or ribbon.

Line the card stock cone with hot glue and place the tissue-wrapped bundle inside. Trim the tissue paper.

To make coordinating trees, try adding tinsel in other colors for extra dimension. (This is a great way to use up leftover tinsel fringe!)

Want to give your project a luxury Christmas cracker feel? Hot glue star embellishments to each tree. Foam and plastic stars work great, but you can also cut them out of metallic or glitter card stock.

Your tinsel tree party favors are ready for gifting! Hand them out at your next holiday party or for something more personal, customize the crackers for each guest at Christmas dinner. You can also simply lay them out as table decorations, where they'll add sparkle and shine to your spread.

Merry Christmas!