Yahoo News Best Christmas crackers, from luxury conversation-starters to fill-your-own options
Christmas crackers are often thrown into the trolley at the last minute and yet the right kind of Christmas crackers can do wonders for your table decor.
We associate them with cheesy jokes and a funny hat, but the humble cracker has come a long way. With the likes of Fortnum & Mason adding a luxury twist into the mix, now's the time to take them more seriously.
Christmas crackers can lighten the mood, start the conversation and even give you the chance to fill your own. This John Lewis option means you can personalise your gift to each guest.
If that wasn't enough, Selfridges and Not On The High Street are even letting you personalise each cracker with the name of your guest.
If we haven't convinced you, perhaps this selection of 10 hand-picked Christmas cracker boxes will.
10 of the best Christmas crackers for 2022
Luxury Fill Your Own Christmas Crackers, Pack of 6 | £10 from John Lewis
There's something extra special about filling your own Christmas crackers and these gold crackers will look at home on any Christmas Day table. Each of these six crackers are adorned with delicate snowflakes for a little extra Christmas sparkle.
Christmas Crackers with Trivia Game - Pack of 12 | £15 from John Lewis
These are our favourite crackers for groups of people who don't know each other too well. We're thinking new roommates or an office Christmas party. The cracker trivia game really lightens the mood and the playful design will look great on any table.
Traditional Christmas Crackers (Set of 6) | £129 from Harrods
If you're looking for a showstopper The Traditional set of six comes in a curated selection of matching designs, bookended by velvet ribbons. Including cookie cutters and a tie clip, each cracker also has a hat, joke and small gift.
Fortnum's 1707 Crackers, Set of 6 | £65 from Fortnum & Mason
Inspired by Fortnum & Mason in London, the Fortnum's 1707 Crackers are perfect for a Great Gatsby vibe, with everybody dressing up in their best. Each cracker contains a crown, a joke and a recipe from Fortnum & Mason's renowned cookbook. Every one also comes with a small gift to help you with your recipe (think: coffee scoop for the dusty road sundae recipe).
Escape Room Puzzle Christmas Crackers | £25 from Not On The High Street
Your guests will absolutely love playing this Escape Room style puzzle game, with each cracker giving away a new part of the clue. Every one also contains a hat and is decorated with a simple Scandi Christmas tree design.
Community Garden Holly Fill Your Own Christmas Crackers, Pack of 6 | £8 from John Lewis
If your Christmas guests are keen gardeners, they'll love the theme behind these Community Garden crackers. They're inspired by the local allotments and add a nice little story to the dinner table, as well as being fully customisable to each guest.
Fever-Tree Ultimate Spirits & Mixers Crackers, Box of 4 | £34 from John Lewis
Each cracker comes with a tonic and a rum, vodka or gin pairing – perfect for an adult dinner party. If you're still on the hunt for the perfect adult stocking-fillers, too, then look no further than these well-designed festive gifts.
Jolly General Store Gonks Crackers, Pack of 12 | £15 from John Lewis
The idea behind these 12 Christmas crackers is that each gift is something you could typically pick up in an old-school hardware store come local post office. There's something nostalgic about this set of 12, which also come with a hat and motto for the year ahead.
Luxury Christmas Crackers - Pack of 8 | £20 from Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer has well and truly nailed the Christmas aesthetic (as usual) with these beautifully designed Christmas crackers. Gifts include everything you would expect to find in a Christmas cracker of years gone by, including a pack of playing cards, but with the added benefit of looking great on your table.
Fortnum's Celestial Crackers, Set of 6 | £65 from Fortnum & Mason
With space to write each of your guests' names, these starry sky inspired crackers contain miniature cooking utensils, and much like the other Fortnum & Mason options, each cracker comes with a bonus recipe from the Fortnum & Mason cookbook.
Personalised Handwritten Green Crackers | £30 from Made By Clare on Not On The High Street
These come as a pack of six but you can add many more personalised crackers at an additional cost. The super simple and effortlessly elegant crackers are a real treat for your guests, with the added option to make them up yourself or buy them ready-made.
Thie Workshop Personalised Christmas Cracker | £10 from Selfridges
Not only are each of these Christmas crackers customisable, they also contain a Tony's Chocoloney chocolate and matchbox puzzle. You had us at chocolate.
