This one’s for everyone with December birthdays. Just because it’s the holiday season, it doesn’t mean you can wrap their Christmas & birthday presents into one! Instead, here’s a special DIY for Christmas crackers shaped like birthday candles. Make a bunch as a fun surprise for the birthday girl or boy and fill them up with mini treats, toys and candy.

Supplies: Crepe paper, empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls, cracker snaps, string, tape, candy/treats, scissors, hot glue gun, washi tape, white card stock

Step 1: Cut a piece of white card stock so that it is 9 1/2″ long and 8 1/2″ wide – this length allows the cracker snaps to stick out a little on the ends. Roll it snugly around the toilet paper roll and tape to secure. If you are using a paper towel roll, make sure to cut it down to 9 1/2″ long too before attaching the card stock.
Step 2: Wrap a 15″ long piece of white crepe paper around the roll and tape to secure. It’s a good idea to line up the seam of the crepe paper with the seam of the card stock – that way, the other side is as nice as possible.
Step 3: On one end, loosely tie the crepe paper with string. Feed the cracker snap through so that a little bit of it is caught in the knot. Tighten the knot and tie another to secure.
Step 4: Trim away the excess crepe paper, being careful not to cut the cracker snap. Gently push this end up into the tube so that the roll can stand upright on this end.
Step 5: Fill the cracker with candy and treats for the birthday girl or boy!
Step 6: Tie off the second end as well, making sure the cracker snap extends out a little bit. Trim away the excess crepe paper.
Step 7: Cut a zig zag strip of yellow crepe paper about 5″ long. I made the height of the flames on one end slightly taller than the other end so that when wrapped more flames are visible.
Step 8: Apply small dabs of hot glue on top of the string at the top of the candle cracker. Gently scrunch the flame crepe and apply it around the string until the full length is attached, as shown below.
Step 9: Starting from the top, apply washi tape around the candle in a spiral. Leave a little bit of excess tape at both the top and bottom edges.
Step 10: Add another strip of washi tape to the candle cracker, centered in the gap the other washi tape left. At the bottom, roll excess tape inward so that it is hidden.
Step 11: At the top, carefully snip the excess tape away so that the washi tape lines up with the edge of the tube. Repeat for as many candles as needed!