To avoid last-minute stress, one must prepare early for Christmas.
From guestlists to gifts, dinner party planning to food prep, there is an overwhelming amount of admin to tick off before the holiday season hits.
One essential - yet easily overlooked - part of curating the perfect Christmas is deciding what crackers to adorn the table.
A luxury set of Christmas crackers is an easy way to heighten your festive decor game. Not only do luxury crackers come in different shapes and sizes, but they feature lavish materials such as velvet, satin bows and artisan prints - all hiding the fun or covetable item hidden inside.
While there are plenty of economical and novelty versions, luxury Christmas crackers can be surprisingly hard to find. Aside from Fortnum & Mason and Liberty, these Christmas table essentials aren’t offered by many big brands.
This is where Etsy and Not On The High Street step up to the mark. The retailers champion independent artists who produce intricately designed sets. From traditional tartans to personalised pastels, reusable fabrics and more, there are options to impress guests while taking your festive tablescape to new heights.
While adding a set of luxury Christmas crackers to your online basket may seem like an unnecessary expense, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Many of the options listed below can be reused for years to come, meaning you’re saving yourself from the annual cash drop on decorations. Not to mention, it’s a highly sustainable purchase that can be appreciated by all ages, from kids to grandparents.
Whether minimalism or maximalism is on the cards this Christmas, there’s a luxury cracker for every mood board.
Shop now.
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Fortnum & Mason Winter Green Crackers
Sleek and sophisticated, these Fortnum & Mason crackers are top drawer. Featuring a beautiful emerald hue, velvet bows and gifts handpicked from the Picadilly store, the set of six comes in a statement turquoise box. Tea towels, tea timers and champagne bottle stoppers will delight festive dinner party guests once the cracking has been done.
Buy now £295.00, Fortnum & Mason
Cartilage Cartel Luxury Jewellery Filled Christmas Crackers
One for those with a penchant for piercings, Cartilage Cartel’s luxurious jewel-filled crackers are a dazzling addition to the table. The ebony-hued crackers house delicate ear candy spanning gold, silver and mixed metal pieces. Finished with a hand-tied ribbon, the crackers offer guests two pairs of huggie hoops and two pairs of studs for mixing and matching.
Buy now £80.00, NOTHS
Posh Totty Designs Creates Personalised Fabric Reusable Christmas Cracker
Add a bespoke touch to your dinner table this Christmas with these personalised crackers that can be reused for years to come. Add the name you’d like to be embroidered onto each cracker and pick a colour to match your Christmas aesthetic. The crackers, which double up as napkins (genius, no?), come complete with a party hat, a joke and plain paper to add a message to your loved ones.
Buy now £35.00, NOTHS
Bioderma Christmas Cracker
You may know Bioderma for its cult micellar water but the French pharmacy label has a powerhouse of cleansing and soothing products that extend beyond this one formula, in which this cracker is a case in point.
Items they’ll actually use, rather than trinkets destined for the landfill, this gift set contains a travel-friendly mini of the iconic Sensibio H2O and its biomimetic micelles alongside the dry skin-saviour Atoderm Intensive Baume and Atoderm Moisturising Stick raspberry-flavoured lip balm.
Buy now £15.00, lookfantastic
Nancy & Betty Studio Six Luxury Silent Night Christmas Crackers
When it comes to exquisitely illustrated crackers, Nancy & Betty Studio reign supreme. Choose from an array of fairytale prints including golden shells, moonlit nights and animal figurines. This set of six ‘Starry Night’ crackers caught our eye with its whimsical print. Trinkets inside include wooden honey drizzlers, a nutmeg grater, toys, mini jams and more.
Buy now £39.95, NOTHS
Liberty Nutcracker Christmas Crackers Set of 6
Liberty never fails to dole out the goods when it comes to Christmas. This playful set of crackers showcases characters from the Nutcracker set against an elegant oyster grey background. An ideal pick for parties with kids, the crackers feature a selection that includes a nutmeg grater, slinky, wooden yo-yo and a miniature jar of jam among others.
Buy now £49.95, Liberty
Sarah Chapman Festive Glow Duo
Forget fish-filled crackers with useless plastic toys that will go straight in the bin. This Christmas, adorn your table with Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis collection. The celebrity facialist, who counts Meghan Markle among her starry clientele, has packed two of her bestselling products into a festive treat.
In hand-luggage-ready mini sizes, The Ultimate Cleanse is made up of anti-ageing peptides, vitamin A and antioxidants to provide a thorough cleanse. Also inside is the Overnight Facial, a serum-oil that’s packed with active ingredients to boost the skin’s elasticity and firmness.
Buy now £25.00, Space NK
Fortnum and Mason Carousel Crackers
A less expensive Fortnum’s offering, these divine carousel crackers marry Christmas charm with fantastical fairytale motifs. Each contains a unicorn mask, a joke and a paper crown so guests can celebrate in style. Both the crackers and outer box are eco-friendly, meaning they can be reused for decorating gifts and act as crafts for children.
Buy now £55.00, Fortnum and Mason
Forever Crackers It's Showtime Reusable Christmas Cracker And Crown
If you’d prefer something less traditional for the festive period, these striped monochrome crackers with a crafty swirl trim are true showstoppers. Inspired by mint humbugs, the reusable crackers are left empty for hosts to fill with personalised presents. Forever Crackers also offers personalisation up to four letters which come on a black leather tag.
Buy now £30.00, NOTHS
Kaneo Crackers Gift Box of Six Velvet Reusable Luxury Christmas Crackers with Snaps
Kaneo’s velveteen crackers come with gold letter-clad name tags, a classic tartan design and delicate ribbons. Presented in a lavish tissue-lined box, the crackers can be reused for years to come, ensuring the buyer gets their money’s worth. Fun QR codes lead to a ‘chuckle or challenge’ to keep children entertained during lengthy sessions at the dinner table.
Buy now £62.00, Etsy
Chase and Wonder Luxury Candle Party Crackers
Ensure your table takes the cake with Chase and Wonder’s butterfly-clad crackers. Each one contains a serene hand-poured luxury scented candle exuding a soothing scent. Pick from a series of stunning prints, from glistening Christmas jewels to illustrative wreaths and more.
Buy now £55.00, Chase and Wonder
Melt Chocolate Christmas Crackers
Handmade in Notting Hill by the artisan chocolatiers over at Melt London, these luxurious bon bon-filled crackers are perfect for any art-loving home. Adorned with designs by Lichtenstein and filled with Christmassy chocolates, you simply can’t go wrong.
Buy now £39.99, Melt
MOTH canned cocktail crackers
It's the season for giving, and what better way to liven up your Friendmas gathering than by laying MOTH's crackers at each place setting? The canned cocktail company has launched this festive table must-have, complete with RTD favourites including Espresso Martini, Piña Colada, Margarita and Negroni.
You'll get four per pack plus a joke in each one; time to get very merry indeed.
Buy now £20.00, MOTH
Vinca Wine Tasting Christmas Cracker
If you're looking for a cracker that over-delivers, head to Vinca where you can pick up its Wine Tasting version. Pull it open to reveal three of Vinca's organic canned wines waiting to join the festivities. The only question is, will you share or keep the loot for yourself?
Buy now £15.00, Vinca
