How to Make English Firecracker Toys Out of Paper Tubes

With Winter approaching quickly, many mothers will soon be searching desperately for craft projects to keep their kids occupied while they are cooped up in the house. This easy to make project will do just that. Making these toys will do more than just keep children busy the process will most likely genuinely capture your child's interest and give them a temporary lift from the winter doldrums. This project will also come in handy in the summertime when a kid-friendly alternative to fire crackers is needed.

This project involves using tiny trinket gifts (such as candy, toy cars, sturdy jewelry or figures), cardboard paper tubes, string and tissue paper to make toys called English Crackers. Optional items like markers and stickers can be used to further decorate the tubes.

To begin this project first procure some cardboard tubes; you can use toilet paper tubes or if you are uncomfortable using them (I know that I am) I have found that paper towel cardboard tubes that have been cut in half work just as well. Once you have procured the cardboard tubes you would like, tie a piece of string. You can use any kind of durable string but I recommend using bright colored yarn, securely around one of the small trinket gifts and place it inside the tube. Make sure to leave roughly two or three inches of string hanging out the other side of the tube.

Next wrap the tube with brightly colored tissue paper and twist the paper around the end of the tube where the gift is. Leave the other end open for the next step.

Depending on how messy you are willing to allow these toys to be you can add many optional items here such as confetti, paper scraps, or glitter for an especially pretty toy. Choose whatever optional items you would like and add them to the paper tube. Finish by twisting the tissue paper around the open end of the tube, allowing the string to hang out. I suggest that you secure the tissue paper twists with either a twist tie or an elastic band.

Feel free to personalize the cardboard tubes. I make these for my children every holiday with different themes (such as pink or red for Valentines day and filled with candies). I also use them for stocking stuffers at Christmas time. I personalize each one with my child's name and decorate and fill it with things based on my child's likes and dislikes. With a little creativity these toys are suitable year round.