DIY Cracker Valentine’s Day Activity

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This Valentine’s Day activity will really pop! Learn how to make traditional crackers filled with toys, treats, and trinkets for Valentine’s Day.

valentine's day activity
valentine's day activity

Who says crackers are just for Christmas?! Not me.

If you love the traditional Christmas cracker idea, I think you’ll love this fun Valentine’s Day activity! It’s a fun and fast DIY project with a big payoff.

While you’re here, also be sure to check out our other printable Valentines for kids, easy Valentine crafts, and even the Valentine balloon messages! The balloons are one of our most popular projects ever.

Psst — you can also enter your info below to join my VIP group, where I send more of my very best ideas straight to ya!

The Perfect Post-Holiday Project

This Valentine’s Day activity started because I made some DIY Christmas crackers as gifts this year. I wanted to use my leftover cracker snaps on some DIY Valentine crackers too.

It’s a great project to use the extra supplies that you might have left over! Or purchase the supplies you need now, and save some for another holiday or special occasion.

Waste not, want not, y’all!

Just switch up the color scheme and the little gifties inside, and it’s a perfect gift for your Valentine or your Galentine.

valentine's day activity

The History of Crackers

Crackers were first made in around 1850 in London, by a candy maker! Inspired by a French custom, he tried selling sweets wrapped in paper, with a little motto or riddle inside. But they didn’t sell well.

So he rebranded them, with a wrapper that would make a big crack or bang sound when the wrapper was pulled apart! (It’s all in the marketing, friends.)

He bought the recipe for the cracker snaps from a fireworks company, wrapped the snap inside the sweet packages, and called them “Bangs of Expectation!”

They were a success, and the family business carried on with his sons.

What’s Inside a Traditional Cracker?

Traditionally, a few items come inside a cracker. These items are traditionally used around Christmas, so I switched ours up for the Valentine’s Day activity.

  • Crown – A tissue paper crown was usually included for fun, perhaps as an extension of the tradition of wearing festive hats, dating back to Roman times.
  • Motto – A small paper with a printed joke, riddle, or saying (usually the jokes are pretty cheesy!).
  • Small Gift Item – This is often a small toy or trinket. You could also include a sweet or noisemaker, or something similar.
valentine's day activity

How to Crack Open a Cracker

It’s pretty simple! Once you create your crackers for a Valentine’s Day activity (see our tutorial below!), you can give one to your Valentine and let them crack it open.

To crack, just pull firmly on either side of the crackers, in an outward motion. Pull firmly (you might need to help tiny kids).

You’ll hear a snap! sound as the cracker snap inside pulls apart. It will sound similar to throwing a Bang Snap Popper firework on the ground.

The cracker snaps are safe if you use them as directed. I always am careful to not pull them open near the face or ears.

Where Can I Get Supplies for This Valentine’s Day Activity?

  • Cracker Snaps Olde English Crackers is my source for cracker snaps! You can get a large pack and save them to use over the years. I have some that I’ve had for about 5 years and they’re still working.
  • Sweets – Any sweet shop is great! For this particular project, it’s a good idea to get pre-wrapped sweets, as opposed to loose candy.
  • Trinkets – A dollar store is a great place to look for little toys or trinkets to put inside!

Supplies to Make Your Valentine’s Day Crackers

Materials

Make Time: 20 Minutes

How to Create Your DIY Cracker VAlentine’s DAy Activity

  1. Start by cutting all of your pieces to the right size. Cut a 5.5″ square of cardstock and a piece of decorative paper that’s 18″ x 7″. Gather the rest of your materials. (Tip! If you just have plain paper, draw a pattern on it like I did.)
  2. Roll the cardstock into a tube and tape closed. Tape the tube to the center of one of the long edges of the paper.
  3. Insert a snap into the tube and center it. Tape the ends of the snap down onto the paper on either side of the tube.
  4. Roll the rest of the paper around the tube and secure with hidden double-sided tape. Gather the paper at one end of the tube and tie with a ribbon.
  5. Insert your toys and trinkets into the other end of the tube, being careful not to pack it too tightly. Tie off this end of the paper around the tube and trim the ends if necessary.
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valentine's day activity

Give your crackers to your Valentine! What would you put in yours?

If you like this Valentine’s Day activity idea, be sure to try it out and rate it below! xoxo

valentine's day activity

DIY Treat Cracker Valentine's Day Activity

Yield: Valentine Crackers
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

This Valentine's Day activity will end with a bang! Make Valentine crackers for all your pals.

Materials

  • cracker snaps
  • clear tape
  • double sided tape
  • cardstock
  • festive paper
  • treats to put inside
  • ribbon

Tools

  • scissors

Instructions

    1. Start by cutting all of your pieces to the right size. Cut a 5.5" square of cardstock and a piece of decorative paper that's 18" x 7". Gather the rest of your materials. (Tip! If you just have plain paper, draw a pattern on it like I did.)
    2. Roll the cardstock into a tube and tape closed. Tape the tube to the center of one of the long edges of the paper.
    3. Insert a snap into the tube and center it. Tape the ends of the snap down onto the paper on either side of the tube.
    4. Roll the rest of the paper around the tube and secure with hidden double-sided tape. Gather the paper at one end of the tube and tie with a ribbon.
    5. Insert your toys and trinkets into the other end of the tube, being careful not to pack it too tightly. Tie off this end of the paper around the tube and trim the ends if necessary.

Notes

It helps to ensure that your paper isn't too thick; otherwise you'll have trouble pulling the cracker apart for this Valentine's Day activity. A thin wrapping paper works well!

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20 Comments

  1. Love this Chels. I swear, I need you and Kelly to teach me (in person) how to make these things. It looks easy, but I still think I need assistance.

    1. So good to meet you too! Can’t stop thinking about the headband you made at the mini parties. 😉 Hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!

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