Ready Made Christmas Crackers: Filled or Ready to Fill?

Christmas crackers are one of those little traditions that instantly make a Christmas table feel festive. But while pulling a cracker is easy, making them yourself can be quite another story.

If you're looking for an easier way to prepare your Christmas table, ready made Christmas crackers are a great option. At The Cracker Company, we offer both filled Christmas crackers and ready-to-fill Christmas crackers, so you can choose between complete convenience and the freedom to add your own gifts.

But what's the difference, and which type is right for you?

What are ready made Christmas crackers?

Ready made Christmas crackers are crackers that have already been assembled for you. You don't need to make the cracker, attach the snap or tie everything together yourself.

There are two main types:

• Filled Christmas crackers – complete crackers with their contents already inside and ready for the table.

• Ready-to-fill Christmas crackers – fully made and decorated crackers that you fill with your own chosen gift.

Both options save time compared with making Christmas crackers from scratch.

 

Filled Christmas crackers: ready for the table

If convenience is your priority, filled Christmas crackers are the simplest choice.

They arrive complete with their contents, which include a Christmas hat, joke and gift, depending on the design. Some crackers also contain something different, perhaps a musical instrument, a racing toy or another festive activity.

Simply place them around your Christmas table and they're ready to pull when the time comes.

Our Filled Christmas Crackers include a wide variety of designs, from traditional Christmas crackers to luxury, musical, racing and children's options.

Why choose filled crackers?

Filled crackers are ideal if you:

• Want your Christmas table ready with minimal preparation

• Need crackers for a larger number of guests

• Prefer to buy everything in one go

• Don't want to spend time choosing individual gifts

• Want a traditional Christmas cracker experience

• Need crackers in a hurry, or are busy and "time poor"

They're particularly useful during a busy December when there are already plenty of other things to organise.

Ready-to-fill Christmas crackers: choose your own gifts

If you like the idea of a Christmas cracker but want more control over what's inside, ready-to-fill Christmas crackers are a great alternative.

The crackers are already made and decorated, but have an opening that allows you to add your own gift. Once you've added the filler, simply finish the cracker with the supplied ribbon.

This gives you the best of both worlds: the convenience of a ready-made cracker with the personal touch of choosing the gift yourself.

Explore our Ready-to-Fill Christmas Crackers to see the different designs available.

 

Why choose ready-to-fill crackers?

Ready-to-fill crackers are particularly useful when you want to make each place setting personal.

For example, you could put:

• A small game or toy in a child's cracker

• A useful gift in an adult's cracker

• A beauty or self-care item for a friend

• A gardening-themed gift for someone who loves their garden

• A stationery gift for a colleague

• A small keepsake for a family member

You can use the same gift in every cracker or choose something different for each guest.

Shop our Fill Your Own Crackers.

What can you put inside a ready-to-fill Christmas cracker?

Size is everything with cracker fillers...   Christmas crackers have limited space inside, so your chosen gift needs to fit comfortably.

Popular cracker fillers include small toys, puzzles, games, stationery, keyrings, jewellery, beauty gifts, gardening gifts, keepsakes and novelty gifts.

At The Cracker Company, our cracker fillers for fill your own crackers are selected with crackers in mind, making it easier to find small gifts suitable for filling your crackers.

Most of our fill your own crackers will hold everything from our "Gifts for Standard Crackers" collection.  However, always check the cracker description, as our "budget friendly" fill your own crackers are slightly smaller.  

 

Filled or ready-to-fill: which should you choose?

The choice really comes down to how much preparation and personalisation you want.

If you want...	Choose...
Crackers ready to put straight on the table	Filled Christmas crackers
To choose the gift yourself	Ready-to-fill crackers
Different gifts for different guests	Ready-to-fill crackers
The simplest option	Filled crackers
A more personalised table	Ready-to-fill crackers
Something fun and unusual	Musical or racing crackers

Neither option requires you to make the cracker itself, so both are a convenient alternative to constructing crackers from scratch.

Christmas crackers for every kind of table

Ready made doesn't mean you have to compromise on style.

There are traditional crackers for a classic Christmas table, luxury designs for a more elegant setting, colourful crackers for families and children, and novelty designs that turn the cracker into part of the entertainment.

• Traditional Christmas crackers

Traditional crackers are a timeless choice for Christmas dinner. Look for classic festive colours, Christmas patterns and familiar contents such as hats, jokes and gifts.

• Luxury Christmas crackers

For a more sophisticated Christmas table, luxury crackers can add an extra decorative touch. These often feature more elaborate designs, metallic finishes and higher-quality gifts.

• Musical Christmas crackers

Musical crackers add an activity to the Christmas table. Depending on the design, they can include whistles, bells, numbered badges, music sheets and a conductor's baton.

Once everyone has pulled their cracker, you can hand out the instruments and have your own festive concert.

• Racing Christmas crackers

Racing crackers contain wind-up toys and a race track, turning the traditional cracker into a little competition.

They're a fun choice for families and anyone who likes a bit of friendly Christmas rivalry.

• Children's Christmas crackers

Children's crackers can contain toys, games or activities designed to keep younger guests entertained after the Christmas dinner.

For a particularly memorable table, pair children's ready-to-fill crackers with age-appropriate gifts chosen especially for each child.

 

Can ready-to-fill crackers be personalised?

Yes. One of the biggest advantages of ready-to-fill crackers is that you can personalise the contents.

You can also add names or short messages to some of our Crackers Kits to Personalise using the permanent marker included in the set. This can be a simple way to create individual place settings without having to make the crackers yourself.

A simpler way to prepare your Christmas table

Christmas is busy enough without adding unnecessary jobs to your to-do list.

Ready made Christmas crackers give you an easy way to enjoy this much-loved tradition without making the crackers yourself. Choose filled crackers if you want everything ready to go, or choose ready-to-fill crackers if you'd like to add your own personal touch.

And if you choose the ready-to-fill option, our collection of cracker fillers makes it easy to find small gifts for everyone around the table.

Whether you're planning a traditional family Christmas, an elegant dinner party or a fun-filled celebration, there's a ready made Christmas cracker to suit your table.

 

Want to Start from Scratch?

If you enjoy a little Christmas crafting, why not make your own crackers from scratch? Our Christmas Cracker Making Sets include everything you need to create your own crackers, while our Cracker Fillers let you choose the perfect little gifts to go inside. It's a fun way to create completely personalised crackers for your Christmas table.

 

The Cracker Company, creating memories - one cracker at a time.