Christmas Crackers

miniature cracker kit from Buttercup Miniatures
© F H Powell 2008

Tom Smith of London invented the cracker in 1846. Tom had visited Paris and seen sweets wrapped in twisted tissue paper. Known to the French as a bon-bon, Smith took this idea back to London. However, their popularity was seasonal around Christmas time only and otherwise short lived, so Smith added a motto to the sweet as a novelty. The motto was wrapped inside the sweet wrapper.

Smith, when sat in front of a crackling log fire had the idea of adding a crackling noise to his bon-bon. He had to increase the size of the wrapper to accommodate the two strips of paper that when pulled apart created a chemical reaction and a bang.

The popularity of his cracker meant that it was soon copied, so Smith replaced the sweet with a novelty gift. By the turn of the century a paper hat had been added and the cracker we know today was essentially complete.

Why not make you dolls house Christmas go with a bang with some 1:12th scale crackers!?