Get ready for DIY Christmas Cracker Snap time!
8, 10, 12 or 20 retro fortune teller fish, available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
I learn something new everyday! And today's teacher was from an Etsy buyer from the UK, now living in the US.
Here is her message:
I bought these to fill Christmas crackers with. I don't know if your familiar
with British Christmas crackers? They are usually filled with a silly
joke, a paper crown and a little nick-nack. My mom sent me the some
crackers to build but I needed a little nick-nack to put in them. The
fortune teller fish is one of my families favorite nick-nack found in
crackers. Thank you so much, my husband will be very surprised :) Since
moving over from the UK it's nice to have some British Christmas
traditions.
I did not know it was traditional in the UK to have a fortune teller fish, paper crown and silly joke inside, nor did I know they were called nick-nacks! So interesting and fun!
I just love the graphics on these!
8+ retro fortune teller fish, available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
How fun! So nice to already have premade cracker snaps and just have to fill them.
My family has them for Christmas Eve dinner as alternative plate decoration name cards. Each cracker snap has your name on it and is filled with items everybody loves and one personal item just for you!
It might have your favorite candy, or a figurine you collect or a little sewing kit if your outfits are always mal functioning during the holidays or something sentimental or something for one of your hobbies, etc.
Sometimes our family uses cracker snaps at New Year's Eve dinners too with noise makers inside, etc, our family loves mini kazoos for the midnight calling and the kid's and adults love temporary tattoos to pass the time til midnight and even at birthday events filled with party loot!
We use cracker snaps for themed parties too! We usually make them using recycled cardboard roll tubes, themed wrapping paper and themed loot! For example, if it was a pirate themed party, then we just cover the tubes with pirate themed wrapping paper with pirate themed loot, like mini treasure chests, available here that open and you can add your own little prize inside.
All 4 of our shops have all kinds of themed and general fun nick-nacks to fill your cracker snaps, surprise balls, Advent calendars and other party event loot! Links below.
If you run out of time to make cracker snaps, they also make nostalgic fun holiday card inserts! Bring back old memories while making new ones too!
These are very easy and fun to use for all ages. Just take out the fish from the envelope and place it in the palm of your hand and see what happens! On the back of the envelope it tells what your "love" fortune holds for you!
8, 10, 12 or 20 retro fortune teller fish, available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
Saying Goodbye: I used to use these in the classroom when I was teaching magic to third graders because these fish have a really interesting scientific explanation and are so fun and can revolve around and transfer to other modes of teaching, like vocabulary and making up your own fortunes for the movement of the fish!
I keep these on hand, in my purse and such because who doesn't love to have a dancing fish!
The directions are on each fish and your fortune is on the back of each envelope! So simple to use!
8, 10, 12 or 20 retro fortune teller fish, available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
What I Learned:
1. So many of my third grade teaching props that I had extra or hoarded away have become best sellers on our shops! I guess some things are just timeless.
2. Since I've been mainly focusing on self care, my health is getting better much faster than usual. My lower back pain is gone and so is my sciatica. My allergies are more manageable and I'm sleeping much better.
I think this is due focusing on my health when I first wake up, instead of last when everything from my daily list is done. Instead of tending to other needs, I tend to mine first now. Also, learning how to meditate has worked wonders in all areas of my life. I can even sit in a conventional chair now and not even think about my sciatica pain returning!
3. My time has become more valuable to me, so I spend less time doing Etsy chores and give myself more me time! Since my lower back pain and sciatica is gone, I've been spending more time exercising with yoga and slow walks.
4. Making healthier choices in my life has really made a difference! Also, I think all the baby steps I've been making for better self care have really added up to miles of improvement!
If you need larger amounts like 50 or 100+ magic love fortune fish, they are available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
Thank you Etsy buyer from The Destiny of Things
for letting me know the traditions of British and your Christmas traditions for your friends and family! I just love learning about different cultures, especially their traditions!
I think I'll put paper crowns and a silly joke for my next cracker snap filler
All these stories and ideas really help me stay on
track
with mine. And I am so happy to find that I can start throwing stuff away and it's just going to take a lot of baby steps.
Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab
ever! And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me
indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab! I've been gleaning so much insight about my hoarding ways!
We make our cracker snaps with recycled cardboard rolls and they also come in handy for making all kinds of things in a classroom!
40 DIY cardboard paper rolls for crafting, available here
If you need less or more, just contact us and let us know!
photo via JunkDrawerAndMore
I'm going to continue in
wellness mode and see if my health, especially my allergies continue to get better. I'm going to focus spending my time on more
meditating, doing gentle yoga and walking.
Also, all the meditating has
been bringing me an inner peace for longer lasting amounts of time and I've been feeling a shift of some sorts that's hard to describe at this moment. I think it's called, "not sweating over the small stuff" or something like that.
I do spend on Etsy and am keeping all the shops open and
relisting and new listing as often as I can because it reminds me of my
old familiar regular routine.
I have been relisting almost daily and will be new listing again soon!
If you need party fillers for just about anything, like cracker snaps, surprise balls, Advent calendars, piñatas, table confetti, party favor bags, wedding favors, etc. You can find fun, some old and some new and some unique to bring back old memories and make new ones for all ages at our shops below!
Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 147 items, The Destiny of Things- 141 items, VintageToGoEasy - 147 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 151 items.
I think I'll roll up or fold the silly joke in these gum ball capsules for fun, available here
photo via The Destiny of Things
Related Stories:
1. An Etsy buyer from NY sharing Fortune Fish with her college
classmates as they study, Fortune Teller Miracle Fish by Cathryn
Hankla: The Destiny of Things, Story 152. I also included some of my
favorite passages, read it here
2. Fortune Teller Miracle Fish: The Destiny of Things, Story LXXXII, here used as party favors!
3. Miracle Fish Fortune Teller Surprise Balls: The Destiny of Things, Story XCII, here
5. UPDATE on A Little Girl and her Miracle Fish: The Destiny of Things, Story #112, Part 2,here
These cocktail drink or cake toppers, also make great cracker snap fillers, my family loves these to claim their holiday drinks or put on top of desserts, available here
photo via JunkDrawerAndMore
8. Teachable Moments with Fortune Fish Tellers: The Destiny of Things, Story 180
9. With an updated photo from an Etsy buyer using some of my items from the "Thank you" package, here
9. With an updated photo from an Etsy buyer using some of my items from the "Thank you" package, here
10. Fortune Fish: The Destiny of Things, Story 238: Various ways they've been used in themed parties.
The fortune fish also make great holiday card inserts or any occasion snail mail cards from birthdays to cheering others up!
photo via kind Etsy buyer, story here
Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!
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