MATERIALS Strong cotton (not nylon String poppers: The kind Flash cord (optional)
Flash paper or polyester) thread with strings coming out Electric flash powder, also
Flash cotton Clear nail polish both ends, not the cham- called sparkle powder pagne bottles. I buy these (optional): Available at
Non-flammable confetti Small toy: Strange coins, in Chinatown.
skylighter.com or
(optional) medallions, rings, and carved
theatrefx.com.
animals work well.
1. Arrange a few poppers as shown.
2. Tie the popper strings together.
3. Weave a tuft of flash cotton between and around the poppers. If you have sparkle powder, coat the igniter with nail polish and roll it around in the powder.
4. Tie the flash cotton around 5. Tie two strong 18" strings the poppers with a small bit securely to the string bundles of thread or flash cord. on each end.
6. Find an appropriately sized cylinder (I use a AA battery) and wrap flash paper around it, gluing the tube closed with nail polish. After the polish is dry, remove the cylinder.
7. Insert the igniter assembly so that one string handle comes out each end of the tube. Insert the toy in the tube. Optionally, stuff in some non-flammable confetti — but not so much that it will interfere with the ignition of the tube. For a better grip, you can tie a small ring to each handle.
Illustration by Damien Scogin
8. Twist the ends of the tube closed. Make sure the handle strings are not mechanically attached to the tube. You don’t want the tube to pull apart like a normal cracker; it should remain intact and be ignited along with everything else.
9. Stand away from anything flammable and keep the cracker away from people and pets. With one person holding each string, stand apart, and on a count of three, yank the strings sharply to pop it. Don’t be timid: if one person gives, it might just pull the handle strings off.
References:
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