Shoe horns are useful and I've had several from Christmas crackers. I donate them to the nursery where I work as a lot of the children's shoes are difficult to put on them although they are encouraged to dress themselves . They are amazed when I show them how to use a shoehorn. Such a simple idea and so useful. I must google who thought of it in the place. Worse things from crackers are those tiny spinning tops which don't spin!
I make my own crackers though for home and fill them with a chocolate and a small gift which is appropriate to the recipient, like earrings. In my granddaughter's, this year, I put a magic invisible writing pen with an ultraviolet light on the end to reveal what she had written and she loved it. Only 3 quid from Waitrose.