DIY Monstera Leaf Backpack | We're Going to Make it

Monstera Leaf Backpack for Back to School

August 9, 2017August 9, 20172 Comments

Learn how to make this fun (and super easy!) monstera leaf backpack so you can stand out at school. I can’t believe that I am already typing up back to school posts. Where has the summer gone? It feels like just yesterday that I was posting about pineapples and beach towels and now it’s time to dust off those notebooks and update our backpacks with a fun new design like a monstera leaf pattern.

The best part about going back to school is getting new school supplies. Though backpacks can be a bit expensive and quite generic looking, that’s why I wanted to share with you all a simple upgrade to a plain bag. Keep on reading to find out how to make this monstera leaf backpack!

Materials:

Plain backpack
Acrylic paint
Paint brush
Monstera leaf stencil
Paper
Pencil

How to make a monstera leaf backpack:

Start by making a stencil so you can easily paint on your leaves. I did this by drawing out a monstera leaf on plain, thick, paper. Then I carefully cut out the leaf. You can also make the stencil by copying an image from online.
Once you have your stencil, take a pencil and trace around it directly onto your backpack. Do this several times in different areas to cover your backpack.
Taking some green paint and a paint brush start to paint in the leaf. I first began by going around the edges of the leaf and then filling in the center of it. I used a pretty small paint brush to do this.
Continue to paint in all of your leaves.
Let the paint dry completely before you use your backpack

Time to throw your books into your new backpack and get your butt to school! If you want some more back to school DIY’s be sure to check out our Pinterest and while you are there pin this image!

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Faux Embroidered Vacation T-shirt

June 14, 2017June 14, 20178 Comments

I plan on wearing this vacation t-shirt on our next vacation. And guess what, that will be in a few weeks! If you haven’t heard, Rose and I are going to Seattle on July 1st! We are so excited for this trip and pretty much had it planned since our last vacation to Portland. We’re going to don our vacation t-shirts and explore Seattle!If you’ve been to Seattle before leave a comment below telling us what we should go see or where we should eat. We’ve got our list going but are welcome to any suggestions from you guys 🙂

This faux embroidered vacation t-shirt is the perfect tee to throw on and wear on the plane. It’s loose and it’s comfy and it clearly states what you will be doing: going on vacation! Plus, it is a cinch to make.

Materials:

Plain white t-shirt
Iron on letters – make sure they are the ones that have the outer rim
Iron
Ironing board or towel

How to make a vacation t-shirt:

Lay your t-shirt out onto an ironing board or on top of a towel.
Peel off the outer part of the letters to spell out vacation.
Position the letters onto the t-shirt.
Turn your iron on and iron press the iron firmly onto the letters. Hold for 10-15 seconds or per instructions on your iron on letter packaging.
Put on shirt and go on a vacation!

Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world right now? I’ve always wanted to go to Greece so maybe I’ll make that my goal for my next vacation. This shirt can travel with you anywhere you go!

If you want more clothing do it yourself projects then head over to our Pinterest page where I am always share fun diy and craft projects.

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DIY Patterned Bandanas by Popcorn and Chocolate

Easy Patterned Bandanas Using Bleach

May 17, 20172 Comments

these patterned bandanas are quick and simple to make, keep reading to find out how!

Patterned bandanas are all the rage right now. I’m a huge fan of the whole bandana trend that is popping up. I’ve been trying to sneak in patterned bandanas in my all my outfits but get a little tired of the plain bandana print. But with these easy patterned bandanas you can put whatever design you want on your bandanas!

I went with some fairly simple designs for my bandanas but if you are a good artists, go wild! These patterned bandanas are so much fun to wear around your neck or pinned up in your hair. You could even attach to your favorite bag as a little bag flair!

Materials:

Bleach
Bandanas in various colors
Paint brush
Paper cup
Newspaper or a towel

Instructions on how to make a patterned bandana:

Start by putting down some newspaper or a towel that you don’t mind ruining. You will be working with bleach so you want to make sure to put something underneath your bandana to catch any seepage. Also, I’d suggest not wearing anything you love in case the bleach splatters.
Lay out your bandana on top of the newspaper/towel.
Pour out some bleach into your paper cup.
Grab your paint brush and start painting on the bleach. I did various designs such as splatter painting, X’s, and triangles. When working with the bleach it does bleed a lot so make your design slightly smaller than you wish as it will get bigger.
Wash your bandana in the sink to make sure the bleach is all out. Let dry and then wear as you please!

There you have it! An easy DIY to change up your bandanas. I’ve been wearing mine as much as I can and love having so many different patterns to choose from!

Let us know in the comments below what pattern you would put on your bandana! Also, if you are looking for more DIY accessories and clothing ideas be sure to check out our Pinterest.

DIY Marbled Clay Vase | Popcorn and Chocolate

Marbled Clay Vase: Make it in under 10 minutes!

April 19, 20174 Comments

If you love marble and simple projects then try making this marbled clay vase! Scroll down to find the full tutorial.

I’m a big fan of marble. I think it adds a sleek touch of decor to your home. I’m an even bigger fan of not spending an arm and a leg on marble decor. There are several techniques one can use to marble but for this vase we decided to keep it pretty simple, and indoor craft friendly.

Simple crafts is what we are all about at Popcorn & Chocolate. Simple and cheap (but not cheap looking)! This DIY marbled vase is no exception. All you need to make it is some black and white Sculpey and an oven. Easy peasy.

Materials:

White and black Sculpey (or any oven bake clay)
Rolling pin
Knife
Parchment paper
Oven

Instructions:

If your clay is like mine and has been sitting around for a couple of years, start by kneading a big chunk (about 1/4 cup) of white Sculpey in your hands to soften it up a bit. Do the same with a smaller (about a tablespoon) amount of black clay.
Once your clay is pliable, take the black clay and gently push it into the white clay. Continue to knead the two clays together, making sure not to over knead so it turns grey. You want there to be distinct black spots.
Next, take your rolling pin and roll out your clay into a rectangle shape. You can use a plastic knife to cut off any excess clay and to make the lines straight – make sure to save it for the base.
Take the two ends of the rectangle and line them up and then gently smooth the two edges together by pushing the clay from one end onto the other in one direction.
Roll out your scraps to make the base of your vase. To measure the base, put your vase circle on top and then, using a knife, cut around it.
Secure the base bottom to the vase using the same technique described in step 4.
Pop your vase in the oven at 275º on a piece of parchment paper. Bake for quite some time. You are supposed to bake your vase for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness. My vase was pretty thick so this took about an hour. I just kept checking it every 15 minutes to make sure it wasn’t burning.
Put some flowers or a plant in your pretty vase and you are all set!

Marble away my friends, marble away! Let us know in the comments below if you end up making this DIY! And if you are looking for more home decor type DIYs be sure to check out our Pinterest!

Do it yourself Easter bunny erasers | Popcorn and Chocolate

Simple Bunny Erasers for Easter

March 29, 2017March 27, 20171 Comment

Keep reading to find the full tutorial for these cute and simple bunny erasers for Easter (or anytime really)!

When I was a wee little one, I remember (via home videos) running around behind my brothers as they scooped up all the Easter eggs as I looked confused and delighted all at once. Eventually my brothers would start pointing eggs out to me and putting them in my basket, at which point I would stop searching for new eggs and work on opening the eggs in my basket.

It was always so exciting to find what was hidden in each Easter egg. Usually it was candy but what kind and how much you never knew. On the rare occurrence there was a toy inside. That was almost more precious then the ubiquitous candy.

Today we’re sharing a very simple (like too simple to have written a whole post on it) DIY that is perfect to hide in your kids Easter eggs. Or, you could make these bunny erasers and give them away to your friends as a little Easter gift. Or or, if you just need an eraser why not make it a cute bunny shape? I’m all for objects that are shaped like cute animals.

Andddd if you are looking for a super cute Easter basket to store these bunny erasers in be sure to check out our pom-pom Easter basket we made last year. It’s another super simple Easter DIY.

Materials:

Eraser clay
Bunny mold (alternatively you can form the bunny yourself) I bought my mold at Michaels but have linked a similar one from Amazon.
Oven

Instructions:

Start by kneading the eraser clay in your hands for a few minutes just to warm it up so it is easier to work with.
Taking your bunny mold, plop the eraser clay into one of slots and press it down and around so it fits the whole slot.
Take the eraser clay out of the mold by gently prying up each side.
Optional: Taking the eraser side of a pencil, gently press it into the bottom of the bunny to create a hole so that the eraser can be placed on a pencil.
Pop the eraser clay on a piece of parchment paper on a oven tray and bake in the oven for the given time it says on your eraser clay package. Since my bunny was pretty thick this took quite some time – just be patient and know that the thicker your eraser the longer it will take.
Let cool and pop on your favorite pencil or stick in an Easter basket as a cute little gift!

Click here if you want some more cute Easter ideas and DIYs!

DIY Mud Cloth Plaster Keychains | Popcorn and Chocolate

Mud Cloth Inspired Plaster Keychains

March 22, 20178 Comments

Learn how to make these fun and colorful mud cloth inspired plaster keychains by reading below!

I remember when Rose and I moved into our first apartment the thing I was most excited for was to have my own set of keys to add to a keychain. I was also excited about having a real functioning kitchen and not eating cafeteria food (rumored to be) loaded with laxatives, but that’s a different story for another day. Maybe a DIY laxative pill post???

All jokes aside, you have no idea how excited I was to have a little keychain with my set of keys. It felt like here are your keys, you are now officially a grown up. And I walked proudly around with my jangling keys while Rose rolled her eyes at me as she grumbled about having to have another set of keys to add to her heavy keychain. It’s the little things in life.

If only my grownup, key carrying, self had thought of this mud cloth DIY 5 years ago. Then I would be extra excited to carry around my keys.

Materials:

Plaster of Paris
Water
Container you can ruin
Plastic spoon/something you can stir the plaster with
Letter silicone mold
Keychain
Colored pencil
Optional: sandpaper

How to make the mud cloth keychain:

Start by making your Plaster of Paris. This can get messy so I would suggest putting down some newspaper. Mix together the Plaster of Paris and water (per instructions listed on the plaster) in a container. Use a plastic spoon or something you don’t mind ruining to mix it thoroughly.
Pour plaster mixture into your silicone letter mold in an even layer. Tap the tray a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
Gently place your keychain into the plaster in the mold. You can rest the top of the keychain on the mold so it doesn’t fall in.
Let dry for an hour (or for however long your plaster instructs).
Once your plaster letter is dry you can pop it out of the mold. I would suggest letting it dry for a couple more hours just to make sure it is 100% dry before you color on it.
Optional step: if there are any jagged bits or uneven areas on the plaster letter you can gently sand it down with sandpaper.
Taking a colored pencil draw your mud cloth inspired design onto your letter keychain.

That’s it! Super simple mud cloth keychain that you can add your keys to and jangle around like a true adult. As for other “adult” aspects of my life… still working on those.

Like, comment, share, pin if you enjoyed this post and let us know if you ended up making one yourself!

Looking for more keychain DIYs or other fun accessories? Check out my Pinterest! I’m always pinning cute things I find on other DIY blogs!

No Sew Lace Up Shirt

March 15, 2017March 19, 201713 Comments

I’ve been seeing lace-up shirts everywhere lately. And when you start seeing something everywhere and you are a DIY blogger then it is only your duty to create said item. In this case, a lace up shirt.

These shirts are super easy to make and do not involve any sewing cause ain’t nobody got time for that. I wish I knew how to sew complex items, but alas, my sewing abilities end at a running stitch. Even then Rose will be laughing at the shoddy job I did. Oops! Thank goodness for fabric glue! The real star of this no sew lace up shirt is the fabric glue. No no sew project would be complete without it!

Materials:

Plain t-shirt
Ribbon/trim with grommets in it – I found mine at Joann’s but here is something similar
Plain black ribbon
Fabric glue
Scissors

Instructions:

Start by drawing out a V on the neck of your t-shirt.
Cut out the V.
Trim your ribbon with the holes in it down so it is the size of the length of one side of the V. Do this with the other side of the V.
Dot your fabric glue onto one side of the ribbon, making sure to not go past the holes.
Press the ribbon down onto the V – making sure the holes are not covered.
Let dry for 24 hours.
Taking your plain black ribbon, lace up the V going in and out of the holes.
Once you are at the top you can trim the excess ribbon and glue it down using the fabric glue.

Yay for easy, no sew projects! Also yay for DIY projects you can actually use/wear! Let us know in the comments below if you try this project and happy no sewing!

Click here to find some other simple and fun clothing DIYs!

Fabric Covered Letters

March 1, 20174 Comments

Make these easy fabric covered letters to add to your shelf or gallery wall! We had these wooden letters that we bought forever ago thinking we would do one thing with them then another then another… We also bought some fabric forever ago at Ikea (gotta love) that we kept meaning to use as well… Well combine two craft supplies you didn’t need into one and you get these lovely fabric covered letters! Sometimes crafters go a little overboard in buying supplies. But I’m so glad we 1. finally have a use for these crafts and 2. that they came out so good! They are very simple to make and only require a few items that you might already have lying around in your craft supplies closet already. You can head on over to Homedit to see the full tutorial on how to make these fabric covered letters.

Check out the full tutorial on how to make these fabric covered letters over on Homedit

P.S. Special thanks to my brother for helping out with styling and taking pictures of these lovely letters!

P.P.S. I think these letters would look bomb hung up next to one of our weaves. Might I suggest a pineapple?

Cactus Shrinky Dinks Lights

February 22, 2017March 21, 201716 Comments

Ever since I ordered these shrinky dinks online I’ve been dreaming and scheming of ways to use them again. I like to get the most out of my craft supplies. Plus, when the craft involves sitting and coloring you best believe I will be doing it again. And again. And again.

I definitely jumped on the coloring band wagon. Well, actually, Rose and I had our own little coloring train when we were in college. We bought some of those giant coloring pages they sell at A.C. Moore in the kids section and would just sit on our dorm room floor (ew) and color them in as we watched TV. I think we bought a Spongebob one and a Zoo themed one. They were great. I still have some of those coloring pages, I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away (#hoarder).

Then once all these awesome coloring books popped up over the past couple of years I knew I had to get one (or two or three). It totally is therapeutic to just sit and color something in. As a crafty person, it’s nice to have a craft that is mindless and simple like coloring.

That’s why making these cactus light shrinky dinks was so much fun. I just got to sit and color in different cactus all day. No complaints here. I’m already thinking of other ways I can use shrinky dinks just so I have an excuse to color some more!

Keep read below to find out how to make these shrinky links cactus lights:

Materials:

Shrinky dinks
Sharpies or permanent markers
Scissors
Oven
Parchment paper
Hot glue gun
String lights

Instructions:

Start by drawing a cactus onto your shrinky dinks. You can either free-hand this or trace an image like I did. I chose to do several different types of cactus but feel free to just do one. For size reference my drawing on the shrinky dinks was about 5.5 inches long. You want them fairly big so you can glue them onto the lights.
Color in your cactus using different sharpies.
Cut out your cactus. I found that when I completely around the whole cactus – hugging the cactus the whole way – that this was more likely to curl and stick on itself in the oven. To remedy this I started to just cut mostly around the cactus but didn’t hug it and left some blank space between stems if there were multiple peaks.
Pre-heat your oven to 325ºF and then place your cactus shrinky dinks on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put in the oven for about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on them – they will first curl up and then eventually (if all goes well) uncurl and lay flat again. This was taking about 3 minutes for me but might be shorter for your oven so just keep an eye on them.
With your hot glue gun glue on two dots on the back of your cactus shrinky dink. Then firmly press onto the string lights between the actual light. Repeat this process with all of your cactus.

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Plug in your lights and enjoy! Just as a warning I would make sure you were always in the room when these are on and to not leave them on for a super long amount of time just because I’m not sure how the plastic will fare with the light.

Now you just have to find a cute place to hang up your cactus shrinky dinks lights! I think I’m going to put mine around my desk. I already have my cactus piñata sitting there so it seems only appropriate to add some more cactus paraphernalia.

If you want more cactus and succulent themed DIYs/ideas check out this Pinterest board!

DIY embroidered throw pillow | Popcorn and Chocolate

Embroidered Home Sweet Home Throw Pillow

February 15, 2017March 21, 20175 Comments

I love coming home to a cozy house and a inviting couch full of fluffy throw pillows. This DIY embroidered throw pillow says it all – home sweet home. In my dream apartment I’ve got a huge couch just bursting to the brim with throw pillows to the point where you don’t know where to sit. This embroidered pillow will be sitting in the center of it.

Doesn’t this pillow make you just want to curl up on the couch?? If so, you can find the full tutorial on how to make this DIY embroidered throw pillow over on Homedit.

Click here for the full tutorial.

Or pin this image if you want to check it out later! And if you are looking for more home decor DIYs click here!

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How to make a monstera leaf backpack:

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How to make a vacation t-shirt:

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these patterned bandanas are quick and simple to make, keep reading to find out how!

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Instructions on how to make a patterned bandana:

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If you love marble and simple projects then try making this marbled clay vase! Scroll down to find the full tutorial.

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How to make the mud cloth keychain:

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Keep read below to find out how to make these shrinky links cactus lights:

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Click here for the full tutorial.

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