February 2000
Popcorn Bucket Valentines
Designed By Judi Kauffman

The Popcorn Bucket template on the Red Castle FIT IT CD is one of the easiest and most versatile templates I've ever seen. You can, of course, make popcorn buckets and serve your favorite snacks when friends come over to watch a movie. But the bucket shape is ideal for a gift basket as well, so how about stamping up a few for your Valentines this year.

I've created two, a small one made of inexpensive uncoated white card stock that took only minutes and a larger one made of elegant handmade paper embellished with leaves and lush ribbon. It took less than an hour. Either would make an excellent gift, party favor or table decoration.

Tips for beginners

• If this is the first time you've used FIT IT, make sure to read the General Instructions before you begin. It's a good idea to practice folding and assembling any new shape to make sure you understand where to score, fold and glue. The sides of the Popcorn Bucket include small triangles that get folded under (marked A,B,C, and D) and glued to the side flaps. Once you see how they work, the bucket is assembled in about a minute!
• Cut out the shape and complete your rubber stamping while the project is flat. Then score and fold. Add dimensional embellishments like cut-outs, ribbon and buttons to your project after it is glued and assembled.
• Turn any lightweight paper into card stock by gluing the printed template to the back. It will stiffen the paper. I use my Xyron with the adhesive cartridge for almost all of my FIT IT projects -- the surface is smooth and it saves a lot of time (no waiting for glue to dry, no bubbles or ripples). It works well for lightweight card stock as well as specialty papers that would be too light to use otherwise.
• If you are making small boxes and can print lightweight card stock in your printer, that's a good choice as well. For larger projects you need to either trace around the template, or glue it to the back.

MATERIALS

For Both Valentines

"LOVE" stamp from For Ladies - Candlesticks, Hearts and Love Plate #42160

Leaves Plate 3 #43030 (see below)

Red Castle FIT IT CD - Popcorn Bucket template

For Small Valentine

For Large Valentine

STEPS

For Small Valentine

1. Print template directly onto lightweight white uncoated card stock or glue it to back of stock. I use the Xyron adhesive cartridge. Cut out, but do not score or fold.
2. Stamp bird twice on front, twice on side and twice on back across top edge. Stamp "LOVE" at an angle on front and back, berry cluster and tiny flower at random inbetween. Use the blue/purple end of the Happy Birthday rainbow pad for lettering, birds and flowers. Use the pink/orange end of the pad for berry clusters.
3. Color birds and lettering with markers or pencils.
4. Score, fold and assemble Popcorn Bucket. Fill with excelsior or tissue, rubber stamps or other small gifts, or candy.

For Large Valentine

1. Print template onto lightweight card stock or computer paper. Glue to back of handmade paper, fabric or gift wrap. As shown, Batik paper from Loose Ends, www.looseends.com.
2. Cut out, score, fold and assemble Popcorn Bucket.
3. Stamp tri-leaves ten times using Ultimate Metallic Honeydew pigment ink (more if you make a larger Valentine, fewer for a smaller one). Emboss with clear embossing powder.
4. Color leaves with markers or pencils. Cut them out. Curl one leaf in each tri-leaf cutout around a pencil to give it dimension. Glue all but one of two of the tri-leaves across the top of the Popcorn Bucket as shown, leaving an empty space for the bow. Option: add more leaves to the sides and back if you want.
5. Glue a wire-edge ribbon bow at an angle as shown. Glue two tri-leaves in the middle of the bow.
6. Make a small card using stamps and colors from small Valentine (see above). Round the corners and "gild" the edges with marker or pigment ink. Glue a tri-leaf to the corner. Glue card to bow.
7. Fill with excelsior or tissue and small gifts like soap, candy, teabags or stamping supplies.

OPTIONS AND OTHER IDEAS:

• Choose colors and leaves that match the season or occasion -- fall colors and leaves to make a harvest basket for Thanksgiving, holly and berries for Christmas, daisies for summer, and so on.
• Have a stamping party. Prepare a template on card stock for each guest and have them ready to decorate. Fill them with goodies to swap and take home.
• Decorate the buckets with collage and stickers as well as stamped images.
• To use this project with a class or scout troop, contact Red Castle for permission to print a template for each person in the group.
• Rent a video or watch a football game with friends. Make Popcorn Buckets for each person to fill with caramel corn, spicy popcorn, pretzels or other treats.

All brand names and product names are trademarks, registered trademarks or trade names of their respective holders.

(c) Copyright 2000 by Judi Kauffman and Red Castle, Inc. Red Castle, Inc. - P.O. Box 39-8001 - Edina, MN 55439-8001 All Rights Reserved.