Monthly Archives: October 2012

How to Make a Witch Hat With Halloween Popcorn

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Popcorn Witch Hat

You don’t have to toil and trouble over your Halloween décor! With a few easy-to-find art supplies and some Halloween-themed snacks, you can brew up a wickedly cute witch hat that will spellbind your party guests (no potions necessary).

Popcorn Witch HatWhat You’ll Need

One pencil
One Styrofoam cone
Two 15-ounce canisters of Zombie Kettle Corn
One hot glue gun
One Halloween-themed wreath (handmade or store-bought)

Directions

  1. Using the pencil, draw the outline of any pattern of your choice on the surface of the Styrofoam cone. Here, we used a simple linear pattern to create bands across the base and the top of the cone.
  2. Separate the Zombie Kettle Corn by its four colors (orange, purple, green and black).
  3. With the hot glue gun, follow the pattern you drew and glue the popcorn onto the cone, piece by piece. (Watch out: Don’t burn yourself!)
  4. As you work your way up and around the cone, glue the kernels close together—like a mosaic—so the white cone doesn’t show through. Use small broken pieces of popcorn to fill any gaps between kernels.
  5. Top off the cone with the pointiest popcorn kernel you can find. When the popcorn is completely dry, spray it with glitter.
  6. To make the brim of the hat, lay the wreath face-up on a flat surface and place the cone in the center of the wreath.

Abracadabra, your witch hat is complete! Add a little extra charm by wrapping it with ribbon and embellishing it with feathers, spiders or owls. Show off your creation by resting it on your fireplace mantel, atop your kitchen counter or next to a cauldron-shaped punch bowl.

Now that our Halloween popcorn series is officially over, it’s time to put our readers to a vote! Which creepy craft was your favorite: the popcorn centerpiece, the popcorn pumpkin or the popcorn witch hat?

How to Decorate a Pumpkin With Halloween Popcorn

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Popcorn Pumpkin
Two things usually come to mind when we think of October 31: Decorating pumpkins and eating Halloween treats! Why not combine the two and dress up a pumpkin with Halloween popcorn? If you’re on the hunt for some ghoulish Halloween party ideas, this craft is a hair-raising alternative to the ho-hum Jack-o-lantern.

Popcorn PumpkinWhat You’ll Need

One small or medium-sized pumpkin
One washable black marker
Two 15-ounce canisters of Zombie Kettle Corn
One hot glue gun

Directions

  1. Using the washable marker, draw the outline of a monster face (or any pattern of your choice) onto the surface of the pumpkin.
  1. Separate the Zombie Kettle Corn by its four colors (orange, purple, green and black).
  1. Following the pattern you drew, use the hot glue gun to glue the popcorn onto the surface of the pumpkin. (Be careful not to burn your fingers!) It’s easiest to start at the top of the pumpkin and work your way down.
  1. Make sure the kernels are glued close together in a mosaic-like pattern so the orange color of the pumpkin doesn’t show through. Use small broken pieces of popcorn to fill in any gaps between kernels.

Welcome your Halloween guests by propping up your little monster on a windowsill, a staircase or your doorstep.

Now it’s your turn to tell us: What kinds of unusual materials have you used to decorate a pumpkin?

How to Make a Halloween Centerpiece With Popcorn

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Halloween CenterpieceLooking for some simple Halloween party ideas that will send shivers down your guests’ spines? Here’s a tip: Halloween treats aren’t just for eating; you can decorate with them too! Spook-ify your dinner table with this centerpiece made from Halloween popcorn and autumn leaves. It’s a fun, super-easy craft, plus you can reuse it for your Thanksgiving spread!

Halloween CenterpieceWhat You’ll Need

One 15-ounce canister of Zombie Kettle Corn
One tall, clear vase
One branch of faux fall leaves
Halloween ribbon

Directions

  1. Separate the Zombie Kettle Corn by its four colors (orange, purple, green and black).
  2. Start layering the popcorn in the vase, one color at a time, in any order you like.
  3. After you’ve finished the second layer, place the leaves into the vase.
  4. Hold the branch straight up in the vase and continue with the third and fourth layers of popcorn, placing the popcorn around the branch. Pack the popcorn tightly all the way to the top of the vase so that it holds the branch up.
  5. Tie a cute Halloween ribbon of your choice around the top of the vase.

You’re done! Display your popcorn arrangement at the center of the dinner table, or place it on a coffee table to accent your Halloween décor.

How do you like to decorate with healthy Halloween snacks? Tell us your ideas!

Movie Night! The Best Films to Watch on Election Day

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The Popcorn Factory Red States and Blue States PopcornNovember 6 is just around the corner, and you know what that means: It’s time for everyone to break out the ballots and choose the next U.S. president! What better way to celebrate than by gathering your friends—democrats and republicans alike—and treating them to The Popcorn Factory’s Red State vs. Blue State Popcorn Mix? Pair up your patriotic snack with a movie inspired by our nation’s commander in chief, and you have a party fit for a president. We’ve rounded up the best presidential films to watch while you and your guests wait for the polls to officially open on Election Day. Here are the five movies that got our vote:

Air Force OneCandidate No. 1: “Air Force One”
Party Affiliation: Action Lovers
The Back-Story: Just after President James Marshall (played by Harrison Ford) announces to the world that he won’t put up with terrorist threats against the United States, Air Force One is hijacked by Russian radicals. Now, Marshall must find a way to save the hostages’ lives … and his country’s reputation.
Approval Rating: If you want to pump up your Election Day party guests with a double dose of excitement and nationalism, this movie is your winner.

 

Candidate No. 2: “All the President’s Men”All the President's MenParty Affiliation: Suspense Junkies
The Back-Story: When five burglars are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, Washington Post investigative reporter Bob Woodward (played by Robert Redford) is assigned to cover the supposedly no-big-deal story. Once he teams up with his colleague Carl Bernstein (played by Dustin Hoffman), however, the duo uncovers a much larger scandal that spells disaster for President Richard Nixon.
Approval Rating: Want to fuel some intellectual conversation at your get-together? This nail-biting whodunit is sure to keep your friends talking.

 

Head of State

Candidate No. 3: “Head of State”
Party Affiliation: LOL-ers
The Back-Story: After being kicked to the curb by his girlfriend and getting axed from his job as an alderman in Washington, D.C., Mays Gilliam (played by Chris Rock) seems to be living life in the shadow of failure. But when his party’s presidential nominee dies in a freak accident, Gilliam accidentally finds himself running for office … as president of the United States.
Approval Rating: With so many debates going on, election season can become pretty intense. This movie is the best choice for laid-back voters who want to lighten the mood.

 

The American PresidentCandidate No. 4: “The American President”
Party Affiliation: Diehard Romantics
The Back-Story: As President Andrew Shepherd (played by Michael Douglas) draws closer to the end of his term, his reelection looks like a sure thing. When a chance meeting with environmental activist Sydney Ellen Wade (played by Annette Bening) turns into a love connection, Shepherd faces career-threatening attacks from the opposing party.
Approval Rating: Who said you can’t find a great love story in the White House? Your starry-eyed pals will adore how this film brings a little romance to the presidential race.

 

Wag the DogCandidate No. 5: “Wag the Dog”
Party Affiliation: Conspiracy Theorists
The Back-Story: Just a few days shy of Election Day, the U.S. president is caught red-handed in a humiliating sex scandal. In a wild effort to divert the media’s attention from the controversy and secure his reelection, he hires Hollywood producer Conrad Brean (played by Robert De Niro) to cook up a fake war and win back his popularity.
Approval Rating: Part comedy, part drama, this movie is the perfect recipe for partygoers who love to second-guess candidates’ agendas … but still have a few laughs along the campaign trail.

"Air Force One" Image Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

 

If you need even more suggestions for your presidential movie marathon, these runners-up are also worth adding to your list: “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Dave” and “Thirteen Days.” Which movies will you watch to celebrate Election Day 2012?

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Recipe: Pink Popcorn Ribbons!

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Popcorn RibbonIt’s officially National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! All throughout October, charities across the country will be spreading the word about the battle against breast cancer and raising money for a cure. Millions of men and women will be donning pink as a reminder that breast cancer can be defeated with regular breast exams, mammograms and other early-detection screenings. Plus, hundreds of organizations will be helping patients and survivors understand their diagnosis, choose the best treatment and get emotional support.

The Popcorn Factory Pink Kettle CornTo do our part in the national movement against breast cancer, The Popcorn Factory has launched a brand-new snack: pink kettle corn! You too can help support the campaign by giving this delicious gift to the women you care about most. Every time you buy a container, we’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to charity! There are dozens of ways you can use pink popcorn to send your message: Mail it to your friend as an invitation to get a screening together, or serve the sweet and savory treat at your next fundraising event. Throwing a pink-themed party? You can get crafty and whip up these easy-to-make pink popcorn ribbons:


IngredientsPopcorn Ribbon

20 cups pink kettle corn
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
2 5/8 cups sugar
1 cup marshmallows
2 teaspoons water

Directions

  1. Place pink kettle corn into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Combine corn syrup, margarine, sugar, marshmallows and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium until the mixture starts to boil.
  3. Once the syrup has boiled, pour it over the pink popcorn and stir until the popcorn is completely covered in syrup.
  4. After the popcorn has slightly cooled, butter your hands and mold the popcorn into the shape of a pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Rest the ribbons on wax paper.
  5. Melt a bar of white chocolate in the microwave. Once the chocolate has melted, add two drops of red food coloring. Stir the chocolate until it turns pink.
  6. Lightly drizzle the melted pink chocolate onto the ribbons.
  7. Let the ribbons cool at room temperature until they harden.
  8. Once they’ve cooled, remove them from the wax paper and serve them on your prettiest platter!

How will you chip in to help women learn more about breast cancer? Are you starting your own charity or fundraiser to help find a cure? Do you want to inspire women by sharing your own experiences as a breast cancer survivor? We want to hear your inspiring stories!