Gift Tutorial #5: Preservative Free Popcorn

I gotta tell ya, I love this one. Why? Because it's cute, cheap, yummy and preservative free.  We love us some good fresh popcorn, but I don't love all the additives that come in microwave bags.  When I saw a way to use paper bags in a magazine, I knew it would make a great gift.  

1. Target has these cuties in the dollar spot right now: 2 for $1.00. Perfect. 

2. Here we have a folded up paper bag and a bag of raw popcorn kernels.  For the kernels, I used a bag that I had left over from some chocolate covered pretzel sticks that I never got around to making.

3. Now here is the good stuff: m&ms, craisins and marshmallows. I put these in left-over lollipop bags that I actually did make for the 4th of July.

4. Put it all together and here's what you get - a movie night waiting to happen. To step it up a notch, you could add a Blockbuster card or movie theater gift card.  I wrote the popping directions on my brown paper bag.  They are included below.

Popping Directions:  Put 1/4 cup of kernels in a brown paper bag. Fold down the top a few times and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until popping slows.  Add the mix-ins of choice and enjoy!