Crafty Lunchbox

My daughter started Pre-K this week.  She goes from 8:30-12:30 and eats lunch at school.  She is very excited about this.  I needed a sturdy lunchbox that could fit a snack, a lunch, juicebox and an ice pack.  My friend Laura at Come Together Kids recommended these lunchboxes.  I ordered one and have been really impressed so far.  I also tried my hand at decorating the lunchbox like she did.

Freezer paper

Paintbrush

Acrylic Paint

Iron

Scissors and exacto knife

Cricut Machine (optional)

1. Choose a font that you like and print your child’s name onto freezer paper.  Make sure to print on the non-waxy side. Be aware that this will be a stencil so you want something very basic. Cut out the letters using scissors and an exacto knife. If you own a Cricut or other cutting machine, you can use that too.  I used my Cricut with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge.

2. Place your stencil onto your lunchbox (waxy side down).  Set your iron to a medium setting (no steam) and iron in place.  Make sure all edges are adhered to the fabric.

I ironed the basic stencil on first

And then I added the pieces for the “A”, “D”, and “O” and ironed them on.

3. Using your acrylic paint and a small brush, paint the inside of your stencil.  Use a very small amount of paint and paint from the outside in to avoid paint seeping under the stencil edge.  My stencil had very thin letters and some seeped under.  I was able to touch it up a bit at the end.  I used two coats of paint and then a third for touch-ups.

My freezer paper tended to “bubble” up so I made sure to press those areas down with my finger while painting.  This was my first attempt with freezer paper so I don’t know if this is common.  I may try ironing it for a longer period of time next time to avoid the bubbling effect.

4. Peel back the stencil to reveal your masterpiece.

My daughter has already requested a princess on the front.  I think a crown might be a bit easier but that will have to wait for another day.

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