Gift Wrapping Ideas, Crafts, and More!

With the gift season here and presents ready to be put under the tree, we wanted to put together a few ways you can have some fun wrapping, decorating, and just being creative this winter!

In addition to being all about the details, here at Cool Pencil Case we're definitely suckers for keeping it simple and sweet. Therefore, when it comes to gift wrapping, we absolutely love how craft paper wrapping paper just embodies that perfectly. We've fallen in love with the idea of craft paper wrapping paper and wanted to share a couple cool ways to gift wrap your presents with Cool Pencil Case favorites. Who knew simplicity in gift wrapping could be this easy?

Customize your gifts with one of our newest arrivals, our "Wooden Deluxe Stamp Set." Though these can be used throughout the year on organizers and notebooks, use this stamp set to create a fun allover print on craft wrapping paper. Available in three animal themes, see how these stamps will add a burst of personality to your gifts!

Allover print gift wrap created with our "Wooden Deluxe Stamp Set."

Wooden Deluxe Stamp Set $8.85

It is no secret that there are countless ways one can use washi tape but did you know this applied for the season of giving too? Keeping the simplicity of the craft paper wrapping, we added washi tape from our "Festive Pattern 2-Pack Washi Tape Set" to add a subtle pop to our presents. Replicating that design of a ribbon, mix and match and see how a little washi tape can go a long way! Top off with more holiday details, like mini ornaments!

Gift wrap with washi tape details.

Festive Pattern 2-Pack Washi Tape Set $5.25

Lastly, for those just running a bit low on time? Don't worry! We offer gift wrapping to your entire order so there wont be any trouble to you! Simply click here to add the "Gift Wrap My Entire Order" option to your cart. With a selection of kawaii-theme gift wrapping paper (yup, we even have a Rilakkuma roll), the recipient will be joyful to see their gift fully wrapped, kawaii-style!*

*Note: Gift wrap only offered with full kawaii gift wrap, not craft paper specialty as pictured in this post

DIY: Halloween Decorations using Washi Tape!

Source.

Halloween is slowly creeping up and we've already started to mark down the days for one of our favorite holidays of the year! With costume choices and candy cravings, one of our favorite parts of the season are the fun and spooky decorations. See below for awesome DIY projects using washi tape, and you'll find that decorations don't necessarily need to make a hole in your pocket!

Make fun bookmarks and cards using washi tape!

Create homemade cards to send to loved ones and friends this Halloween season. Use the washi tape to create a pattern or keep it simple along the borders. Not only is this project quick and easy, but those receiving these cards will appreciate the sweet gesture! Have friends that are readers? Use the washi tape on blank bookmarks, add some ribbon, and you're good to go!

See the tutorial to make these cute mason jars!

For this project, all you'll need besides washi tape are mason jars, googly eyes, and markers! This craft project is perfect for those hosting halloween parties this year. Decorate your mason jars to be fun little ghosts and monsters by wrapping washi tape all around then creating a fun, silly face using the markers and googly eyes. Fill the mason jars with candy and sweets for a centerpiece or straws and utensils for the food area, these will definitely stand out at the party!

See here for 25 ways to decorate pumpkins!

Let's admit it, maybe not everyone is the best at carving pumpkins...but don't worry! See how easily you can decorate your pumpkins this year in a slightly different way. With some paint and washi tape, this DIY will allow you to show off your creativity this halloween. Washi Tape Pumpkin contest anyone?

Find more halloween ideas and inspiration by checking out our Pinterest board!

Cool Pencil Case Approved Valentine's Day Projects!

2015 is definitely flying by! It's hard to believe we are already in February, and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. To get ready for the holiday full of love, hearts, pink, red, and candy, enjoy these handpicked Valentine's Day projects from Cool Pencil Case on Pinterest! Click on each image to see what else we're pinning on our Valentine's Day board!

Valentine's Day S'mores, anyone?

Hearts made of pretty paper make the perfect envelope for love letters.

The perfect Valentine's Day Party decoration

Valentine's Day cupcakes your friends and family will love

Free Printable Valentine's Day Tags

Easy and inexpensive Valentine's Day wreath

Summer Inspiration

Something special is brewing on Saturday -- the first day of Summer! To honor the start of our favorite season ever, we're rounding up some Summer inspiration via Pinterest. Click below to see some fun games, drink recipes to cool down, and more!

Backyard Drive-in Movie

Kids Summer Party Decorations!

Watermelon Strawberry Lemonade Recipe 

Yummy corn recipe, perfect for barbecues!

Follow Cool Pencil Case on Pinterest for more ideas and shopping ideas!

Washi Wednesday: DIY Project - Washi Tape a Vase!

If you follow our Pinterest, you can see that our boards are filled with amazing things that can inspire you to get creative and even start some fun do-it-yourself projects! Inspired by some awesome pictures, we've gathered a couple of images from our own "Washi Tape Ideas" board for today's DIY Project: Washi Tape a Vase!

Add some fun and color to an ordinary vase with some washi tape! Simply tape it around the vase or cut fun shapes for a cool design! Washi tape a clear or a white vase and see how the transparent color will really add that pop!

We think the Colorful Polka Dots and the Heart Lollipops Washi Tape will definitely add some whimsy and a soft touch to simple vases! Try them out and show us on Instagram by tagging your picture #CoolPencilCase!

Polymer Clay Tutorial: UP House!

Yes, we love the Disney classics like The Lion King and Cinderella. You've got to admit -- over the past couple of years, Disney has released some amazing new school classics. One of our favorites is Up. It was a total tearjerker and kept a smile on our faces throughout the whole movie, so you can only imagine the excitement in the office when we came across this polymer clay tutorial from My Petite Cakes. Peep the video below and share with us how yours turned out!

Big Holiday Shopping Deals at CoolPencilCase.com!

Maybe you're on an allowance budget to get your classmates at school some awesome Christmas gifts -- or, you're just looking for a great deal. Either way, CoolPencilCase.com has great Christmas gift ideas under $20 to spread the Holiday cheer. We've got stickers for scrapbookers, pencil cases for those in need of organization help, and stationery for the whole family. See what we've gathered in our picks below!

Floral Trim Stationery Tape $2.25

Bon Voyage Pencil Pouch $9.65

Rilakkuma Coin Pouch $4.85

Pocky Slim Scented Pencil 5-Pack $5.25

Little Animal Pencil Pouches $9.85

Witty Buddy Pencil Pouches $9.85

Write on a Grain of Rice

On our daily search of the coolest kawaii finds, Cool Pencil Case came across this awesome tutorial by My Petite Cakes. She has a great YouTube channel full of resin, polymer clay, and other projects that you can make at home. Here's one of her latest vids on how to write on a grain of rice. It's actually not as hard as it seems -- check the tutorial below and decide what messages you want to start writing!

Fun Thanksgiving Crafts and Recipes

With Thanksgiving a little more than a week away, it's time to prepare for this joyful season with craft projects to bring you and the family closer together. Click on the pictures below for Cool Pencil Case's cool craft and recipe finds to make this Thanksgiving memorable.

Thanksgiving Finger Puppets

Tee Pee Cupcake Recipe

DIY Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hats

DIY Autumn Maple Leaf Crown 

Check out our Holiday Fun board on Pinterest for more projects and inspiration to last you all season!

Our Top 5 Halloween Pinterest Finds!

Okay, it's only the third of October, but we've been scouting Pinterest (as usual) for some Halloween fun! To be honest, it's still feeling a lot like summer here at our offices in Southern California, and this Autumn and Halloween goodness has somehow distracted us from this 100 degree weather. Follow our Holiday Fun board on Pinterest to stay updated with the rest of our finds, because after Halloween, we've got two more special holidays to go!

 

Super creepy! Imagine a punch bowl full of blood (okay, it's cranberry juice) with a spooky ghoul hand made of ice at this year's Halloween party!

 

Not a big fan of candy? Save your real teeth from cavities with this apple and marshmallow mouth duo.

 

We must admit. Even the young at heart at the Cool Pencil Case office got a bit excited after seeing this tutorial.

 

Do something extra planning this year and get crafty with this Frankenstein bucket for your Halloween Candy!

Have mom make you a Halloween bento lunch for school before the night crawls!

New Arrivals: Graduation Gifts Edition

Congratulations to the Class of 2012! Whether your grad is set to move on to the big bad world of middle school or they're ready to go on for the first official career hunt, Cool Pencil Case has some great gifts that deserve a spot on any graduation gift list.

For the college grad

Here at the Cool Pencil Case office, we've been going crazy over the new Rilakkuma (and Korilakkuma) desktop assistants. We're sure you're well-aware that plenty of adults still go crazy over these adorable characters, and that's definitely no exception with some of these items!

 

Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma Magnetic Paper Clip Holder

The Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma Magnetic Paper Clip Holder serves as a great desktop paperweight, and of course, a magnetic clip holder. Admit it. That extra minute of trying to grab a paper clip lying flat on a desk is extremely annoying. With these magnetic clip holders, Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma has the pleasure of holding paper clips on their bellies and at the base of the donut. The college grad on your list will surely appreciate one of these for her desk at work or at home.

Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma Pen Holder

Rilakkuma and Korilakumma are at it again with these pen holders. Of course, they're an essential desktop piece for a touch of cuteness, but think of all the things that can be held in these. Makeup brushes? Eyeglasses? Flowers? Let your graduate choose!

Rilakkuma Sweet Charm 0.5 Mechanical Pencil

Even college graduates need mechanical pencils. Elegant is the best word to describe these mechanical pencils. The gold detailing along with the stud charms and pearls add a touch of sophistication that is appropriate for the first day of work.

For the younger grad

Animal Friends Deluxe Stationery Set

Gift sets are an easy option for those who don't consider shopping their forte, and even better for those on the receiving end. The Animal Friends Deluxe Stationery Set includes over 10 items to get young grads started on summer school shopping. Just a little tip: keep checking CoolPencilCase.com for even more gift sets to come!

Pirate Treasures Pencil Case

Ahoy there matey! Believe us when we say, you have to check out how many compartments this pencil case has. Specifically geared towards the boys (although some gals on our Facebook page say that they would grab one for themselves!), the Pirate Treasures Pencil Case features a detachable center pencil case, pencil compartments, key holders, and even ID slots!

Secret Code Personal Diary

Okay, so secrets aren't always safe, but Cool Pencil Case has a solution. Your grad can go ahead and forget about a lock and key, but make sure they don't forget the secret code that comes with the diary. Even young grads need their privacy and a healthy outlet to express their feelings! Check the link to see more color combinations and designs.

Mother's Day Decoration Card

If you've been following us since yesterday's blog post, you've seen the step-by-step tutorial for our glitter sticker craft pens. Now that the stickers' gel has finally dried, we'll show you the last part of our Mother's Day Craft idea.

Today we'll be using the Popcorn Pens, one of our most popular craft pens. The ink looks like acrylic paint, but it's really a special ink that turns into a popcorn-like consistency under the high heat of a blow dryer.

For this project, you'll need a piece of paper, a large tip marker, and different colors of Cool Pencil Case's popcorn pens.

With the marker, write a special message for your mom. Don't worry about the color of the pen. What you're writing is just a guide for you to follow when using with the popcorn pen. Remember to go over the lines a bit with the popcorn pen so no marker ink is seen!

Just to get a feel of the technique, we started with one letter at  a time. We found that it's best to have the applicator  directly on the paper to control how much ink is flowing out. Hovering over the paper while writing often creates too thick of a layer, which will result in A LOT of blow drying. Trust us, it's not fun.

Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect! Wet ink is glossier than dry ink, which is a good indicator when you're using the blow dryer.

To begin the popcorn effect, you'll need a blow dryer. We found that it was best to apply heat  on the highest setting  right after applying the popcorn ink. Place the blow dryer as near to the ink as possible without touching it.

Another good tip is to rest the edge of the blow dryer at an angle. The heat  will concentrate on one side to begin the popcorn effect and will still warm up the rest of the ink to pop as well.

Here's a close up of how our freshly popped "H" looks like. If you've spent some time on an area that hasn't quite "popped" yet, move on to another area. In a couple of minutes, it will pop on its own!

Now, we've skipped a couple of steps to quicken up the pace. Here's the finished product of a popcorn pen project! 

Based on how thin you apply the ink, the effect can be small speckles....

...or they can be huge bumps.

The end result is a simple decoration. We added a piece of construction paper and string. A sign like this would be a great morning surprise for moms. Before she wakes up, hang a sign like this on doorknobs, her rear view mirror in her car, etc to put a smile on her face.

We've also added the flower and butterfly sticker we created in our last blog post!  Look at the bright colors and 3D effects you can get with our Glitter Sticker Craft Pens!

Do you have a craft idea for CoolPencilCase.com? E-mail marra@coolpencilcase.com to get your idea featured on Cool Pencil Case's blog!