A few years ago, I invested in what proved to be one of my most disappointing purchases ever.
A picnic basket. Not to be overly dramatic (really, how bad can a picnic basket be?), but it's all about aligning expectation with reality right? And my expectations for this were HIGH.
It was beautiful and full of promise. This wicker suitcase had pretty little latches and, when opened, revealed such a tidy little assortment of table wear, it was impossible to think about anything but drinking a chilled, bubbly prosecco by a quiet stream while the kids napped and played happily (and independently) nearby.
Doesn't that sound amazing? You'd buy it too, right?
Enter reality: the little latches were not strong enough to actually keep the basket closed,ย opening a suitcase full of greasy, dirty dishes after a picnic was less than ideal at the end of a long day (in which the kids were NOT playing happily and independently nearby), and after using it twice, we were missing three of the four forks and all of the spoons.
So so sad. This result did not deter me though - I love eating outside!
I've become a picnic realist. I use snap top tupperware or cardboard boxes (chinese take away style) with paper plates and load them into an open top tote bag or cooler.
All of this functionality screamed for a little fun. So,ย I designed these picnic pockets to add some color and surprise to our picnic basket.
They're super easy, can act as place cards if you're setting a picnic table and could even be the entertainment - put some markers + stickers on your table and you've got the perfect activityย to keep hungry people occupied while you divvy out the potato salad.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
3. Fold it all up:
> First fold into thirds, "hotdog" style.
> Fold the outside corners in to meet the seams.
> Fold in theย printed side, then overlap with the circle in front.
> Flip the pocketย overย andย fold in the teeny-tinyย bottom corners and then make a shallow fold along the bottom of the pocket.
> Tape down the bottom flapย -ย cute washi tape works best ;)
> Flip theย pocketย over to the front, and tape down the front flapย with fun washi.
4. Write the names of your guests in the circles and decorate them with stickers!
Fred is gonna love it :)
I'm obsessed with white gel pens lately - don't they look amazing here?
Up your decoration game with stickers from our Kids club and Pro club.
Have fun with this and tag your pics so I can see what you do: #mypipsticks
Mo xoxo