Are you in need of an abnormally large box of popcorn? You’re in the right place! In this post, I’ll be sharing how to make your own DIY giant popcorn box that can be a displayed as lawn decor for Halloween, a fun party decoration, or even a prop for your in-home theater room. I’ll walk you through how you can make one that sits 4-feet tall and the materials and tools you’ll need.
Tools & Materials List for a DIY Giant Popcorn Box
Materials
- (1) 1/4 in.x 4ft. x 8ft plywood
- (1) 1/4 in.x 2ft. x 2ft plywood
- (2) 2 in. x 2 in. x 8 ft. pieces of wood
- 1 in. 18-gauge Brad nails or staple gun
- (1) Quart of red paint
- (1) Quart of white paint
- 5-8 cans of 1″ spray insulation foam
- Cardboard
- Wood Filler
- Rust-Oleum Clear Coat or Epoxy Resin to seal it
- A roll of painter’s tape
- Sandpaper
Tools
- Paint roller
- Fine detail paint brushes
- Jigsaw or handsaw
- Nail gun or hammer
- Projector or printer and printer paper
- Pencil
Step 1: Measuring and Cutting Out Your Stencil
Creating a stencil makes it easier when the time comes to cut the sides of your giant popcorn box. I recommend beginning with a piece of cardboard. I used an old Amazon box lying around and a small popcorn box purchased at the local dollar store as a reference.
You’ll notice that a popcorn box is tapered and is widest at its top while becoming smaller at the bottom. You can use these measurements as a guide when drawing out your stencil. Once drawn, cut out your stencil and use it to trace four sides along your 1/4 inch plywood. It’s important to alternate the stencil as you go, so that they all fit on the single sheet of plywood.
Step 2: Building the Giant Popcorn Box
After cutting all four of the traced sides, you’ll want to add support to the backs of two sides, so that you can assemble it. That’s where the 2in. x 2in. x 8ft. pieces come in.
Next, you’ll want to cut the the 2in. x 2in. x 8ft. in half, so you have two 2in. x 2in. x 4ft for each edge. Once you have enough, align along each edge and nail together. See image below:
Now it’s time to assemble all four sides into a box. Wood filler is optional, but highly recommended. You can use it to seal up all of the edges, so that your box uniform. You can also use it to seal up your nail holes, so you have a smooth surface to begin painting.
Want One Made Just for You?
Loved this build but not up for the mess? I create custom, larger-than-life displays for events, photo ops, and businesses through my studio, ReelFinds Workshop.
Step 3: Time to Paint Your Box
After assembling your box, you’ll want to apply two coats of white paint to your box. Once dry, you can use the painter’s tape to begin sealing off the white stripes for three of the sides.
For the fourth side, use the painter’s tape to seal off a circle in the center, where your logo will go.
Next, paint the visible stripes with red. When dry, and you’ve removed all painter’s tape, you can start working on the logo.
If you own one, you can choose to use a projector to outline a Popcorn logo or print and cut out a stencil to trace using pencil. You can find a PNG of the logo here. Using the fine detailed paint brushes, you can fill in the logo with red paint.
Depending on where you’ll be displaying your box, indoors or outdoors, you may want to consider weatherproofing it. You can purchase an Epoxy Resin Kit that includes both the resin and hardener and tools you need on Amazon, like I did.
Follow the instructions for combining the epoxy resin and coat your box. I chose to use a paint roller to spread it on the box. It has a very strong smell, so make sure you’re in a well ventilated area and use a face mask.
Step 4: Making Insulation Foam Popcorn Pieces
Before you begin making the popcorn pieces you’ll want to prep your area with wax paper or plastic wrap and wear some latex gloves. Spray insulation foam is very sticky!
Next, spray the insulation foam in a circular motion and add height. It becomes easier to work with after you let it sit for 5-8 minutes.
Using a spray bottle filled with water to spritz it now and then makes it slightly more pliable and helps to smooth it it out. Flipping it upside down to mold out the ridges is the key.
It’s always good to use a reference when making the pieces, so you can work on getting a realistic shape. You can even make three individual pieces and combine them to make a single jumbo pieces.
Step 5: Creating the Illusion of a Filled Popcorn Box
Since the 2 in. x 4 in. pieces have been affixed to the backs of all sides, you should now have a ledge along the inner rim for the final sheet of plywood to lay atop, like a lid.
The 2 ft. x 2 ft. plywood will need to be shortened slightly on each side to fit within your box. If you followed the dimensions provided for your box sides, it should bring your lid to about 22.5-23 inches on all sides. Be sure to measure before cutting!
You’ll only need to make enough popcorn pieces to cover the top of the lid. This gives the illusion that the popcorn box is full.
You can also choose to paint your lid, if visible through your popcorn pieces, so that it blends in.
Share Your DIY Giant Popcorn Box Display
If you made it through and created your own popcorn box, congrats! I’d love to see your version. Share your popcorn boxes with me on TikTok @LinaMakes.
