I found these adorable buckets at the dollar store. They were originally a dusty, matte, dreary blue, but a good size for gift-giving and definitely the right price! So I snagged a sizable collection, and I just recently finished off altering and gifting my way through them. Here's the scoop!
1) Paint bucket with any type of acrylic paint in your desired overall color.
2) Using a contrasting color and a foam stamp, stamp a decorative motif on each side of the bucket. Foam stamps are perfect for this, as they're made for paint, but they also *bend.* This is very important when working on a curved surface. Ask me how I know.
3) Using the same contrasting color, and any other shades you'd like to add, swipe small amounts around the rim and bottom of the bucket to add a distressed feel. This is important, too, as this type of project will naturally come out a little "imperfect," and making it look purposefully imperfect is what distressing is perfect for. Follow that? ;-)
4) Select a variety of ribbon, and snip to 4-5" lengths. What's especially nice about this, is it gives you a chance to use all that ribbon you like to buy because it's so cute on the roll... but sometimes difficult to use up on your pages. You will need a *lot* of ribbon. I'll be honest, I can't even give you an estimate, because each bucket was different. It depended on the width and type of ribbon I used, if I used double knots to secure them, and how full I wanted the handle.
5) Arrange ribbon in a pattern if you'd like, and start knotting away. This is the most time-consuming step, but it's very motivating, as the ribbon stacks up along the handle because it's so overwhelmingly cute!
6) Finish your bucket off by stacking a few silk flowers behind a rhinestone brad, and pop it through the hole where the handle connects to the bucket.
7) Fill it up with something fun, and scrap a card to match, using the same supplies. Voila! Now gift away and enjoy the oohs and aahs of your recipients! (And don't tell them how little it cost you and how it helped you make a dent in your ribbon stash!)
