Personalized Boy's Easter Bucket

Materials and Tools:

metal paint pail (available at craft or hardware stores)
white spray primer (specifically for metal)
blue spray paint
alphabet stickers (available in craft and scrapbooking stores)
fine-detail paintbrush
black permanent marker
green shredded paper
striped ribbon
scissors
fabric glue
candy and small toys to fill bucket

Steps:

1. Spray pail, inside and out, with white primer. To avoid drips, several thin coats are best. Note: Make sure to get a solid, even coat of white as this layer will later be visible as the letters. Allow primer to thoroughly dry — overnight is ideal.

2. Place alphabet stickers on pail, pressing firmly on the edges of each sticker to prevent paint bleeding under. Tip: This part is a bit tricky; don't "burnish" the stickers into place as they will need to be removed in a later step.

3. Spray pail with blue paint, being careful not to overspray and create drips. Applying multiple thin coats is best. Allow paint to thoroughly dry.

4. Carefully remove the stickers. If blue paint has bled under the stickers, spray a bit of primer onto a disposable surface and touch up the white letters with a fine-detail paintbrush.

5. Outline each letter with a permanent marker. Finally, glue ribbon around the top and bottom bands of the pail and fill bucket with green shredded paper and Easter treats.