How to Decorate Tin Buckets

Tin buckets are versatile craft items. Decorate a rustic bucket using a variety of craft supplies, including paint, glue, fabric and paper. Transform plain metal buckets into eye-catching home decor using minimal effort and money. Delight friends and family members with decorated tin buckets as holiday and birthday gifts. Recipients can use the buckets to enhance a patio, deck or sun room.

Paint the tin bucket. Customize the pail using craft paint or other decorative supplies. Use a small sponge and paint to create a country-inspired look. Enhance the bucket with designs such as bugs, flowers and birds using stencils. Personalize the pail with a gift recipient's name or a festive message such as "happy birthday."

Decoupage the tin bucket with any kind of decorative paper. Use a matte medium glue to attach scrapbooking paper designs, a cut-out birthday card, magazine images or hand-made construction paper flowers to the bucket.

Add glamour to the bucket with shiny plastic gems. Use craft glue to adhere colorful flat-backed plastic gems and beads to the bucket. For feminine flair, cover the bucket with pink paint and glue on clear diamond-shaped gems. Create a name using the gems or glue them around the perimeter of the bucket.

Fill the bucket with a blooming flower or insert faux flower stems into colorful hard candy, marbles or stones to resemble blooming flowers.

Tie a ribbon around the bucket's handle. Choose a fabric that coordinates with the overall look of the bucket, such as a velvet ribbon for a glamorized pail. Wrap a piece of twine around the handle of a country-inspired bucket. Knot the the ribbon on one end, wrap it around the handle, and knot it at the other end to finish. Another option is to tie a simple bow at the top of at the corners of the handle.