I was so excited to decorate my son's and daughter's rooms. Well, that is, until I asked for their input.

All I wanted was cheery, kid-friendly inspiration. Instead I received an elaborate floor plan from my 8-year old, Maya. I should have known that letting her watch too many episodes of The Powerpuff Girls couldn't be healthy. She came up with a grand plan of lime-green walls, fuchsia furniture and bright-yellow curtains -- all trimmed with glitter and flowers.

Next up was DeAngelo, my 10-year old. He had just one simple request.

"Can I just have that Coca-Cola lamp from Nonnie's house?" he politely asked. "That's all I want. Please leave everything else alone. And I just like my walls white."

The lamp was a dusty artifact that had been stored on my mom-in-law's back porch for years. How he ever found it in the first place, I have no idea. He called Nonnie and, a day later, she hand-delivered the lamp to his bedroom doorstep. DeAngelo's decor was complete.

Maya's psychedelic setting wouldn't be so easy. We finished the fuchsia dresser and yellow curtains. I'm still working my way up to the lime-green walls. Until then, I'm devising a series of whimsical accessories to tie the wild colors together. One of which is this
flower-power wastebasket. I hope it will bring as much joy to your house as it has to ours.

Flower-Power
Whimsical Wastebasket

Supplies:

Assorted colorful plastic flowers with leaves

1 wire wastebasket

Wire nippers

Glue gun

Clear, wide strapping tape

Directions: Cut apart the fake flowers and leaves into strands. Cut the bottoms so that each strand is no longer than 4 inches. Beginning at about the third row from the bottom of the wastebasket, insert a flower through a hole. Weave the stem out and then in through a hole underneath (for security). Fold the stem downward and snip the excess. Do not cut it too short, or it will leave a sharp edge. Seal the end down with the glue gun.

Continue working in a circular motion around the basket, skipping a few holes between each flower for a more balanced, even look. Use your hand to smooth down the stems inside the basket. Use leaves throughout to fill any bald spots. If you want to create a smooth surface inside the basket, use layers of strapping tape to cover the stems.


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* All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com

Labels: home decor, inside