Santa's Bling Belt

I purchased this ruby red metal tubs two years ago after Christmas on clearance. (75% off, oh Yeah!) And was more thrilled to see them today at Target for the upcoming season. My plan is to put small Christmas trees in at least two of them. And one may be reserved for entertaining. A fun way to make them pop is to make a whimsical Santa Belt to strap around them.

I purchased some black fabric from the local fabric store. I wanted to find something that was close to black patent and found it. I then made 3" strips of it for each belt. I marked my guides with white crayon on the back side.

To make my buckle, I made a base using chip board. I cut a 4" square and then using a 1/2" border, I cut two rectangles within the square.

Next I painted it black to blend in with the belt.

I purchased rhinestones at the craft store. I was hoping to find rectangles but had to settle for the circle shapes. I hot glued them onto the buckle. If you are patient I would recommend using a good bottle glue instead. There is more flexibility in drying time and it allows you to adjust the placement of the jewels as needed. Hot glue dries quickly and therefore difficult to move the jewels if needed.

Once done I was ready to wrap the belt around the bucket. Since the bucket has a slight angle, I recommend putting it upside down to prevent the belt from sliding. I also used glue dots to keep the belt positioned correctly.

Maybe Santa should add a little bling himself.