Leafy coolers for a garden party

Inexpensive galvanized tubs make handy drink coolers to place around the garden within easy reach of thirsty party guests. With a few snippets of foliage and some green moss, you can cloak these tubs in appropriate party dress.

The 10-inch-diameter bucket pictured at right, which can hold several bottles of wine, is attired in green moss. It is elegant enough to hold its own on an outdoor buffet table. The 22-inch-diameter tub shown below, for cooling bottles of sodas or beer, is perfect for a casual picnic; it was spray-painted seafoam green, then accented with strands of ivy.

DESIGN: Françoise Kirkman

TIME: 20 to 30 minutes each

COST: $30 to $45, depending on the size of the bucket

MATERIALS

For moss-covered bucket:

• 3-inch-wide paintbrush
• Tacky glue
• Galvanized bucket
• 1 1/2-2 pounds sheet moss

For ivy-covered tub:

• Spray paint
• Galvanized tub
• Long strands of ivy or other vine
• Florist’s wire
• All-weather polyethylene repair tape 

DIRECTIONS

Moss-covered bucket. With the paintbrush, spread a layer of glue over the outside of half the bucket, including the rim and the top 2 inches of the inside. Apply sheet moss to the glued area, wrapping it over the rim and pressing it down inside. Repeat the process until the whole bucket is covered. Let glue dry for a few hours.

Ivy-covered tub. Spray-paint the entire tub, inside and out. Attach pieces of ivy end to end with wire until they encircle the rim of the bucket twice. For small-leafed vines, wrap them around several times. Secure the ivy on the bucket in four or five places with the clear repair tape.