The frugal bouquet
From a Times staff writer
With lean times ahead, more make-it-yourself decor is landing on the market in the form of clever and inexpensive crafts kits. Instead of buying fresh flowers each week, how about a bouquet of black-eyed susans that you construct? This kit from the Martha Stewart Create line for Wal-Mart stores comes with templates and enough colored crepe paper to make 18 flowers ($9.97). Because of the project’s handmade quality, the results are surprisingly charming -- and more palatable than traditional fake flora. Stewart has rolled out dozens of inexpensive crafts kits, including some witty Halloween decorations, all on view at www.Marthastewartcrafts.com.