Thanks for the complements. I had fun building them. Let's see, to try and answer everyone's questions, in order.

KLW2: The buckets are kitty litter buckets. Bought them at Pet Smart (we have two cats) and the label was just a plastic sleeve that came right off (bonus!). The fender holders I found at Lowe's in the Hardware/Small Parts (where you'll find the nuts, bolts, etc.). I was looking for single hook rope cleats, but the only ones I found were too big. The fender holders are, I think, much better.

illdoittomorrow and schu777: I ordered a red reflective sheet (10"x24") from StreetGlo and should have it on the back of the panniers by this weekend. The only problem with painting these particular buckets is the type of plastic. They're made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene can be very difficult to get maximum paint adhesion. Polypropylene (PP) is also commonly used in making these kind of buckets and is easier to paint. I was going to paint them (red on the back, yellow on the sides, white on the front) and put a reflective top coat on them, turning them into oversized reflectors, but the reflective sheets will also do the job. Also, I'm think of adding red strobes on the backs to add som active lighting.

ShadowGray: The bucket panniers are just as wide as my handle bars. (Actually, measuring the from the bar ends, the handlebars are slightly wider.)

Also, I took into consideration heel strike, which is why I have the large cable clamps off-set towards the front of the bike.