This
tutorial will give you an idea about blocks' management... you just need to add a static block, not PHP. As for block's decoration, in the "Toys" theme each side block have the following structure (you'll see that in any page's source):
<h2 class="Special">Block title</h2>
<div class="Box">
<div>
<p>Your content</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="BoxFooter"></div>