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October 25, 2011

Candy Cane Door Decoration with Deco Mesh: A Tutorial

Christmas Candy Cane Deco Poly Mesh

Christmas and candy canes go hand in hand. These sugary sweet candy cane door decorations made with  poly deco mesh and a candy cane work form are perfect for the holidays. Even Mrs. Claus would approve!

Candy Cane Wreath Poly Deco MeshCandy Cane Bow Christmas Decorating Ideas


Here is the tutorial for creating on of these fun candy cane door decorations. We made two versions of the candy cane.


WHITE STRIPED CANDY CANE SUPPLIES 

21" Red/White Stripe deco mesh  (1 10 yd roll)
30" Work White Candy Cane form (1)
Scissors

*Optional Bow: 2.5" Red Poly Mesh Ribbon and Metallic Red Deco Flex Tubing Ribbon

RED CANDY CANE SUPPLIES
Scissors
*Optional Bow: 2.5" Metallic Green ribbon,  4" Metallic Moss/Lime Ribbon, Craft Wire



TUTORIAL
STEP 1:
Bunch the mesh into one hand, folding as you gather. Place the bunched mesh into the very bottom set of tinsel covered wire ties. Notice how we left the end facing inward (second photo) so that the frayed end will not be hanging out. Twist the ties firmly to secure the mesh.


STEP 2:
Gather about a 9 inch length of mesh and secure into the next set of wire ties on the right. Now fold the mesh back and over and secure to the bottom left set of wire ties. The mesh should cover the wire ties on the right. 


STEP 3:
Continue this way all the way up the work form. Go back and forth and remember to fold the mesh   over to the opposite set of wire ties, covering the previous set.


STEP 4:
When you reach the top end of the work form, attach the mesh to the end set of ties. Fold the mesh back over and secure to the right set of ties. Trim the mesh with about 10" left. Fold over and attach the end of the mesh to the end set of ties. This way, the trimmed end of the mesh is hidden underneath the last puff.




Now you can add your own Christmas flair! For our white candy cane, we made a red layered bow out of 2.5" ribbon and deco flex tubing.

You can also use 10 inch deco mesh or even a combination of 2.5" and 4" deco mesh ribbon to make a Christmas bow. Click here for our easy bow tutorial.

HOW TO ADD A BOLD STRIPE:
The red candy cane needs one extra step. Using the 4" white/iridescent ribbon, secure the end of the ribbon to the bottom first set of wire ties. The ribbon end should be hidden by the bottom puff. Next, bring the ribbon back over the front of the candy cane.

Continue around the back. Secure the ribbon to a set of wire ties every time it goes around the back. You should be working your way up the candy cane at a slight diagonal. Leave about 4" of space between each stripe.

Green Christmas Bow Candy Cane

For a green color accent, we made a bow using  2.5" Metallic Green ribbon,  4" Metallic Moss/Lime Ribbon, and Craft Wire.

You can follow the steps used our bow tutorial. The only difference is that you should hold the 2.5" and 4" ribbon flat together as you form loops. Also, spread apart the loops when you finish to make a fuller-looking bow.
Deco mesh comes in many colors, patterns and sizes so that you can customize your Christmas decorations.

For a complete selection of poly deco mesh, ribbon and work wreath forms, 

For other ideas and tutorials using deco mesh and work wreath forms, 
take a look at our videos
or browse through our previous blog posts.

Candy Cane Door Decoration Christmas


Candy Cane Door Decoration Deco Mesh




October 21, 2011

We love football and Pinterest!


Anyone getting ready for a big football game? It is a big football weekend in South Louisiana...a weekend full of tailgating, friends and football. These yummy football whoopie pies are a perfect tailgate treat. To find this recipe and more football party ideas, visit Mardi Gras Outlet's football party ideas pin-board on  Pinterest.


To see all of our football party ideas on pinterest, click here

What is Pinterest? It is a virtual online pin-board that allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pin-boards created by other people to discover new things. Find inspiration to plan your weddings, decorate your home, celebrate a season or share favorite recipes. Be warned...it's addicting!

Mardi Gras Outlet has lots of inspiring pin boards on a variety of topics like Mardi Gras, Louisiana, crawfish, Halloween, fleur de lis and deco mesh creations. To see all these Pinterest pin-boards and more, click here.  We hope you find some inspiring ideas!

Follow Me on Pinterest
Happy Pinning!

October 18, 2011

Christmas Tree Decorating with Deco Mesh: A Video Tutorial


Decorating your Christmas tree is a cinch with poly deco mesh, a great new creative product. Get that designer look and impress everyone with your decorating skills by adding poly deco mesh to your tree. It's easy and inexpensive.


 We have already shown you video tutorials for making bows, Christmas wreaths, lavish garlands and charming Christmas wall trees using this flexible mesh product. This time the video will teach you how to trim your holiday tree using poly deco mesh.

SUPPLIES:
21" x 10yard Red/Lime Bold Stripe Deco Mesh (2)
4" Metallic Moss/Lime Deco Mesh Ribbon (1)
Crushed Gold Metallic Lame Fabric Roll  (1)
For more color options of deco mesh, click here.

Depending on the size of your tree, you will need more or less of each roll. In this video, we decorated only the front and sides of our 8 ft. tree. We used 1 1/2 rolls of the 21" deco mesh, 1 roll of the 4" green ribbon, and 1 roll of crushed gold metallic fabric.

Deco mesh is a type of soft plastic netting used by floral designers. It is durable enough for the outdoors and doesn't lose its natural full puffs or color. You can even decorate your trees outside! Lights really sparkle underneath deco mesh, so hang lights first or use a pre-lit tree.

This video will show you how to layer, tuck, and form bows with different kinds of deco mesh. You'll learn tips and tricks for working with mesh, such as when to trim and where to place the mesh. Be creative and uses other colors, patterns and finishes to customize your Christmas tree this holiday season!



Here is the video tutorial:

For a complete selection of optional colors in this fun and inexpensive decorative mesh,
visit Mardi Gras Outlet.com.

To view our complete list of video tutorials,
see the Mardi Gras Outlet Channel on Youtube.





October 6, 2011

Create a Cat Mask as featured on Martha Stewart


Masks and Halloween go hand in hand. Be crafty and try making your own purrrfect cat mask! All you need are a basic unpainted cat mask, crepe paper, black acrylic paint and glue.


Click here for Martha Stewart's tutorial and video on how decorate this cat mask. She provides a template for cutting out the different crepe-paper shapes. MardiGrasOutlet.com offers this paper mache mask that is used in Martha Stewart's project. It has a smooth matte surface perfect for paint and gluing. The mask is available here.

Martha also transformed the unpainted paper mache eye mask and the casanova mask into an owl and bird mask using crepe-paper techniques. 

Go here to learn how to create an adorable owl mask.
The unpainted paper mache eye mask she uses is available here.

Click here for Martha's instructions on making a bird mask.
For this project, she used the paper mache casanova mask, available here.


Happy Crafting & Happy Halloween!