Pirate Treasure Chest Centerpiece

AURGGHH...Matey. If you're hosting a band of pirates for a summer birthday party, keep in mind that Beads and doubloons are good for more than just Mardi Gras festivities.  These sparkly jewels are great for pirate treasure (or booty...as children laughingly call it.) A pirate treasure chest is the centerpiece of any jolly roger themed party.  Let your pirate crew dress in their favorite pirate garb- think eye patches, bandannas, swords and parrots. Add in an adventurous treasure hunt to  make it an event everyone will remember. This pirate treasure chest serves as the bounty and the party favors. Everyone gets to take home gold, pearls and jewels.

Check our our Pirate Party ideas board on Pinterest for more fun ideas like these:

 

Here's how to create our treasure chest centerpiece -

Supplies: (click on the links to purchase at MardiGrasOutlet.com)

• 1 Large Treasure Chest Box 11.75" x 8"
• 1 12" Feathered Parrot
• 3 packs of 25 Authentic Aluminum Doubloons
• 1 pack 18mm Beads 72-inch in Pearl White
• 2 packs 10mm Beads 33-inch in Pearl White
• 1 pack Skull and Bones Beads 42-inch in Antique Gold
• 1 pack Skull and Bones Beads 42-inch in Antique Silver
• 4 Dry Floral Foam Bricks

STEP 1: Construct Box and fill with Foam

This paperboard treasure chest requires some minimal assembly, since it comes flat. Assemble the chest, and then fill the bottom with floral foam (this used 3 pieces). Add another half piece of dry floral foam in the center for more height and dimension.

Another option is to stuff the treasure chest with crumpled paper first.

You can also fill the chest completely with pearl strands and coins, just get enough to fill it up (about 15 packs of beads). That way you can use the centerpiece as a party favor holder as well.

STEP 2: Fill with Pearls

We used pearl Mardi Gras beads, which are inexpensive. Skull and bones necklaces were also added. Place enough to cover the floral foam. Let some drape over the edges, to make the treasure chest look fuller.

STEP 3: Add Coins

Doubloons were scattered in the treasure chest and around the table. 

STEP 4: Add Parrot

This fake red parrot adds a focal point and color accent to the pirate centerpiece. Glue or tie the parrot at the left front edge of the chest.

STEP 4: Optional: Add Specialty Beads
Using a couple specialty beads such as the Bobble Parrot Bead Necklace and the Pirate and Skull Flags Necklace, we added variety to the centerpiece. You might also consider the Bandanna Pirate Necklace, Cartoon Pirate Necklace, Fierce Pirate Necklace, Four Pirates Necklace or any other ones that strike your fancy! All these and more are available at MardiGrasOutlet.com in our Pirates, Parrots and Skulls section.

OPTIONAL DECORATIONS

We placed red/white striped poly deco mesh as a table runner underneath the centerpiece. It comes in 21" wide by 10 yard rolls, and is a type of soft plastic netting that is used for crafts and decorations. You can purchase the red and white striped poly deco mesh here: 21" poly mesh roll in red and white stripes

PIRATE BUNTING 

You can also construct a pirate themed garland with triangle flags for more decorations. It's very easy to make! Keep scrolling down for simple instructions.

Supplies: (click on the links to purchase at MardiGrasOutlet.com)

• 1 roll of 26" black foil paper 
• 1 roll of 26" silver foil paper
• Black twine, thin black ribbon or other similar item to string your bunting on
• Scissors
• Exacto knife or whole punch

The actual amount you need of each of the above supplies will depend on how long you make your display and bunting. The 26" rolls will allow you plenty of material to spare for future projects! You could also use a thicker patterned craft paper or fabric to create this bunting.

STEP 1: Cut Triangles

If you would like, you can create a template for this part of the process out of cardboard. Use a ruler to draw a triangle that is 8" x 8" x 9" or any other size you desire onto a piece of cardboard and then cut the shape out to form a template. We made the top of our flag slightly wider than the two sides, but you could easily vary the dimensions. 

Using your template, trace the triangle onto the black foil paper and silver foil paper. Cut the shapes out using scissors. You will probably want at least 6-8 triangles, but you can make as many as you want!

STEP 2: Punching the Holes

After you have traced and cut out all of your triangles, use an exacto knife or a hole punch to create 2-4 evenly-spaced holes across the top of each triangle. Make sure the holes are wide enough that your black ribbon or thread can pass through them.  

Be careful not to make the wholes too close to the edge of the triangle, otherwise the flags might rip when you are stringing them. Maintain about a quarter inch distance from the edges when punching out the holes.

STEP 3: Threading the Flags

Unravel a bit of your thread or thin ribbon from the spool. Don't worry about cutting it off of the spool until you are done threading your flags on. This way, you won't end up with too little length, and it allows you to increase the size of your bunting as you work.

Starting from the back of the flag, bring the thread up through the first hole to the front of the flag. Continue weaving the thread in and out of the series of holes until you exit the end of the flag from the back.  Push the flag along the thread until it is the desired distance to create the length of bunting you would like. Alternate black flags with silver flags to create a pattern, or add in other colors of foil paper as desired!

Continue threading your flags onto the ribbon, pushing each flag down to line up with the next as you go. Add as many flags as you like! When you are done, allow 1-2 feet of extra ribbon at each end of the bunting so that you can tie it up easily, and the cut the ribbon loose from the spool.

DIY Party Puffs & Topiary with Deco Mesh

Precious puffs for your summer festivities. These easy-to-make curly Poly Deco Mesh poofs or puffs make any gathering festive!  Choose the deco mesh that matches your color scheme or theme. We've created a whole series of decorations in this yummy pink, orange and cream color way.  

This is the last tutorial in our sweet summer birthday series featuring these matching decorations. Click HERE to see the original post featuring our  Sweet Summer Birthday party ideas with tips on what to serve. Or HERE for our Curly Deco Mesh Wreath tutorial with matching  Happy Birthday Banner free printable!

These festive puffs hanging above our sweet summer birthday buffet. Here is how we made them.

SUPPLIES

To purchase these products from www.mardigrasoutlet.com, click on the individual product link below.

• 1 roll 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Vertical Line Cream OR 1 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Metallic Cream and Gold
• 1 roll 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Metallic Orange
• 1 roll 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Vertical Line Pink OR 1 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Light Pink
• 1 roll 21-inch Poly Mesh Roll: Metallic Gold
• 1 package 3-inch Wire Balls (any color works)
• 1 package 24 Gauge Paddle Floral Wire (any color works)
• Scissors
• Wire Cutters

Estimated cost per poof you create is about $7.00. The above materials will make about 6-8 poofs with some leftover mesh.

You can use any number and combination of colors you desire!  We have a great selection of metallic, patterned mesh, solids, vertical lines and more!  Each poof takes about half a roll of 21" mesh to create, so feel free to try out several different color combinations.  Check out our extensive collection here: Poly Deco Mesh.

You can also use 10" mesh rolls to create party poofs. The 10" wide rolls will leave you with smoother, finished edges on both ends since you don't have to cut the strips in half like you do with the 21" mesh rolls. One 10" mesh roll makes one poof with a bit leftover. To check out our selection of 10" Mesh, please click here: 10" Poly Mesh Rolls.

STEP ONE

Cut 7-inch wide strips of each color of mesh you would like to use.  If you are using 21 inch mesh rolls, then you will need to cut each strip/curl in half. If you are using rolls of 10 inch deco mesh ribbon, you do not need to cut the strips in half.

We cut about 5 strips of each color mesh to get started and then cut more of each color as needed. The exact number of strips you need will depend on the width of your strips and how tightly you curl them. We used about 30 to 40 strips total in our poofs. This means that if you create a 4 color poof, you will need about 5 to 6 strips of each color that you will then cut in half to create 1 poof (approx. 1 yard of each color.)

STEP TWO

Using wire cutters, cut strips of paddle wire about 3 to 4 inches in length. You will need one piece of paddle wire for each strip of mesh you wish to attach to your poof (approx 30-40.) Feel free to cut the wire strips a few at a time as you go.

STEP THREE

Grab a mesh strip of any color and roll it into a loose curl.

STEP FOUR

Pinch the curl in the center, creating a V shape.

STEP FIVE

Use a strip of paddle wire to attach the curl to your wire ball.

REPEAT!

Continue to add curls of each of your colors to the ball in the same fashion. Keep working the ball form from all sides with mesh curls until it is full and fluffy, and the central wire ball form is no longer visible.

Once complete, there are numerous ways to install these poofs for your next get-together.  You can hang them on string from the trees for a festive garden party, hang a cluster of poofs indoors to light up a corner, or create topiaries to frame a dessert table like we did for our summer Sweets Birthday Party Buffet!

DIY DECO MESH POOF TOPIARIES!

Wow! Two tutorials in one! To turn your curly poofs into topiaries, you will need the following additional supplies:

SUPPLIES

Click the links below to purchase at www.Mardigrasoutlet.com, where applicable.

• 1 Small/Medium Terracotta Pot per topiary
• 12" Wooden Dowel per topiary
• Scissors
• Matt knife or other knife
• 1 roll Crinkle Sheer Fabric: Pink 
• 1/2 a Dry Floral Foam Brick per topiary

STEP ONE

Trim down a floral foam brick using a knife until it stands in your terracotta pot with the top just reaching the rim. Place the floral foam into the pot. Trim down the sides if it is too wide, or use scrap pieces of floral foam to shore up the sides if the brick has too much wiggle room. You don't want it wobbling around on you!

STEP TWO

Insert a dowel into the center of your floral foam 1-2 inches.  Make sure it is secure. If it starts to wobble, you can always add a bit of glue to keep it firmly in place.

STEP THREE

Attach your poof to the top of the dowel through the wire ball form. Again, secure with glue if necessary. 

STEP FOUR

Cut a small piece of pink crinkle sheer fabric and bunch it around the bottom of the dowel to cover the floral foam brick. Tuck in loose ends and fluff the fabric until it looks just right.

The finished puff topiary on our dessert buffet!

If you wish to hang your poofs instead, just tie a length of string into the wire ball form, and you're ready to go! Try positioning them at various heights to add some pizazz to your display. Deco Mesh Poofs are great for the Indoors or Outdoors, as mesh holds up well to the elements. See a few more images below for ideas on how to install your poofs.

Party curl poofs are great for any season. Check out our selection of 10-inch and 21-inch Poly Deco Mesh Rolls to try out other color options, such as the 10-inch Metallic Moss and Apple shown below.

Birthday Pennant Banner: Free Printable

Precious pennant banners are very popular right now. From tiny ones used to decorate cakes to more traditional sized party banners, they are popping up in lots of party pics. One of the great things about this fun trend (other than how cute they are) is that you can personalize them to your theme and print these yourself. Start with our colorful, free printable pennant garland. Download and print out this triangle flag Birthday banner and use it as a sign, wall decor or even on a wreath (see our curly wreath tutorial-pictured below). 

DOWNLOAD BIRTHDAY BANNER

STEP 1: Download and Print

Click above to download the free printable Happy Birthday garland. You will need a PDF reader to open this file.(Click HERE for a free PDF reader from Adobe) 

Print out all 3 pages of the banners, using your desktop home printer or bring the file to a copy or print center. You can print them using regular copy paper, or stiffer card-stock paper.

STEP 2: Cut-out Pennants

Once you have printed out all three pages, use scissors or an X-acto knife and ruler to cut out each individual flag.

STEP 3: Fold

With each flag cut out from the pages, start folding the top section. Fold it back behind the front of the flag, as shown above. Use the two points on each side as your guidelines.

STEP 4: 

Place the fold around a long piece of string, and then tape or glue the flap down to secure. Continue attaching all of the flags. We used two different strings, but use one long string if you need to.

Attach the garland across this fun curly deco mesh wreath! Click here for a tutorial on how to make this wreath.

The paper garland was also used in this Birthday party dessert table (click here for a full post). It was strung between two deco mesh party puff topiaries. 

Celebrate the season with this fun printable birthday banner. Enjoy!

Curly Deco Mesh Wreath Tutorial

A huge puff of pastel curls grabs your attention with a Curly Deco Mesh Wreath. These curly mesh wreaths are a fun alternative to the basic deco mesh puff wreath style. We had lots of requests for a tutorial for those precious curly pumpkin wreaths we saw last fall on Pinterest.  We have finally posted  the tutorial below to show you how to make a fun spiral curls wreath for yourself. Sorry it took us so long- but I think this yummy pastel colored version was worth the wait!

Easily turn this fun curly wreath into a Happy Birthday wreath by adding a cute paper pennant banner! Click here to get this free printable pennant pattern.

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SUPPLIES (click on the product name to purchase at mardigrasoutlet.com)

(2) 21"x10yard Deco Mesh Rolls

(1) 24" Work Wreath Form

Scissors

The total cost of this wreath will be about $20, depending on the color and finish of deco mesh that you are using. You can choose any combination of colors to customize this wreath.

This wreath used only a portion of each color, so you will need at least 2 rolls of deco mesh. The wreath in this tutorial uses a Red work wreath form and Cream Vertical Line, Light Pink, 2-tone Gold/Gold and Metallic Orange deco mesh. Work wreath forms have pre-attached tinsel wire tips. Deco Mesh holds its curly form without wired edges. 

STEP 1

Cut all of your curls of deco mesh. Each should be about 9 or 10 inches wide. You will need about 72 individual curls. 

If you want a wreath that is not as full, use less curls. This wreath uses 4 curls per wire tie, so try 3 or 2 curls for a less full wreath if desired. 

STEP 2

Gather 4 curls together in the middle, in this case, one of each color. It helps to curl each one a little more before doing this. Again, if you want a less full wreath, use less curls at this point. 

STEP 3

Secure the middle of the bunch into a set of wire ties on the work wreath form. Twist the tinsel covered wire ties several time to attach the curls. Then fluff up the curls. 

STEP 4

Repeat steps 2 and 3, and continue filling in the entire wreath. Make sure you place the curls into every wire tie set on the work wreath form. 

Once you have filled in the wreath, straighten out the curls so that they point outward. You may have to rotate and adjust the wire ties and curls from the back to make the curls more even looking. 

This wreath is HUGE when it is complete. It is approximately 30" wide when made on a 24" wreath form  so it makes a big impact on a door. 

Topped off with the printable pennant banner this wreath becomes the focal point of a birthday party!