DIY: Beaded Mardi Gras Charger Plate

Every perfect Mardi Gras Tablescape comes down to its finishing touches.  Make yours personal by recycling last years Mardi Gras Beads and creating charger plates for tableware!  Create a charger with patterns, initials, or designs with beads from your favorite krewe, for your favorite crew!  Your friends and family will notice these place settings at your next gathering.

Typical chargers are 10"-14" in diameter.  Our finished charger is 14" in diameter which will accommodate most sizes of table ware.

SUPPLIES

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

• Mardi Gras Beads, 10MM Beads 60" Metallic Purple, Green, & Gold
• Foam Core or Card Board
• Glue Gun
• Scissors or Utility Knife
• Spray Paint or Poly Urethane*

The charger plate can be created in any color combination, and its a great opportunity to upcycle your last years Mardi Gras Beads. If you aren't re-using beads, there are many different color and size options available, (click HERE).

Cost/Time

The cost of making a single charger is under $5 including the cost of hot glue sticks and new beads.  If you are upcycling your old Mardi Gras Beads, that brings the total cost even lower.  We used about 5 four inch glue sticks and 10 strands of beads.  One charger took under 1 hour to make, and a set of 4 would take about 3 hours.

Step 1- Create a Base

Cut three round disks of cardboard or foam core.  The smallest should be approximately 8" across, the 2 larger should both be 13" across.  Cut the center out of the third disk, so that you have a 1.5" wide ring, (the outside diameter will measure 13", and the inside diameter will measure 10).  Use proper safety when using a utility knife, cutting away from your body and hands.  Next, glue the three pieces together.

Step 2- Glue the Base
Glue the base to one side. On the opposite side hot glue the rim to the top of the charger's surface, pressing firmly.Use caution with the glue gun and avoid its metal surfaces.

Step 3- Painting the Surface
This step is optional.   We chose gold to continue with our Mardi Gras theme!

If you are creating any type of pattern, it may help to trace it on before gluing.  Then cut your beads so that they are a long string.

Step 4- Glue the Beads
There are many variations to choose from when attaching your beads.  You can choose circular patterns, a solid color, or make it monogrammed!  If you choosing a patterned type of design, the bigger you make your charger, the easier gluing the beads will be.  

Cut your beads whenever necessary.  

Once you've filled in the inner area with beads, move outwards to the rim.

Step 5- Glue from the center outwards

Consider adding medallions or doubloons as a way to display parade mementos.

Step 6- Add beads to the rim

Continue working from the center outwards, and cover the rim of the charger.

Step 7- Cover the edges

Glue a final strand around the outside edge and top surface in order to hide the edges of the cardboard.

Happy Mardi Gras. Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler! 

Mardi Gras Garland Tutorial: Deco Mesh Work Garland Form

Bigger is better when it comes to Mardi Gras decorations! Create elaborate one-of-a-kind decorative garland with a work garland form and deco mesh. In a few simple steps,you can create a designer Mardi Gras garland of your own.  We used the traditional colors of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)  which are purple, green, and gold, representing justice, faith, and power- respectively. This style deco mesh garland can be created in any color,  for any theme. The work garland comes in a large variety of colors and styles (click here for options) and there are hundreds of different styles and patterns of decorative mesh (click here for options).

What is a work garland form? A work garland form is the basic form used to make a decorative garland. The 9 foot long weather resistant wire base has 44 pre attached wire ties that you use to attach deco mesh, ribbon, ornaments and accessories onto the form.  These wire ties come in various finishes.   The standard tinsel ties resembles traditional wired faux garland. Use this version when you want the form color to show in your design. This is the version used in this tutorial. The new thin pencil tinsel ties are slim and easy to hide in the garland.  There is also a twig works wire form that resembles natural twining vine for a more natural look.

Where do you use a  decorative garland?  Decorate a mantle, down a staircase banister, over doorways, across a mirror or on a mailbox.  The work garland forms and deco mesh are both water resistant so they can used indoors or outdoors. No worries about sagging bows, rusted wires or molded ribbon when you use them to decorate outdoors!

Here is the tutorial for creating your own designer decorative Mardi Gras garland.

SUPPLIES:  To purchase these products from www.mardigrasoutlet.com, click on the individual product link below or click HERE to see a complete supply list.

• Work Garland: Metallic Gold
• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Premium Mardi Gras Stripe
• 2.5" Poly Mesh Ribbon: Metallic Emerald Green
• Metallic Tinsel Roping: Gold

Optional Accessories

• 18" Purple Acanthus Leaf Spray
• Assorted Large Mardi Gras Ball Ornaments

COST/TIME

The cost of the basic garland is around $32.  There will be product left over  (apx 6ft of the 21" wide mesh and 12 ft of ribbon).  This 9 foot garland took under 45 minutes to make.

Fluff out your Work Garland so that all the ties are open.  Next, gather your mesh.  It is important to gather, not bunch, the deco mesh.  Bunching will cause your garland to look less voluminous, and more wrinkled.

 Place the mesh in between the first set of ties.

Twist the ties together to attach the mesh to the garland.  Leave the ties outward so that you can attach more layers to the same ties.

After you have attached the mesh to the first set of ties, gather the mesh, leaving about 9 inches for each poof.  It doesn't have to be exact, but if you pull the mesh out, skipping 1 tie, that's about the length you need to insert into each tinsel tie.  The photo above illustrates length.

Continue making poofs until you have reached the end of the garland.  There are 44 ties total, and you will go through almost an entire roll of mesh.

Trim the deco mesh once you have come the last tie, leaving about 6 inches on the end.

Add ribbon on top of the Deco Mesh by twisting it into the same tinsel ties.  You can make bows, loops, or simply attach the ribbon in with just a twist!

Add another layer for more color and dimension. Insert the gold Tinsel Roping into tinsel ties.  You can leave loops or make curls, any way you apply it, tinsel roping adds a great finishing touch!

The finished garland!  Now you can personalize your own by adding ornaments, floral sprays, mardi gras beads, or masks.  Below we have a few additional options.

Mardi Gras Garland with the purple Acanthus Leaf Spray, (available here, or in purple, green, or gold).

Mardi Gras Garland with Large Ornaments

These ornaments added the perfect sparkly touch!  The oversize Mardi Gras Balls are available here, and we also have a large selection of Mardi Gras ornaments available here.

Mardi Gras Garland with Ribbons

This glittery Harlequin Fleur de Lis Ribbon (available here)  added another layer of texture.  For more ribbon  styles, click here.

A perfect glittery garland for Carnival season! Happy Crafting!

Whimsical Wire Crowns to celebrate Three Kings Day!

 

Celebrate the arrival of Carnival season and Three Kings day (January 6th) by crafting your own small whimsical crown. Made with aluminum craft wire, these precious tiny crowns can be used as decoration on a tablescape, cake topper or worn as a fascinator on a headband. We've created two versions, one with a thick-gauge aluminum wire, and the other filled in with thin gold floral wire.

 Don't you think they are both fit for a king? 

 

Put the crowning touch on a king cake with a tiny gold wire crown.

 

Attached to a plain headband, this gold crown is a very cute accessory or fascinator, perfect for  Mardi Gras, Halloween,  Princess parties or any time you want to king/queen for the day. Keep scrolling for the simple tutorial.

SUPPLIES

To purchase these products from www.mardigrasoutlet.com, click on the individual product link below for a complete supply list.

• Gold 2mm Aluminum Wire 
• Gold Floral Wire 
• basic Headband
• wire-cutters/pliers

Cost/Time

The cost of two the two basic wires is $6.50.   This does not include the cost for the headband or wire cutters. We only used about 1/6 of the roll of wire.  The wire crown took under 15 minutes to make.

STEP 1: MAKE A ROUND BASE

Cut a 16 inch to 18 inch piece of 2mm Aluminum Craft Wire with wire cutters. Fold the wire in half. Finally, create a circle and loop the two ends together. Use pliers to press and twist the wire ends together securely.

This finished wire crown will have a 2.5 inch diameter base, and will be about 3 inches tall. You can alter the size of the crown to your liking.

STEP 2: MAKE THE SPIKES

Fold the aluminum wire into zig-zags that are about 4 inches tall. We made 5 spikes, but you can form more or less, and vary the height of the spikes. Use the pliers to pinch the top and bottom spikes so that they come to a point.

Then bend the bottom ends so that they curve up like hooks.

STEP 3: SECURE THE SPIKES TO THE BASE

Curve the row of spikes to follow the round base. Use pliers to start pinching the hooks around the round base, with the end on the inside. Space them out evenly.

Bend the tips of each spike outward for a crown shape.

STEP 4: ATTACH TO THE HEADBAND

Cut two short lengths of the gold floral wire and wrap it around the crown's base and the headband to secure the crown.

OPTIONAL STEP: FILL IN THE CROWN SPIKES

We simply used more of the thinner floral wire and wrapped it around each spike. Keep wrapping until it looks filled in.

We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year.

Let the good times roll as we ring in Carnival season wearing a crown- of course!