Chevron Pattern Stencil: Free Printable

We love chevron stripes! This new printable stencil allows us to add this fun zigzag pattern to any surface we want. Just imagine the possibilities!  Paint fabric, ribbon, table runners, gift bags, walls,  letters or any thing you can imagine using this easy stencil. Keep reading to see how easy it is to use this Chevron patterned stencil. We updated our plain burlap bunting banner with a chevron pattern and customized plain wooden decorative letters with a ombre chevron pattern. 

Chevron Stencil Tutorial:

CHEVRON PATTERN PRINTABLE 

STEP 1: Download and Print Chevron Stencil

Click the link above to download the free printable Chevron Pattern stencil. You will need a PDF reader to open this file.(Click HERE for a free PDF reader from Adobe) 

Print out the page, using your desktop home printer or bring the file to a copy or print center. You can print them using regular copy paper or card-stock paper, which may create a better stencil.

For our Chevron Stripe project, we are going to make a no-sew burlap pennant banner with an ombre painted pattern.  For directions on how to make the banner, please see our previous post, DIY Burlap Pennant Banner.

Step 2
After you have printed out a copy of the chevron pattern, place it underneath one of the burlap flags and make an outline with a dark marker.

Step 3

With a small craft blade, cut out your stencil.  Be sure to have cardboard or a self-healing mat beneath the paper to keep your crafting area free from scratches.  Using the outline as a guide, cut out the stripes so that they reach out a little further than your marker lines.  Cut out the black stripes to create thin lines, and cut out the white stripes to create thick lines.

Step 4

Once you have cut out all the stripes, place the stencil on top of your flag. Before you begin painting, make sure you have something underneath your flag and stencil to prevent paint from leaking through onto other surfaces.

Step 5

Apply color!  You can either paint all of your stripes the same color or use an ombre effect (see below for a how to create an ombre color palatte).  Be sure to push down on the stencil or tape it to your surface of the burlap so you do not get paint under the stencil.  

 

If you are using solid colors, you can make each flag a different color or use spray paint to make the painting process even faster. Allow the paint to dry before hanging.

 

 

Perfect for indoor parties and backyard gatherings, the basic burlap pennant banner is versatile and easy to personalize!  

 

Here we used the same technique to paint a chevron pattern on our wooden decorative letters.  We used varying degrees of color, a technique called ombre. Using the chevron stencil, start off at the top zigzag stripe with the darkest color and move down to the lightest tint.

 

Ombre Effect: 

To create varying tints of paint, we used only two colors, one main color and white.  On your paint mixing surface, create 3 areas of your main paint and one of white.  Add a few drops of white to two of the paint dollops, one with a few more drops to create a lighter color and one with less.  Add just a tint of color to your white paint dollop and then you have created 4 shades of color in varying degrees, from dark with no white added to a light hue.

For more styles of decorative letters and numbers to paint, click here.

Are you as in love with the chevron stripe trend as we are?  What are you going to paint with this Chevron Stencil Pattern?

DIY Deco Mesh Butterfly

Spring has sprung and summer is on its way. With all the flowers in bloom, butterflies are flitting around everywhere. We were inspired to create our your own butterfly out of  Deco Mesh!  This fun butterfly can be used as a wreath or hanging decoration for an outdoor party. Isn't she lovely? Keep reading to see how to make one of your own.

Butterfly door decoration

SUPPLIES

• 21" Poly Deco Mesh Rolls, 2-4 colors, we used
  21" Poly Mesh Roll: Yellow
  21" Poly Mesh Roll: Pink
  21" Poly Mesh Roll: Orange
  21" Poly Mesh Roll: Metallic Apple and Moss
• Aluminum Craft Wire: Apple Green
• Scissors and/or wire cutters

COST/TIME

The cost of the supplies for a 1 color butterfly is under $17, a two color butterfly costs under $23, and a three color butterfly is under $29. There will be more than half of the roll of aluminum craft wire left over for additional projects. We used between 8 and 10 feet for each color of deco mesh in order to make the wings, so the Butterfly Deco Mesh project is perfect for using up long scraps of mesh from old rolls.  You can use any colors of mesh that you prefer, a wide range of colors and patterns are available here.  We used apple green colored aluminum wire in order to match the body of the butterfly, but any color could be used, (other colors available here).  The entire butterfly with 3 wing colors took less than an hour to create.

Follow the steps below to create your own Deco Mesh Butterfly Wreath!

Step 1- Measure the Wire

Cut about 5 feet of Aluminum Craft Wire.

Step 2- Bend the Wire

One end of the wire should be about a foot longer the other, so make a bend in the wire that creates one side about 2 feet long, and the other side about 3 feet long.

Step 3- Create the body form for the butterfly

Grasp the side of aluminum wire that is 3 feet long and form a loop as if you were tying a knot around both sides.  Then twist the loop to secure, (the loop should be about the size of a 50 cent piece).  The loop will hold the butterfly's head in place, as well as give a hanging hook. Curl the two top wires into spirals to look like antennae.

Step 4- Create the Butterfly head and wing sections

• The head and body of the butterfly are made of horizontal small loops of deco mesh.Cut an 8" length of mesh for the butterflies head. We chose an apple green metallic deco mesh.
• Beginning above the loop you formed, Lay the mesh loop underneath the wire body structure you made in the last step.
• Wrap the mesh over the top of the wire, then crisscross the mesh underneath the body.
• Tie a knot in the mesh.
• Trim the excess mesh as shown.
• The body portion of the butterfly combines a green loop and a larger bow for the wings. Cut an 8" length of green mesh for the body. Form a small loop  and secure it with an piece of wire about 8" long.
• Make a bow with mesh  (directions are shown below in detail).  The bow becomes with wings of the deco mesh butterfly.
• Attach the green mesh loop (section of the butterfly body) to the mesh bow (the butterfly wings) and you now have 1 section of the body of the butterfly.

Step 5-Repeat with additional colors
Repeat these steps two more times to make three butterfly sections.  You can choose to make the butterfly wings different colors or make them all same. Below are detailed steps on how to make a bow/wing loops using  21" wide deco mesh.
 

How to make the bow/wing loops:
First, form a loop using about 12-18" of Deco Mesh.  Without trimming off of the roll, pull another 12-18" of mesh, and using your other hand, grasp the mesh in the center.  You should now have 2 large loops of mesh.  Repeat this process using less mesh to form smaller loops, using about 8-14" of mesh.  Do not trim the mesh from the roll until you have 2 large loops, topped with 2 smaller loops. The diagram below show you what the bow should look like when finished.

Step 6- Attach the wings to the body.

 Lay the wire body piece over the wings you created. The head and the wings should both be right side down.  Grasp the wires from the wings and twist them around the body.  Repeat for all 3 sections of the butterfly.

Step 7-Create the bottom tail end of the butterfly.

 Cut a 9" to 12" length of mesh the same color as the body.  Tie a knot over the wire body below the bottom wing segment.

Once you have tied the knot, there will be extra wire body left at the bottom.  Use the loop of aluminum wire to secure the last body segment by pulling it up and over the knot of green mesh.  Then twist the loop around the wire to secure.  

 

Step 8- Fluff

Now that your parts all the parts of the butterfly are assembled, you will need to fluff the wings, arrange the body sections, and adjust the curls on the butterfly's antenna.  

 The finished Deco Mesh Butterfly!

You can also make them in a variety of colors and shapes! By making the bows larger or smaller you can change the shape of the butterfly.

These deco mesh butterflies are precious decorations for an outdoor event. Make a few and let them fluttery in the trees. 

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.

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!