Party Ideas by Mardi Gras Outlet

DIY Deco Mesh Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:40:00 +0000

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.

Rope Wrapped Decorative Letter Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:49:00 +0000

Wrapping decorative letters with jute rope gives them a natural texture that you just can't achieve with yarn or paint. These rope wrapped decorative letters can be used to personalize wreaths, walls or bookcases. The jute rope product we use in this tutorial is coated so it is less likely to fray and can withstand use on an outdoor wreath. This is the second post in our series of creative ways to accent plain decorative letters. To see more creative ideas, click here.

Wrapping decorative letters is easy and you can use almost any kind of string, ribbon, or rope. You can make them solid colors, striped, or hombre. The options are endless. We chose to make our striped to add two punches of color. What will you create?

Supplies

Decorative Letter "S"

(Other letters available here)

Jute Rope: we used Orange and Apple Green
Hot Glue Glue Gun and Glue Sticks or Liquid Craft Glue
Scissors

Cost/Time

This decorative letter craft project cost only $7! It took about 30 minutes to complete.

Step 1- Glue on String

Glue a layer of string around the outside of the letter, this will help hide areas that you may miss when wrapping.

Step 2- Glue and Wrap

Glue your string onto the backside of the letter. This will keep the front neater and more uniform. Wrap around the letter, keeping the rope tight, adding some glue every few inches to keep the string or rope secure.

Step 3- Changing Colors

Trim the first color rope from the roll, and glue down the next color. Wrap the same way you did the first color, gluing every few inches on the backside of the letter.

Step 4- Keep Wrapping

Just keep wrapping! Keep the rope as taught as possible without moving it from the glue.

The finished Letter "S"! We really like the texture of the Jute rope and the bright, whimsical stripes!

The rustic quality of jute lends itself to many different decor styles.

Happy Crafting!

DIY Chair Sash Rosettes: A Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:54:00 +0000

Tired of those plain Jane folding chairs? Sheer fabric sashes tied into rosettes change the look from plain to pretty. This tutorial will show you how to tie your own beautiful chair bow rosettes with ribbon or fabric. Save some money (by not renting expensive chair sashes) and add a pop of color to coordinate with you party theme! Chair bows and sashes are perfect for any type of party, but are perfect for weddings, engagement parties, anniversary dinners or even for baby and bridal showers.

SUPPLIES

Crinkle Sheer Fabric Roll: Teal
Scissors

This tutorial uses a 24" wide fabric sold on a roll of 10 yards. This fabric is a crinkled sheer poly organza fabric that adds volume to the rosette. A full selection of crinkle sheer colors is available here. This look can be created with a large variety of fabrics or extra wide ribbons.

COST/TIME

A Rosette without tails uses 5-6 feet of crinkle sheer, and a Rosette with tails uses about 8 feet. Our Crinkle Sheer comes with 30 feet on a roll, which means you can make 4-6 Rosettes with just one roll. This equates to about $3 per chair bow, a bargain in comparison to renting bows and sashes! Your first Rosette will take about 10 minutes to make, but they will go much quicker the more practice you get.

Start with an undecorated chair.

Begin by centering your chair in front of you. These rosettes can go on the back of any chair style, which means they don't just have to be for special occasions only.

STEP 1- Center the Fabric

Make sure the center of your fabric meets the center area of the FRONT of your chair back. Pull the length of fabric around to the back and ensure the fabric is tight and stays tight through the duration of tying.

STEP 2- Tie a knot

Tie the fabric in a knot at the back of the chair. The smaller the knot you make, the easier it will be to finish off the Rosette in the end.

STEP 3- Twist the fabric

Twist the fabric in opposite directions. The fabric in your right hand should twist in a clockwise direction, and the fabric in your left hand should twist in a counterclockwise direction. The more tightly and evenly you make your twist now, the more smooth and elegant your Rosette will turn out. If you prefer a more ruffled looking Rosette, than make twists which are slightly looser and less even.

Do not twist the Crinkle Sheer too tightly, you want it to coil at the base of the knot in the next step, not in your hands as you make the twists.

STEP 4- Twist together

Twist the two lengths of fabric together in the same direction as you will be coiling the Rosette. We twisted ours to the right and the Rosette will now move in a clockwise pattern. Make sure the two sections of crinkle sheer are twisted tightly together.

STEP 5- Make coils

Coil the fabric around itself. If you coil around the base too tightly, it will look more like a braided bun of hair, so make sure to coil loosely.

STEP 6- Knot to secure

Bring the tail of the fabric twists back the original knot of Crinkle Sheer. Trim any excess fabric to keep it clean and neat. If your Rosette is loosely coiled or if you are using them for an outdoor event, it may be necessary to secure the Rosette with a safety pin.

The Finished Rosette!

If you have made a Rosette without tails, trim the tail so that there is no extra crinkle sheer showing. If you have made a Rosette with tails, then you can straighten the tails and trim the two sections to an equal length.

Chair sashes are a nice addition of color to any event or party. You can even use them for everyday decor on porches or for backyard patio furniture!

For more product info, please visit our website at www.MardiGrasOutlet.com.
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View more of our great craft and decorating ideas on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mardigrasoutlet/.

Decorating Wooden Letters with Sheet Moss: A Creative Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Personalize a wreath with your monogram. Create words to express a special message. Show support for your favorite sports team. Decorative wooden letters can be used for many different projects. The basic wooden form gives you a blank slate to create lots of different looks. Over the next few posts we will highlight lots of creative ideas for customizing decorative wooden letters and numbers.

In the tutorial featured here, we show you have to easily cover a wooden letter "M" with fresh green sheet moss for a natural spring look.

SUPPLIES

Decorative wooden letter- M (other letters available here)
20" Green Sheet Moss on a roll
Hot Glue Gun and Glue
Scissors
Permanent Marker

COST/TIME

The cost of the supplies for a moss letter is under $17. There will be lots of sheet moss product left over for additional projects or more letters (3/4 of the roll of sheet moss). Covering the decorative letter with sheet moss takes less than 15 minutes.

Step 1- Unroll the Moss

Unroll the moss on a flat surface, wrong side facing up. It sheds, so using it on a surface covered with newspaper will make cleanup easier.

Step 2- Make an Outline
Flip the letter so that it is face down on the back of the moss, (the back should be facing you, the font of the letter above is similar to "New Standard", there is a diagram available here to tell which side is the front). Use a permanent marker to make an outline of the letter.

Step 3- Cut out the Outline
Cutting the moss is easily done with scissors because the back of the moss is flat.

Step 4- Gluing

Using a glue gun or spray adhesive, apply glue to the front of the letter, and carefully lay the moss onto the surface. Press down only when you have the exact placement correct.

The finished Moss Letter in under 15 minutes of craft time!

We love the look of the decorative moss letter "M" on a textured burlap spring wreath. You can find the wreath tutorial in this post.

What would you decorate with this mossy letter?

Burlap Oval Twig Works Wreath Tutorial: 3 Wreaths in One!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Who says wreaths have to be round? Decorate your door with an unexpected oval wreath.This fun oval wreath is the perfect shape for a door. From the basic oval burlap wreath, we created multiple looks, creating three wreaths from one. This gives you lots of options to bring you through spring and into summer with one basic wreath.

Our wreath form. We used a 25" oval twig works wreath form. The twig works wreaths are basic wreath forms with twine like ties already attached so you can create natural looking door decorations. The ties and form are covered in mossy texture so they blend well with natural textures. These forms can be filled with poly deco mesh, burlap, ribbon, fabric or greenery (either real or silk). Click here for the complete selection of Twig Works wreath forms.

New poly burlap mesh.The new poly burlap "mesh" was the perfect companion for the twig works form. The natural texture of the vine form works well with textured fabrics like burlap and sisal. Poly burlap looks like natural jute burlap, but it is water resistant and safe to use outdoors. Traditional burlap will disintegrate over time in the sun and water so it is not well suited for outdoor wreaths. Poly Burlap is a good alternative.

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.

Optional accessories:

COST/TIME

The cost of the basic poly burlap wreath is approximately $34. This does not include the optional accents shown below. Almost a full roll of mesh is used to fill the oval twig works wreath form. The basic burlap wreath took under 30 minutes to make. With added accents, it should take less than one hour.

Step 1- Gather the the Poly Burlap Mesh
Grasp the poly burlap on both sides and gather toward the center. Make sure to gather and not bunch the mesh for fuller poofs.

Step 2- Attach the Burlap

Attach the poly burlap to the inside ring of the twig works wreath form by placing it into a wire tie and twisting. The above animation shows how to twist the wire ties.

Move down the burlap mesh about 9". More length will create more voluminous poofs, less length will create shorter, smaller poofs. Gather from each side again and insert this section into the next wire tie.

Step 3

Continue around the inner ring of the form- creating poofs and twist them into wire ties. Fill the entire inner ring of the twig works wreath form.

Step 4- Transition to the outside ring

When you have attached the burlap into every wire tie and are back at the first set, move to the outside ring of the wreath form without trimming the burlap.

Step 5- Outer Ring

Repeat the same process of gathering and making poofs. Continue along the entire outside ring of the wreath form.

Step 6- Trim

When you get to the last set of wire ties, trim the burlap, leaving a few extra inches of length from the wire tie.

The Finished Wreath! Now its time to add accents!

Peacock Wreath

Elegant accents layered on the rustic burlap create a pretty, peacock wreath. Add a bow made out of this sheer Two-Tone Organza Ribbon in a turquoise-blue shade. Matching 30" Peacock Eye Feathers are layered in on the opposite side.

Spring Wreath with Fern

Realistic looking lacy Maidenhair Fern adds a touch of spring time green to the natural burlap. A mossy
Angel Vine Birds Nest nestles in among the fern fronds. A bright lime green and white houndstooth printed ribbon competes the spring scene.

We love a monogram! Add your initial to your cute spring wreath creation with the new wood decorative letters and numbers that are available here. They can be personalized in tons of unique ways to coordinate with your decor or theme! Check back for our next blog post to learn how to make this fun spring moss decorative letters made with sheet moss on a roll (available here).

Fluttering Butterflies Wreath

Bright butterflies alight on our natural burlap wreath for welcome pop of color. These Feather Butterflies come in an assortment of summer colors that match the sheer Organza Ribbon in a coral color that is woven through out the wreath.

Which burlap wreath is your favorite?

Send a photo of your burlap wreath creations to ideas@MardiGrasOutlet.com. We would love to share it with our Pinterest or Facebook followers.

Paper Fan Crawfish Boil Centerpiece: Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:23:00 +0000

This easy and inexpensive DIY centerpiece is a great way to add some Cajun flair to your next crawfish boil, crab or lobster bake seafood party! We show you how to make several different centerpiece bases in this easy tutorial filled with decorating tips and ideas. See our previous tutorial (HERE) on making paper fans to create a variety of decorative rosettes for each base.

Materials:

1 roll red foil paper
scissors
clear tape
stapler
1-2 packs of crawfish print newspaper to make fans as well as to cover your table
hot glue or skillet glue
4-6 balloon sticks- large (you can cut down to various lengths)
OR small assorted lengths of wooden dowels, wooden skewer sticks, or similar
a couple of yards of metallic red deco flex tubing
1 package Spanish moss + a tall, clear vase
OR a dry Floral Foam brick and small weight (bag of sand) + 1 pack red mylar tissue
1 package 5-inch plastic crawfish

All of these materials are available at MardiGrasOutlet.com. Each centerpiece only costs about $10 each to make, and you can make 5 or 6 centerpieces with the materials listed above. To learn how to create the crawfish and red foil paper fans used in this tutorial, please see our DIY Crawfish Fans post. You will need materials 1-5 for making the fans.

Step 1: Mounting the Paper Fans

Glue a plastic stick or wooden dowel against the back of each paper fan between the folds by dipping the stick into some skillet glue and placing the stick as close to the center as possible so that it will fully support the weight of the fan. You could also use a hot glue gun to attach the sticks.

After you have attached sticks to all of your fans, lay them out on a table and arrange them at various heights to determine how you would like the final arrangement to look. You can trim off any excess length from the sticks or just push some fans farther into your centerpiece to maintain variety.

Step 2: Creating a Base

Below we demonstrate two different bases you can choose from for your centerpiece. To create a red crinkle base, cut off a small square of a dry floral foam brick. Cut 1 sheet of Red Mylar Tissue in half, and lay them at an angle to one another with the foam brick on top (see diagram below.) Insert a small bag of sand or other weight beneath the foam brick to protect the arrangement from tipping over easily.

Lift up the mylar tissue sheeting and bunch it over the top of the floral foam. Cut a short piece of metallic red deco flex tubing and tie it around the tissue to secure. This is the centerpiece base.

Make a bow with deco flex tubing (see diagram above). First, form a loop and hold it in one hand. Form a second loop, and keep going back and forth until there are 10 loops total. While still holding the loops in one hand, use the ribbon that holds the tissue sheeting together to secure the bow to the centerpiece base. Pull out and fluff the loops.

Alternative Step 2:

To add variety to your decorating scheme, you can also use a tall, clear glass vase along with some Spanish moss and metallic red deco flex tubing to create a base for your centerpiece. The vase shown is 7" x 4".

Just pack the vase with the Spanish moss and tie a deco flex bow as described above. You could also insert some plastic crawfish into the vase for added color.

Attach the bow to the vase using another piece of the deco flex tubing, knotting it at the back. If your centerpiece will be viewed from multiple angles, feel free to create a bow for each side!

Step 3: Arranging the Fans

Once you have created the base of your choice, begin placing your fans on sticks down into the base. Vary the height of your fans by pushing them father into the base or by trimming the sticks to different heights.

Continue to arrange to your heart's content! Depending on how you choose to display your centerpiece, you may want to have all of the fans facing one direction, or you may want to consider the arrangement from multiple angles.

Step 4: Crawfish Table Covering

You can create a decorative resting mat for your centerpiece using crawfish print newspaper, Spanish moss and 5-inch plastic crawfish. You may even want to cover your entire table with this decorative crawfish paper to add style while protecting the surface from those succulent mud bugs!

DIY Burlap Pennant Banner for St. Patrick's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:09:00 +0000

Give those Irish Eyes something to smile about during St. Patrick's Day! Create this fun burlap pennant banner. Our no-sew Burlap Pennant Banner that is both rustic and contemporary is easy to make and will really set off your St. Patty's day decorations!

The burlap pennant banner and a metallic lame wreath (from a previous post) are the perfect accent for a St. Patrick's day buffet table!

Supplies

9" Natural Burlap Ribbon
1.5" Deco Flex Mesh Ribbon: Metallic Lime Green
Shamrock Medallion Bead Necklace
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors
Ruler and/or a Paper Template

Optional Accessories

COST/TIME

The cost of the basic garland is $20. There will be product left over, (More than half the roll of burlap and of the Deco Flex Ribbon). This 9 foot garland took under 45 minutes to make. The cost does not include optional accessories shown on the banners below.

Step 1- Measure and Trim

Measure the burlap. If you would like a 6 foot banner with 6 pennants, you will need 6 feet and 6 inches, (78 inches total, or 2 yards and 6 inches) of burlap ribbon. If you would like a 9 foot banner with 9 pennants, you will need 9 feet and 6 inches, (114 inches total, or 3 yards and 6 inches).

Step 2- Make a Template

Your pennants don't have to be exact, but if you want them all about the same size, a template will make cutting them out easier. Simply fold a regular sheet of 8.5"x11" paper in half horizontally. Make a mark 3 inches down from the seam, and then cut towards the corner of the seam. (You end up with an isosceles triangle with a fold down the center, and both sides of your paper are equal.)

Step 3- Cut out Pennants
Lay the template down on the burlap, 6 inches in from the outside edge. Cut toward the selvage, but do not cut all the way through to the edge! Leave about 1-1.5" of burlap across the top, this acts a band so that there is no need to sew pennants together. See the below photograph.

Step 4- Trim the Band
Cut from the edge of the burlap towards the pennant, leaving about 1" of burlap as a band.

Trim in between the pennants, making sure to always leave a band.

Step 5- Cut in 6 Inch Increments

Continue to cut out pennants. They should all be about 6 inches across, and be 6 inches apart from each other.

The finished burlap pennants- Now time to add accents!

Step 6- Add ribbon underneath the Burlap band

Begin to unroll the Deco Flex Mesh Ribbon, and place it underneath the burlap band. This provides added strength to the banner and a nice splash of color!

Step 7- Glue on a top band

Add a spot of glue about the size of a dime ever 3 inches. Be careful the glue is hot. Be sure to have wax paper or scrap paper between the banner and your work surface, as the glue will want to press through the layers.

Step 8- Trim the Ribbon

Trim the Ribbon from the roll at the edge of the Burlap band.

Step 9- Cut Ribbon Squares

Cut squares of ribbon that are 1.5-2 inches long, you will need 1-2 squares for every pennant you cut out of the burlap.

Step 10- Glue on Ribbon Squares

Use a dab of hot glue the size of a dime and apply 2 squares of ribbon so that they criss-cross. Then apply the shamrock bead medallion with a little more glue.

Step 11- Glue on shamrock beads
We liked leaving some slack in the bead strand so that it will hang off of the burlap band, but you could pull the beads taught before gluing.

Finished!
After gluing on the Shamrock medallions, you have a rustic burlap pennant banner with two-tones of green. You can stop here, or continue to tie on other ribbons to match the rest of your St. Patrick's Day Decorations.

This pennant banner is accented with pieces of metallic green ribbon (scrap pieces left over from other projects) and gold deco flex tubing made into tassels. Keep reading below to see how to create these.

Simple Tassel Tutorial:

Cut four lengths of ribbon the long enough to double over- about 8 inches.
Fold them in half as shown
Using a shorter length of ribbon, tie them together. Make a knot, and wrap the ribbon around the tassel a few times, tying again.
Trim the tails of the tassel to keep them relatively even.
Run a third length of ribbon through the top, and voila, ready to hang!

The Burlap Banner tied with extra ribbons adds color and shine to your decorations.

Our 9 foot pennant garland will go over a doorway, across a door, or decorate a tablescape for your St. Patty's Day party. Welcome your guests with a bit of the Luck of the Irish with a Pennant Banner across a doorway!

Erin Go Bragh!

Look for our upcoming post, Free Printable Chevron Pattern. We used it to decorate our Burlap Pennant Banner in a whole new way!

Celebrate Mardi Gras Today with a Free Printable Pennant Banner

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:45:00 +0000

Happy Mardi Gras! Today around the world, people are celebrating- one last day of revelry before lent begins. This printable Mardi Gras pennant banners is an inexpensive way to decorate for your celebration. With this free printable, you can make as many as you want!

DOWNLOAD PENNANT BANNER

STEP 1: Download and Print

Click above to download the free printable Mardi Gras Pennant Banner. You will need a PDF reader to open this file.(Click HERE for a free PDF reader from Adobe)

Print out all 4 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 card-stock paper.

STEP 2: Cut-out Pennants

Once you have printed out all four 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 across the top at the white line, as shown above. Use the sides of the pennant as a guide for straight edges.

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. You could also use ribbon or Mardi Gras Beads to create a pennant banner that is more like a garland.

Our finished banner took under 10 minutes to cut out and string together.

The finished banner-garland across a doorway.

We love the pennant banner on a garland or staircase! A step-by-step tutorial on how to make this Deco Mesh garland is available HERE.

We hope you have a happy Mardi Gras!

Color and Cut-out a Mardi Gras Crown: Free Printable

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:33:00 +0000

What are you doing for Mardi Gras weekend? Anyone headed to a parade?

Whether your screaming "Throw me something, mister" at a parade or celebrating with the neighborhood children here is a cute Mardi Gras crown to wear. This simple color and cut- out crown is the crowning touch (pun intended;) for Mardi Gras.

Everyone loves to be KING for a DAY!

FREE PRINTABLE CROWN

Print out this paper crown on 8.5" by 11" card stock or regular paper. Decorate the crown with paint, crayons, beads or glitter to complete your custom crown. This is a great class or family craft project.

You will need a PDF reader in order to view the page. Click here to download a free PDF reader.

DIRECTIONS (also on the printed out sheet)

1. Color and decorate your crown. Add glitter, stickers or faux jewels. Get creative!
2. Follow the lines to cut out the crown and the two head bands.
3. Attach the headbands to each side of the crown with tape, glue or staples.

4. Fit the crown to you head and attach the bands together at the back (as shown in the photo above).

Happy Mardi Gras! Let the revelry begin.

For more free coloring page downloads and other printables, click below:

Free Coloring Page Downloads

Mardi Gras Table Decorations-3 Simple Napkin Ring Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:23:00 +0000

Let the good times roll at your next seated dinner with a festive Mardi Gras carnival theme. Creating a Mardi Gras tablescape is easy. Start with the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. Add in inexpensive Mardi Gras beads and masks. Here are a few ideas for easy Mardi Gras inspired napkin rings and table decorations for fun Mardi Gras ambiance.

Comedy and Tragedy Mask Napkin Ring

Over sized metallic comedy and tragedy mask confetti and feathers transforms into simple Mardi Gras napkin rings.

Supplies:

Comedy/Tragedy Mask confetti
Purple Mylar sheets
Craft feathers

Fold the napkin in half. Roll the napkin into a cylinder. You can roll the cutlery up in the napkin as well. This works very well for a buffet style dinner so guests have less to carry.

The purple mylar comes in large (tissue paper sized) sheets. Cut the purple mylar sheet into small strips and wrap around the napkin. Use glue or tape to secure. Add three craft feathers in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.

Lastly glue on each piece of comedy and a tragedy mask confetti. Your fun Mardi Gras mask napkin ring is complete.

Metallic Wire Crown Napkin Ring

Metallic gold craft wire transforms into dainty crown napkin rings.

Click HERE to see our tutorial blog on creating these tiny whimsical wire crowns out of aluminum craft wire.

Simple green paper plates and green paper napkins rolled up look refined with the regal crown napkin ring.

Mardi Gras Beads Napkin Ring

The simplest way to add Mardi Gras bling to your table and create an easy napkin ring is to use Mardi Gras beads. Shown here with our custom Mardi Gras bead charger. Click here for the charger tutorial.

Paper purple napkins are rolled and wrapped in metallic purple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads for a simple, but festive place setting. The gold mask not only looks nice on the plate, but also is a great party favor.

DECORATING THE TABLE

Repeat the same details (Mardi Gras beads, confetti and mask) along the center of the table.

DIRECTIONS for the Table Decorations

Cover the table with purple, green or gold table cloth. Here we used a purple faux dupioni tablecloth.
Lay a contrasting color runner down the center.
Place something tall along the center. Pictured are a few Standing Glitter Grass Bundles for height and drama.
Scatter the extra large comedy and tragedy confetti, Mardi Gras Beads and feather masks around the table. The beads and masks are great party favors for guests to wear and take home.

Supply list for table decorations (Click on the product name to see the product supply source)

Standing Glitter Grass Bundle: 27"

3" Comedy and Tragedy Confetti

Gold Satin Mardi Gras Fleur de Lis Table Runner

Purple Faux Dupioni Tablecloth

Purple, Green and Gold Mardi Gras Beads

Mardi Gras Feather Masks

DIY: Beaded Mardi Gras Charger Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:15:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:36:00 +0000

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.

Optional Accessories

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!

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:28:00 +0000

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!

Aluminum Wire Crafts for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 04:51:00 +0000

Are you on the market for last minute gift ideas or some fun holiday craft projects? Aluminum craft wire is the answer. We love the variety of colors, flexibility, and ease of use of aluminum craft wire. There are endless ways to use it. Here are three great projects with easy step by step tutorials!

Project Idea No. 1

Beaded Pearl Letter

Personalized Christmas ornament, accent for gift wrap or lettering on a wall, this beaded pearl letter can be used in many different ways.

SUPPLIES

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

24 Gauge Paddle Floral Wire: Gold
Aluminum Craft Wire 2MM: Gold
Pearl Mardi Gras Beads, 10mm 33" Pearl White

*These pearl letters can be created in any color combination. There are lots of different options for aluminum craft wire (click HERE), as well as additional mardi gras bead colors (click HERE.)

Cost/Time

The cost of two the two basic wires is $6.50. If you aren't upcycling your old Mardi Gras Beads, that brings the total cost to just over $10 with materials left over. This does not include accents such as vases or floral sprays. The aluminum wire crafts all took under 20 minutes to make.

Step 1

Choose a font you would like to use as a basic template (curvy fonts look better). Print out your desired letter in a large size (about 6" tall). We used "Twelve Weeks Pregnant" font, available for download HERE. Using your printed letter as a template, mold the craft wire to the shape of the letter.

Step 2

When you have finished outlining the letter, cut the aluminum craft wire. It is soft enough to be easily trimmed with scissors, but you may want to use a pair of wire cutters.

Step 3

Attaching the pearl beads. Cut the pearl bead necklace between two beads, to create a long strand. Using the smaller gauge paddle wire twist the wire between the first two beads.

Step 4

Starting at one end of your wire letter, attach the pearl bead to the aluminum wire form you created. Try to keep the pearl placement on the top of the wire, but don't worry too much about it because both the wire letter shape and pearl placement can be adjusted once you are finished.

Step 5

Move around the letter winding the paddle wire around the bead strand and the aluminum wire, holding it tightly. If you come to the end of an arm or the top of a cap as we did here on the "W", end the chain of beads by twisting it tightly on the back and trimming the wire. Begin again the same way you started the letter- by attaching the floral wire to the bead and then the bead to the end of the aluminum wire form.

At the end cut the remaining wire and bead strand On the right, notice we doubled the wire twist to ensure that the beads won't slide or fall off the end.

Our finished pearl letter

Project Idea No. 2:

Curvy Wire Ornament Hanger

Curvy Wire Ornament Hanger
This project is super easy and you can get as elaborate as you want with your twirls of wire or keep it simple. Cut a small piece of pliable craft wire. Create small curl at the base and then at the top. Add ornament onto the bottom curl. A great idea for heavy or delicate ornaments that you would like to hang with something a little more sturdy than a traditional ornament hook.

Project Idea No. 3:

Wire Vase Accents

This project idea is fast, easy, and quickly gives plain glass vases a little added texture and color. Simply wrap the wire around clear glass vases. You can match the wire color to your flowers or decor, even using multiple colors of wire on each vase.

Mardi Gras Bead Upcycle! Fill wire accented vases with beads in one color or add them in layers. This is perfect for a mantle, coffee table, or shelf that needs a little holiday color. Silk flowers can be inserted into the vase of beads as well.

DIY Holiday Burlap Tree created with a Tomato Cage

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:33:00 +0000

Simple supplies combine to create a precious holiday decoration- a lime green Burlap Christmas Tree! A standard wire tomato cage, craft wire and 9" wide burlap ribbon are all you need to make this pretty ruffled Christmas tree. Spurred by the popularity of our previous post on using a tomato cage and deco mesh ribbon to make a Christmas tree decoration (click here to see it), we created another version with a great new natural burlap texture in a lime green color. Festive, fun and fresh! Keep reading to see how simple it is to make your own burlap Christmas Tree for the holidays.

SUPPLIES

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

(1) roll 9" Burlap in Apple Green

(1) roll Aluminum Craft Wire 2MM in Apple Green

Scissors and/or Wire Cutters

Wire tomato cage

Optional Accents:

White Christmas Lights 100-light strand
4" Red/White Striped Ribbon for a bow

Candy Striped Christmas Balls Spray

Cost/Time

Our 4' tree took approximately half a roll of 9" burlap ribbon. The total cost of the basic supplies is approximately $14 with materials left over. This does not include accents such as the ribbon and floral sprays or the cost of the tomato cage. This burlap Christmas Tree takes about 20 minutes to make.

Step 1

Cut short lengths of the aluminum craft wire, approximately 6 inches long.

Step 2

Weave the aluminum wire in and out of the ribbon about 1inch apart just below the top edge of the burlap. This is similar to how you gather or pleat fabric with thread.

Step 3

Push to fabric together into the center of the piece of wire. Tightly twist the wire ends together, this will cause the burlap to bunch, creating a pleated effect. We start with the tomato cage wrapped in white lights. To see our previous tutorial for how to wrap the lights on the cage, click HERE. With the light wrapped tomato cage set upside down, begin to layer on the burlap ribbon. Start about 9" up on the cage so the burlap ribbon brushes the ground. Use the wire tie to attach the ribbon onto the form around first ring.

Step 4

Move down the roll of ribbon about 6-8 inches and repeat Step 1. Weave in and out another piece of craft wire that will become a tie for the ribbon. Continue around the first level of the cage, attaching the gathered ribbon.

Step 5

Once you have reached the beginning of your first tier, allow for a few inches of overlap and trim the burlap. Add this cut edge back into your first tie for finished look

Step 6

Begin the second tier about 8" up on the tomato cage, just enough length to hide the top wires of the previous layer. Repeat steps 1-5 for this layer.

Note: With the size tomato cage we used this layer fell at next ring. This may or may not be the case for you, depending on the size of the tomato cage you use. Tomato cages vary widely with height and width.

Step 7

Continue moving upwards on the tomato cage filling in layers.

Once you've reached the top of the tomato cage you'll need to add a final layer of burlap to cover the remaining wire legs of the tomato cage.

Step 8

Cut a piece of the burlap ribbon about 12 inches wide. Bunching from each side, gather the burlap in your hands. Hold it at the center, and wrap it around the top of the tree. It should look gathered to match the other layers of burlap. Tie this piece onto the top of the form as shown with the aluminum craft wire or matching rope.

The finished tree!

Precious burlap tree with a basic red and white striped ribbon bow added to the top.

Red and white peppermint glitter balls from a Christmas floral spray make the burlap tree even more fun and festive.

With or without lights, this Burlap Christmas Tree is adorable!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Deco Mesh Facebook Photo Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 04:16:00 +0000

What would you do with $300 worth of free craft supplies?

Enter our facebook holiday deco mesh photo contest for a chance to find out.

We're giving away FREE product! Are you decorating for the holidays with Deco Mesh? If so, share your wonderful wreaths, sensational swags, gorgeous garland, and creative Christmas tree Deco Mesh creations on our Facebook page! Post a photo of your Holiday Deco Mesh decor on the Mardi Gras Outlet Facebook page. The top three photos with the most "likes" win a Mardi Gras Outlet store credit for $300, $200, and $100, respectively.

Please post only one photo per person. Entries must be in by December 14th. Voting tabulated at noon on Saturday, December 15th. Click HERE for more details and to "like" your favorite deco mesh holiday photos on our facebook page.

Good Luck and Happy Holiday crafting!

Quick Christmas Tree Decorating with Tinsel Ties and Deco Mesh

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Just in time for holiday Christmas tree decorating, we wanted to introduce a new product, Tinsel Ties, that will make your holiday decorating easier. More than just a cute name, Tinsel Ties will save you both time and money on Christmas crafting and decorating. We can all use more of both those things during the hectic holidays!

Tinsel Ball Ties are a pair of metallic ball ornaments attached on each end to a wire tinsel tie. Sold in sets of 12 ties, they come in an assortment of sizes and colors.

Click HERE to see all the styles available.

Quickly add deco mesh or ribbon accents to your Christmas tree with tinsel ball ties. The wire ties easily wrap around branches to hold additional accents like Poly Deco Mesh, ribbon or burlap in place. The sparkly ball ornaments add another festive layer. The tutorial below shows you how to use these tinsel ball ties to easily decorate your Christmas tree with deco mesh and ribbon.

Here are some more decorating ideas with Tinsel Ball Ties.

The flexible wire tinsel ties make it easy to add ball ornaments to indoor or outdoor trees, garland and wreaths. Here we quickly added Tinsel Ball Ties onto a fresh 24" Frasier fir wreath. Along with a simple red and white ribbon bow, the tinsel ties transformed a plain wreath into a precious holiday door decoration in minutes.

Ideal for outdoor decorating because they are both water resistant and shatterproof, we used tinsel ball ties to decorate an iron entry gate for a festive Christmas welcome. No worries of droopy, wet ribbon or shattered ornaments.

Add coordinating bows and ornaments at one time with the tinsel ball ties.

Use the wire ball tie to make the bow and wire it onto planter.

Tutorial: Quick Christmas Tree Decorating with Tinsel Ball Ties & Deco Mesh

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

21" Poly Mesh Roll: Deluxe Red/Lime Stripe (x2)
3" Red Tinsel Ties w/50mm Balls: Red (x2)
4" Pom Pom Ribbon: Red/Lime
Scissors

These supplies decorated our 8 foot tree with about a half roll of deco mesh left over. Depending on the size of your tree, you may need more or less deco mesh and Tinsel Ball Ties.

Tinsel Ball Tie Tutorial

Attaching Tinsel Ball Ties and Deco Mesh to a Christmas tree is Simple!

Three easy steps to attaching the Deco Mesh to your Christmas Tree:

Gather the Mesh with both hands from each side. Try not to bunch it.
Place a Tinsel Ball Tie behind the Mesh and under one of the branches.
Twist the balls around each securing the mesh to the branch.

How to decorate a Christmas tree using the tinsel ball ties to add deco mesh and ribbon

Step 1: Start at the Top

Attach striped Deco Mesh with a Tinsel Tie near the top of the tree and let the roll of mesh unfurl to the ground.

Step 2: Move down the Tree.

As you move down the tree vertically, use the tinsel ball ties to attach the mesh to the branches. Leave at least a foot of space between each tie, to achieve the look you desire. Do not pull the mesh tight, but allow it to fall loosely between ties, this will give the tree volume and texture.

Step 3: Reaching the bottom.

When you've reached the bottom of the tree, (we used about 7 ties on an 8 foot tree), twist the deco mesh into a Tinsel Tie to secure.

Step 4: Trim

At the bottom, trim the deco mesh with scissors once you have attached it securely into a Tinsel Ball Tie.

Repeat

Continue steps 1-4 as many times as it takes to fill in your tree. We made three vertical panels of Deco Mesh on the front of the tree (with mesh left over). Depending on the height of your tree, with 2 rolls of Mesh you could create 4 or 5 hanging sections, or spiral the deco mesh around the whole tree from top to bottom.

Allow the mesh to fall naturally downwards, create zig-zag patterns down the tree, or make slight curves with the deco mesh. Rearranging the placement is easy with Tinsel Ties, and they won't poke skin or grab sweaters like floral wire.

Add Accents

At any point, you can untwist the Tinsel Ball Tie to add in bows, floral sprays, ornaments, or ribbon. This precious vintage looking pom- pom ribbon bow is easily added onto the tree by placing two loops to form a bow into the tinsel wire tie.

Add a bow as a tree topper! For directions on making a bow, see the tutorial on this blog post.

Our tree decorated with deco mesh garland and tinsel tie balls.

We hope your tree turns out just like you imagine!

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Wire Ball Wreath Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:42:00 +0000

It's time to get your Christmas decorations rolling with these fun decorative wire balls. (Sorry, we couldn't resist the pun.) Decorative wire balls are our latest crafting obsession. We've found lots of creative ways to use them. They come in an assortment of colors and sizes and are inexpensive! (Click HERE to see them all.)

Pictured here are wire balls as accents on a bow, simple ornaments on a tree or a table centerpiece in a clear glass vase. (See more ideas at the end of this post and on our Pinterest page.)

Our favorite idea is this unique Christmas wire ball wreath that is both modern and fun. Keep reading for an easy photo tutorial for creating one of your own.

Supply List

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

3" Wire Balls: Red (needed 4 boxes of 6 balls)
1.5" Wire Balls: Red (needed 2 boxes of 8 balls)
2.5" Red/Lime Animal Print Ribbon
Aluminum Craft Wire 2MM: Red
Scissors and/or Wire Cutters

Cost/Time

It took about 20 minutes to create this wreath. The amount of wire balls you will need will depend on the size of the wreath you create. For our large 20" wide wreath, the material cost is approximately $47. We only used partial rolls of the ribbon and aluminum craft wire so you will have left over product for another project.

Step 1

Cut three lengths of aluminum craft wire, about 40" long.

Please note: The size of the finished wreath will determine the length of the wire for the basic form. The larger the wreath, the heavier gauge your wire needs to be to prevent the wreath from drooping. For a smaller version of this wreath, we only needed one wire for the form. As the size increased, we used three wires for stability.

Step 2

Twist the wires together and form a basic circle wreath form. Turn one end back into a C-shape to form a stop.

Step 3

On the open end of the form, slide on the wire balls. Insert the wire into the ball on the side rather than the middle so the balls will stack on the form.

After a little experimenting, we found that a pattern of 2 large wire balls then 1 small ball worked best. Continue repeating this pattern and sliding the balls around to the wire end with the C-stop.

Step 4

Fill the circular wire form with wire balls, rotating the arrangement of wire balls to fill in the blank space.

Step 5

When the form is full, double over the wire to form another C-clasp. Hook the two wire ends together and twist tightly to ensure the wire balls won't slip on the wreath.

Step 6

Make a bow and tie onto the wreath to hide the clasp. For bow making directions, please see our previous post, How to Make a Bow with Deco Mesh.

The finished wire ball wreath!

Here are some more photos of ideas using these fun wire balls. For more ideas check out Mardi Gras Outlet's Decorative Wire Ball page on Pinterest.

Happy Crafting!

DIY Christmas Bow Video: Double Bow with Deco Mesh

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:26:00 +0000

From gifts to garland, festive Holiday decorating means big, beautiful bows! Combine two different patterns, styles and colors of deco mesh and ribbon to create large Christmas bows perfectly suited for all your decorating needs. These over-sized DIY double bows are great for decorating large gifts, Christmas trees, wreaths and porches for the holidays. Making these large bows from 21-inch wide deco mesh is surprisingly easy! Just follow our tutorial video (below) to learn how to make your own.

Supply List

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

Cost/Time

It took our designer less than 10 minutes to create the basic bow. The material cost is approximately $26 for enough supplies to make about 4 -5 large bows!

A Second Version- Christmas Bow with wire ball accents.

Adding ribbon tails and metallic wire balls to the basic bow only takes a few more minutes, but adds
lots of sparkle and interest. Here are is how you create this look from the basic double Christmas bow.

Alternative Accessories

2.5" Red Lame` Ribbon

3" Wire Balls: Lime Green

Aluminum Craft Wire 2 MM: Red or tinsel roping

Add Wire Balls and a Ribbon Tail:

Cut your desired ribbon- approximately 3-4 foot long pieces. Lay out length wise. Tie wire balls onto ends of the ribbon.

In the center of each piece of ribbon use aluminum craft wire or the tinsel roping to gather up the tails. Twist the wire so about half of the ribbon lies on either side. Stagger the wire ball height to create interest. Use this wire to attach the tails onto the back of the bow.

Final Product

We used three pieces of red ribbon with a green wire ball on each end (6 wire balls total) and two additional tails of the striped deco mesh ribbon as accent.

Love the wire ball accents in this post? So do we! These inexpensive and creative aluminum wire balls are our new craft obsession. Check back later for more posts on these fun new products. We've come up with lots of fun ways you can use the wire balls in crafting, tablescapes, and as decor for Holidays and Parties!

Candy Cane Wreath Upgrade!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:17:00 +0000

The winter season is on its way, and with it comes memories of Holidays gone by. Why not brighten up last years wreath as well, by filling it with new ribbons and glittery accents? We updated one of our most popular wreath posts, the candy cane wreath, to create a fun new look for this cherished candy cane striped style.

Keep reading to learn how to add in ribbon tucks for the new look. Click HERE, for the original tutorial for this candy cane wreath shown here.

HOW TO MAKE A RIBBON TUCK

STEP 1

Making ribbon tucks for wreaths, tree decorations, and floral arrangements is easy. Begin by making a loop with the ribbon. We used a 2.5" red satin lame ribbon.

STEP 2

Make a second loop on top of the first that is slightly smaller than the first, so the layers of ribbon are visible.

STEP 3

Grasp the ribbon folds firmly at the base.

STEP 4

Trim from the roll, leaving extra length for the tail, (the larger the wreath you are adding tucks to, the larger you may want to make the ribbon loops and tails).

STEP 5

Add a second tail behind the first by trimming a length of ribbon that is at least an inch longer than the first tail.

STEP 6

If you are adding ribbon to a work wreath, then simply place it into a wire tie. If you don't have a work wreath base, then twist the ribbon tuck into a length of wire as tightly as possible so that the tails don't slip.

STEP 7

Trim the tails so that both layers of ribbon are visible.

Voila! A ribbon tuck- Make a few and add them into last years holiday decor for a fresh update!

Our favorite candy cane wreath updated with new ribbon tucks.

Click HERE for the original post tutorial on how to make the basic candy cane wreath.

For an additional wreath look, add in glitter red and lime ball floral sprays that you can find here. Two floral sprays are used in this version of the candy cane wreath.

Supply List:

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

12" Easy Wreath Form with soft clamp ties
(1) 10 yard roll of 21" wide candy-cane stripe deco poly mesh

2.5" red lame ribbon

(2) red/lime metallic glitter ball sprays
scissors

Cost/Time

The 24" wreath takes approximately 6 yards of Deco Mesh. The total cost of the supplies with all accents is approximately $30 with materials left over. This candy cane striped Christmas wreath takes about 20 minutes to make.

DIY Video Tutorial: Christmas Wreath with Tinsel Ball Wreath Form

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:31:00 +0000

Mesh, mesh and more mesh! Have you noticed it's everywhere lately. That's because this versatile decorative mesh makes getting creative and decorating for the holidays so much fun. The holiday color scheme featured in our latest tutorial is traditional, with a pop of modern lime green made on the new tinsel ties wreath form. These easy to use wreath forms feature thin metallic tinsel wire ties topped with festive ball accents.

This video tutorial for a Christmas themed wreath is the latest in our series of informative how to videos using deco mesh and work wreath forms (see all our videos, here). Our poly deco mesh video tutorial guides you through the easy steps to create this festive wreath that you mix-and-match to fit your home's holiday decor.

Supplies:

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

24" Tinsel Ball Work Wreath Form: Red

21" Metallic Poly Deco Mesh: Deluxe Lime Green

2.5" Red Lame Ribbon

2.5" Poly Mesh Ribbon Red/Lime/Gold Stripe

Metallic Tinsel Roping: Red

Scissors

Cost/Time

The 24" wreath form takes approximately 8 yards of Deco Mesh. After adding the accent ribbon, tubing, and tinsel roping, there will be some products left on the rolls. The total cost of the supplies with all the accents is under $50. This modern Christmas Wreath takes under 45 minutes to make.

Making a Large Bow with Deco Mesh

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:34:00 +0000

These over sized DIY bows are great for decorating doors, walls and porches for Christmas and holidays. Making large bows from 21-inch wide deco mesh is surprisingly easy! Just follow our tutorial on how to make your own.

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

21"x10yd Metallic Red Deco Mesh Roll

Scissors

The total cost for this bow will be around $4. You can make about 2 to 3 bow from one roll of deco mesh, depending on how full you make the bow top and how long the bow tails. The bow shown here is about 20"x40"!

Deco Poly Mesh is a type of soft plastic netting that holds a full shape, allowing you to easily make wreaths, bows, garlands and more (see our tutorials page for more ideas). Deco Mesh also comes in many colors, patterns and styles. One roll of deco mesh will make about 2- 3 large bows.

You can follow these same steps, but use different colors of Deco Mesh to make a custom bow for any holiday or occasion. Click here to see more deco mesh colors.

Here is the tutorial:

STEP 1: Make a tail
Make a tail for the bow by cutting a length of deco mesh that is about 5 or 6 feet long. Hold the mesh piece at the middle and straighten out the tails. Deco mesh naturally wants to curl. Set this tail piece aside.

STEP 2: Make the Bow Top
To make the bow top, grab the end of the roll of deco mesh at the center. Start gathering the mesh into one hand down the center. Fold as you gather for a fuller bow, and keep going until you are satisfied with the bow size. This bow used about 6 or 7 feet of deco mesh.

STEP 3: Trim
Once you have made the bow top, cut the mesh at the bottom.

STEP 4: Attach the tails

Take the other piece of deco mesh that you cut in the first step (the tail), and use it to tie around the bow top. The bow tails should wrap around where you have been holding. Tie a simple knot at the back to secure. Straighten out the bow tails.

Making this same bow in a striped patterned looks great as well! Check out our first version of this bow in red, white and blue for the 4th of July, HERE.

If you are looking to make a Christmas bow, we suggest some of our Christmas patterns like these. Click HERE for the whole selection.

Video Tutorial: Glitter Ball Halloween Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie H) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:41:00 +0000

It's that time of year again...spooky decorations, pumpkin carving, and Halloween craft projects! This year, we were inspired by new Halloween color combinations that adds lime and purple into the traditional mix of orange and black. We created this whimsical Halloween orange mesh wreath with sparkly glitter balls and pops of lime green and purple accents. The video tutorial (featured below) gives you step by step instructions for making this fun mesh Halloween wreath. We hope it inspires you to add pops of unexpected colors into your Halloween decorations this year!

Supplies:

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

30" Tinsel Work Wreath Form: Metallic Purple

21" Poly Deco Mesh Deluxe Wide Foil: Metallic Orange

20" Cosmic Twist Webbed Mesh

4" Poly Mesh Ribbon: Deluxe Wide Foil: Orange/Black/Purple

Flex Tubing Ribbon: (25') Metallic Lime

Metallic Tinsel Roping: (25') Purple

Halloween Glitter Balls Spray (24")

Scissors and/or Wire Cutters

Cost/Time:

The 30" wreath form takes 10 yards (a whole roll) of Deco Mesh to fill. After using the accent ribbon, tubing, and tinsel roping, there will be some products left on the rolls. The total cost of the supplies with all the accents is approximately $55. The Glitter Halloween Wreath takes under 45 minutes to make and is a great family craft project!

Our finished Halloween Mesh Wreath

For our full list of video tutorials on how to make deco mesh wreaths, bows, garland, wall trees and much more, visit our tutorials page or Mardi Gras Outlet's channel on YouTube .

Go to our website to order materials and see more design inspiration at MardiGrasOutlet.com

DIY: Halloween Spider Puff Decoration

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:45:00 +0000

These"not too spooky" Halloween Puff Spiders are full of personality. Created with chocolate brown poly deco mesh and metallic tinsel garland, these spiders are weather resistant and durable so they can be hung anywhere outdoors! Add them to some fake spider webbing for cute Halloween decorations that will not scare the little ones away! Keep reading to find out how we created them.

SUPPLY LIST

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

21" Poly Deco Mesh: Metallic Chocolate
Metallic Tinsel Roping: Chocolate
Craft Wire
1.5" Wire Ball (in a coordinating color)
Scissors

COST/TIME:
This spider puff decoration took approximately 20 minutes to make.. You will need 4 yards of mesh per spider leaving you about 6 yards on the mesh roll left over! The materials cost about $10.00 with enough material for 2 spiders.

Pre-cut approximately 30 pieces of craft wire (5"-6" pieces).

Using the 21" wide mesh, cut small lengths/curls of mesh, then cut in half length-wise as show. Or you can use 10" wide mesh with out cutting them in half.

You will need approximately 30 pieces of mesh curls for the spider.

Continue adding onto the wire ball until you have uniformly covered the whole surface.

Make the spider legs out of the metallic tinsel garland in chocolate. Cut four 2' long sections. Bend in the middle to form legs.

Attach the tinsel legs into the wire ties- two on each side.

Bend the tinsel in the middle and at the ends to form your spider legs.

Create silly or spooky eyes with card stock paper or plastic googly eyes. Glue or wire the eyes into the puff to create your spooky spider full of personality.

Silly Spider Success!

DIY Video Tutorial: Fall Harvest Wreaths

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Here's our latest "do-it-yourself" video tutorial for Fall Harvest themed wreaths. Creating an elaborate fall wreath is easy when you have the tools! Our video tutorial takes you through all the steps from beginning to end with materials such as a work wreath form, deco mesh, and 3 layers of ribbon and

garland.

SUPPLY LIST

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

24" Work Tinsel Wreath Form: Green
21" Poly Mesh Roll: 2-Tone Apple and Moss , 10 yards
2.5" Faux Burlap Ribbon, Orange: 25 yards
Moss Rope Garland: 25 ft
2.5" Jute Window Pane Mesh, Natural: 10 yards
Scissors

COST/TIME:
This wreath took approximately 30-45 minutes to make. Depending on the size of your deco mesh loops, you will use approximately 7 yards of mesh. As for the ribbon-the size and quantities of bows you make will determine how much you need. In our version we have a few left over feet from both ribbon types as well as the Moss Rope Garland. The basic wreath form and deco mesh creation will cost under $13, and the total cost of the project including ribbons is $40 with materials to spare!

The Basic Wreath Finished

Add your own Fall Harvest accessories!

From the basic wreath form you can create a variety of different fall looks. Fall inspired greenery like faux fall leaves, small orange pumpkins, dried harvest wheat and even persimmon branches are all used on our wreath from to create different versions. Here is some inspiring finished fall wreaths.

Harvest Pumpkin Wreath

This wreath uses our the moss apple deco mesh as a base. The added in burlap ribbon and jute window pane ribbon add nice texture, but the wreath needs accessories that say Fall. The additional pumpkins and natural wheat help to tie all the elements together.

Detail of Fall Pumpkin Wreath

Fall Wreath with Persimmons

Don't limit yourself to faux greenery! Fall is the perfect time to harvest real produce and greenery to accent your wreath. For this fall wreath version, we used persimmons and branches to add another layer of fall flavor and texture. This season persimmon and bittersweet branches can be found at your local grocery store, florist or maybe your neighbors yard.

Let us know how your wreath turned out!

Send us photos of your finished project (preferably on a neutral background or door), and we'll feature your work on our blog or Pinterest. Email us at ideas@mardigrasoutlet.com. Want step-by-step instructions on bow-making or other wreath tutorials? Check out our tutorials page or visit us on YouTube.

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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.

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Step 7

Step 8

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Three easy steps to attaching the Deco Mesh to your Christmas Tree:

How to decorate a Christmas tree using the tinsel ball ties to add deco mesh and ribbon

Step 1: Start at the Top

Step 2: Move down the Tree.

Step 3: Reaching the bottom.

Step 4: Trim

Repeat

Add Accents

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Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Happy Crafting!

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A Second Version- Christmas Bow with wire ball accents.

Alternative Accessories

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