I’m not going to lie, I just found out that Mardi Gras is in February. For some odd reason, I thought it was in May. I’m sure I’m mixing holidays but at least you all can get a glimpse of how my brain works sometimes (or doesn’t work). I absolutely love the colors of Mardi Gras. I don’t really celebrate it in a sense that involves people getting together however, I do like putting up some décor for it. Mainly because my favorite color is green and it allows me to have a lead-in to St. Patrick’s Day which is a couple of weeks after Mardi Gras.
Anyways, as I searched for some décor at the store I realized they had a lot of cheaper type stuff that truly wouldn’t look good with my current setup at my house. So, I decided I needed to make my own décor. That’s how I landed on this canvas idea. I knew there was a way those Mardi Gras beads could be useful but I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. So, I just went for it.
Looking back, I wish I would have used only green, purple, and gold necklaces for the canvas to make it look even more Mardi Gras. I also wish I would have drawn out my design first on the canvas because, goodness gracious, it would have saved me a lot of time. Either way, my husband was impressed by the finished product so I felt like I had at least accomplished something. It’s a pretty easy project and doesn’t involve a lot of supplies. Here’s how to make your own.
How to make your own monogram canvas for a Mardi Gras party
Supplies I used for Mardi Gras canvas:
- 3 – 8 Packs of Mardi Gras Necklaces (Amazon | Walmart)
- Glue Gun (Amazon | Walmart)
- 1 – 11×14 Canvas – or smaller (Amazon | Walmart)
- Scissors
Directions:
Step 1: I should have begun by drawing lightly with a pencil, what my design was going to be on the canvas. The pencil lines will not come through the final product but it will make things much quicker for you in placing the necklaces. So, figure out your design or even print out a design and trace the lines onto the canvas. I’m not overly artistic or I would have tackled the Mardi Gras symbol!
Step 2: Once you have your design, simply heat your glue can and put short strips of glue on the canvas over the pencil line where you want to begin. Quickly press the end of the color of necklace you want to use, on top of the glue. It dries quickly. To make things easier, I cut my necklaces so they were one single line instead of connected at both ends. Be sure you know what colors you want to go where and plan accordingly. I ran out of pink and had to punt.
Step 3: Be sure to make each separate design on the photo a different color so it stands out better. I chose pink for the monogram “C” on my canvas. I also began by placing the beads to make my letter first before doing the rest which made things a little smoother.
Step 4: Don’t be afraid to cut small portions of the necklace off especially when you get to tight spots or edges. Be sure to fill every hole even if it means gluing one bead of the necklace down by itself.
Step 5: I propped mine up and am displaying it on our shelf. However, if you like, before placing your necklaces on the canvas, attach a little picture hanger to the back if you would like to hang it on your wall.
What do you think? Easy enough to make, right? Do you have any party decor ideas for Mardi Gras?
Christine Berzas says
Love your Mardi Gras bead IDEA! I live in South Louisiana….the middle of Mardi Gras country. Maybe you could help me with a thought I had… I have tons of beads and I’m trying to figure out how to design/ attach beads to shirts, etc. Thinking of selling them.