When the last float of Rex finishes its tour through the city and you head back to your room laden with enough beads to equal the body mass of a small child, you will be faced with the challenge of figuring out what the heck to do with them all. Instead of dumping pounds of beads into the dumpster, here are some simple and nifty ways to not only reuse your beads, but keep the spirit of Mardi Gras with you long after the streets have been swept and the last of the glitter is gone.
1. Coasters.
All you need is some cardboard (plastic, paper, felt or fabric will also do) and a hot glue gun in addition to your leftover beads in order to make these crafty little coasters. Simply cut the necklace to make one long strand of beads and glue them in a spiral to the paper and voila, you have yourself some festive coasters. They also make great gifts! You can also draw a pattern on the paper and glue the beads accordingly. Simple, fun and personalized.
2. Bead curtain.
Grab your beads, a long piece of cord and two hooks. For this masterpiece, all you need to do is cut your beads into one long strand and tie them together into longer, floor-length strands. Tie each one to the cord (the thicker you want your curtain, the more cords you should make). Place command hooks on either side of the door frame and string your curtain between them. Mixing and matching different types of beads makes for a more personalized and quirky curtain. You can also use spray paint to achieve the desired effect.
3. Monogram.
Buy a wooden letter from the craft store or simply trace and cut one out of cardboard. Wrap with beads and hang with a ribbon. Again, great for decorating your own apartment or giving as a gift to friends and family.
4. Ornament.
There are multiple ways to make this handy craft. You need a foam ball or old ornament you don’t want anymore, some spray paint, a ribbon, glue and your beads. Once again, cut the beads into long strands. You can choose to spray paint them one color (like in the picture) or just have them in different colors. If you are using an old ornament, you can either leave its original color or spray paint it. Simply glue the beads to the foam ball or ornament and tie a ribbon on to hang.
5. Wall decorations.
This doesn’t just apply to the fleur de lis. You can apply this to the logo of your college, your initials, or really any other idea that you could possibly come up with. Simply take a piece of cardboard and sketch out the design that you want to make and label what color beads you want to go where. Treat it as a color-by-number project and just fill in the spaces with beads that you glue on. This makes for lovely decorations for all seasons.
6. Votives and centerpieces: option one.
Put a strand of beads at the bottom of a candle votive and make them more decorative. If you want to get even more creative, take martini glasses and put a strand of the beads inside and put your candle on top. Classy!
7. Votives, pencil holders and glasses: option two.
This time, take your beads and glue them around the outside of the glass or the votive. Again, you can either spray paint your beads or leave them in their original colors. Glue your beads around an old mason jar to make a festive cup or a pencil holder for your desk.
8. Bead chandelier: option one.
You need a few more materials for this one, but in the end it will be worth it. Take three wire wreath frames (of different but close sizes), use a string to hang them next to each another in descending order of size (the smallest ring hanging from the second middle ring hanging from the largest ring). Make sure the rings are hanging so that they are balanced. Then simply hang your beads from the rings. You can glue them into place if you like.
9. Bead chandelier: option two.
This one is a bit more complicated, so I would suggest spending a little more time to make it a reality. However, it is absolutely gorgeous and the perfect craft for a girls' night! You’ll wow every visitor you have when you tell them that you made it yourself out of old Mardi Gras beads! Here is the link.
10. Shoes.
For those of you who live in New Orleans or regularly travel to attend Mardi Gras festivities, this option is pure gold. Simply take an old pair of heels or shoes of any kind and glue your beads on the outside. Perfect for dates and parades. You can try gluing them to old Toms, Vans, Keds or Converse). The results will be brilliant. You’ll be celebrating Mardi Gras better than everyone you know.
11. Wine bottle.
This knocks out two birds with one stone -- you’re finding a creative way to recycle your old wine bottles and reusing your Mardi Gras beads at the same time. These also make wonderful gifts.
12. Wrapped wreath.
Simply wrap your old beads around a foam wreath from any craft store. Mix and match colors for different occasions and get creative!
