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Feb 21, 201207:45 AMBay Buzz

Carnival Clutter Upcycled

The close of the Mardi Gras season is drawing near. If you made the rounds to every parade in MB’s complete Carnival calendar, you’re likely to be left exhausted, lying in a bed of sparkly trinkets and baubles. Once you’ve caught up on your sleep and shifted to cleanup mode, don’t be tempted to trash all those piles of beads. Rather than making a generous donation to a landfill, consider repurposing your loot and tackling one of these fun DIY Pinterest tutorials. (Be sure to click through for full instructions.)

1) Make a sophisticated chandelier.

High style can be homemade. It’s amazing what can emerge from a simple wire hanging basket and a few hundred strands of Mardi Gras beads (as well as a handful of other basic materials).

 

2) Liven up Christmas centerpieces.

Get a jump-start on December décor. Use a glue gun to attach green beads to a Styrofoam cone. Holiday glitz on a shoestring.

 

3) Jazz up a lamp base.

For this creative outlet, colored beads are wrapped around an ordinary ceramic lamp and spray painted silver. Voila! Instant designer lighting.

 

4) Add elegant bling to wedding décor.

Disassembled strings of plastic pearls are reimagined into sweet pew markers or door hangings for a wedding. Simply wrap a Styrofoam wreath with satin ribbon and glue individual beads on top. Hang with pretty silk ribbon or fabric. For added panache, tuck in a few sprigs of baby’s breath or Queen Anne’s lace.

 

5) Trade a cheap necklace for a chic one.

Combine big beads and an old (deconstructed) silk tie to create a sassy accessory. A few knots and stitches take the tacky plastic to a sophisticated style level.