Repurposing your leftover Mardi Gras Beads

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!! It’s the last day of Mardi Gras and by now your home and car are probably full of beads and trinkets. There are several ways you can repurpose those Mardi Gras throws.

Beads for Doughnuts: You can exchange those beads for free doughnuts. Krispy Kreme hasn't officially set the date yet, but plans are in the works. Usually about two weeks after Fat Tuesday, you can get a free dozen of doughnuts just by donating a 12 pound bag of beads to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Mobile. Krispy Kreme will donate the beads to Augusta Evans School. The school will resell the beads to raise money.

Coasters: Using hot glue & scissors, make Mardi Gras themed coasters for your home! Check out this quick and easy way from Michelle DuPuis at Rust & Sunshine blog. You can even personalize them with initials to make them special for your out of town guests. www.rtno.org.

Beaded Chandelier: Beaded chandeliers are very popular right now but can be really expensive. Heather Mann from Dollar Store Crafts Blog came up with an amazing Mardi Gras bead chandelier using a hanging basket, floral wire, & spray paint to make all the beads the same color and it looks amazing! It doesn't take long to do this creation, either, and it would be the perfect addition to any room in your house. After you spray paint, you may have a hard time convincing someone that it is made from Mardi Gras beads! 

Repurpose an Old Lamp: Using an old lamp last that you have around the house or one that is super cheap at a thrift store or yard sale, simply wrap beads around the base. You can do any color or size of beads, then spray paint them a color and it makes a modern update to an old lamp. You can check out an example from  the www.ivycottageblogspot.com.