After painstakingly packing and putting away all of the Christmas decorations this year, my husband said, "I wish we could leave the tree up a little longer so that I wouldn't have to put it in the attic." So since I decided to do something a little different this year and update my Christmas holiday tree into the next New Orleans holiday, Mardi Gras.
For my holiday tree, I started with some store bought purple, green, and gold ribbon. I used last seasons leftover Mardi Gras beads to string together a shimmering gold garland by simply cutting and twisting the strands of beads together.
For an eco-friendly ornament, I used another New Orleans staple, oyster shells. My husband and I love to indulge in charbroiled oysters on the half shell whenever they are in season and we are always left with tons of empty shells.
Here are the steps to making an adorable OYSTER SHELL ORNAMENT
- Soak the empty oyster shells in warm water, mild dish soap, and a capful of bleach.
- Lightly scrub the shells with a toothbrush to remove any excess dirt or debris.
- Paint one coat of gold acrylic paint to the interior side of the shell.
- Cut magazine or any paper clippings in an oval shape sized to fit in the interior side of the shell. I used images of New Orleans parades to decorate my ornaments
- Use a thin layer of Modge Podge to adhere the paper design to the interior side of the shell and one or 2 layers on top of the picture and allow to try.
- Use Gorilla Glue to attach an ornament hook to the top of the shell. Make sure to use a strong adhesive because the shells are heavy.
- Options: Add rhinestones or glitter to the outside of the shell.
Voila! You're very own oyster shell ornament!
Stay tuned for some more festive Mardi Gras decor!
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Katherine
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