Recycle Your Gaspailla Beads by Finding a Way to Display Them Year Round

So Gasparilla is over. You are probably left with some sore feet, maybe a lingering hangover, and of course – a whole lot of beads.

At the parade, the beads were a hot commodity – a prized possession. You probably even pushed your way through the crowd to catch the flailing glittery strings as they flew through the air.

But now that you are home, recovered from your post-Gasparilla haze, that big pile of plastic is probably a whole lot less appealing now that you are no longer a status symbol of Gasparilla – proudly covered from shoulders to ears in beads.

You've got the big pile of beads, now what?

For most people it's one of two things: toss them in a drawer and save them for next year or toss them in the garbage and collect more next year.

But there are a few ways you can celebrate and preserve your Gasparilla memories by putting them on display.

Melt the Beads and Make a Lamp Shade, Vase or Bowl

Melt the beads in the oven and shape them into the mold of a lamp shade, bowl, vase or candle holder. Full instructions.

Decorate a Lamp

Find a long, thin lamp and wrap the beads around the base from top to bottom. Full instructions.

Make Framed Art

Draw a simple image on a hard-backed surface that you will be able to hang or display easily.  Either cut each bead from the string and place it or manipulate the entire string and place it into your shape. Secure with super glue.

Make a Wreath

Pick a color palate out of your beads, then cut each loop so that you are left with a bunch of strings of beads. Get a foam wreath and start wrapping the bead ropes around the foam. Use super glue to secure.

Make a Chandelier (With Some Cups)

Tie plastic stemware together and drape color coordinating beads around it. Looks awesome and you can barely tell what it is made of.  Full directions. 

Simply Fill a Vase or a Candle Holder

Keep it pretty simple and find round or rectangle vase or jar from a craft store. You can find a long vase and fill it with beads and brightly colored flowers. Or find a short round bowl to build a candle holder (keep in mind that you need another container to keep the candle from coming in direct contact with the beads).

You had a lot of fun collecting those beads, you might as well put them to some use.

Tell us what ways do you display your Gasparilla trophy beads.

This entry was posted on January 30, 2012 at 7:33 pm and is filed under BLOG, MAIN. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.