I love when you happen upon something unexpected and it inspires you to be creative! That’s the tale of my Mardi Gras decor this year!
It all started with this pair of gold candelabras that I found last month in a thrift store. I LOVE candelabras… so this was an exciting find! Especially to find them in a pair.. and in pretty good condition… the only glaring issue was one bent taper base. To be honest… when I found these, my first thought was Valentine’s Day table! It was only a few weeks before Valentine’s Day… and everywhere I looked was red. In fact, on the day I found the candelabras, the same store had a bin full of brand new red taper candles. I thought for sure I’d paint these black and pair them with the red candles for a dramatic tablescape.
When I got them home, and prepped them for painting, I noticed what good condition the finish was in, and felt like it might be a shame to cover that up. Besides, I have an awesome pair of antique black candelabras… and those turned out just perfect for my Valentine’s Table! As I looked at the gold finish on these candelabras, it struck me that they would look really cool paired with some Mardi Gras beads… and an idea was born!!
I just so happen to have a big bag of Mardi Gras beads…. years of parades, and the inability to ever throw anything away!! Despite some REALLY cool beads in my stash.. I decided to stick with the traditional purple, green, and gold combo. I purchased some purple taper candles from my craft store, and ta-da – a centerpiece! So simple yet chic!
I’m not hosting a Mardi Gras dinner party this year, so I had not added place settings to the table…. as a result, I felt the table looked bare. To add some more fun to it, I pulled a few brass candlesticks I had picked up at a thrift store. I topped the candlesticks with a pair of gold crowns. Interestingly enough, I didn’t buy these crowns together. One I purchased at a vintage shop in New Orleans years ago, and the other I found in a thrift shop a few weeks ago. They look like a pair!! I filled both crowns with more beads to complete my Mardi Gras tablescape.
Now that I see it complete… I’m wishing I had put together place settings after all. The good news is that I have a whole year to keep my eyes open for more fun finds to compliment this table…. maybe a purple runner? Maybe some fun gold napkin rings? Maybe some colorful wine glasses? Stay tuned next year to see what I can come up with!! 🙂
In the adjoining foyer, I also decided to add a little Mardi Gras flare. Those gold candle holders are actually a permanent accessory on my foyer table. When I bought them, they reminded me of New Orleans. I’m in love with that place… so it’s not uncommon for me to come home with Nola inspired pieces! This time of year I get lucky that they work so well with my Mardi Gras decor. I tossed a feather mask over one of the candles for some extra intrigue!
The Fleur de Lis frame and finial were both thrift store finds. The finial was found exactly as is. I like to find pieces like the final that are not such obvious party decor. You can go to Party City for plenty of that!! But this black iron finial has character… and looks perfect in a Mardi Gras vignette!
The frame was actually a Paris fashion print. I have really been into chalkboards lately so I decided to turn this into a Mardi Gras chalkboard. I painted the frame metallic gold, painted the inset with black chalkboard paint, and with a chalk pen, wrote the ever famous theme of Mardi Gras “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler”… or Let the Good Times Roll! I think it turned out really cute! Maybe if I ever have a French themed dinner, I can reuse the chalkboard as a menu board!
Now that a few of my decorations are up…. I can sit back, enjoy my King Cake, and dream of beautiful New Orleans… and all of the fun being had over the next few days! I’m already excited to add to my decorations for next year!!
…. Are you celebrating Mardi Gras like me? Try this Muffuletta Cream Cheese to bring a little NOLA flavor to your breakfast this weekend!
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