Mardi Gras parade floats are a steadfast tradition of the season; they are often created with dynamic designs, using a wide assortment of elaborate Mardi Gras party supplies.

Mardi Gras floats are not simply reserved for parades, however. They can be tailor made in many sizes. Children’s wagons and even shoe boxes can be transformed into miniature floats that can be used in neighborhood block parties, local park celebrations, or as Mardi Gras decorations for private parties.

No matter what the design, theme or size of this year’s Mardi Gras parade float, some classic elements are sure add a touch of flair and excitement to any Mardi Gras celebration in 2012.

Crafters should begin by covering the base of their Mardi Gras float with background materials. Decorating fabric, burlap, gossamer fabric and corrugated paper transform parade float bases into works of art. Scene setters come in handy when time for creating parade floats is limited.

Once the background is in place, custom Mardi Gras banners, mascots and a various assortment of party balloons should be added to the Mardi Gras parade float. Mardi Gras props including masks, jazz musicians and large, custom 2012 standees transform ordinary parade floats into traditional Mardi Gras masterpieces. Add some metallic curtains or a bit of fringe as a finishing touch, toss a few strands of colorful Mardi Gras spirit beads about, and Mardi Gras 2012 will be one that is happily remembered, every time Mardi Gras is celebrated.

Stars on Broadway Float
Parade float supplies are just the ticket for decorating the bottom of a float trailer. Use a snazzy black with silver stars metallic fringe for a glitzy effect around the entire trailer. Trim the top edge of the fringe with metallic holographic twistees garland. Add to the color palate by attaching your choice of brightly colored floral sheeting onto the floor of the float.

Raise the focal point of your float by placing a pair of stars on Broadway debut entrance pieces at one end of the float. For more height, add a pair of stars on Broadway columns to the décor. Attach a big, bold Broadway sign in between the columns to increase the dramatic flair and enhance the ambiance of the float.

Recruit several float participants to ride along on the parade route as Broadway stars and dress them up in fancy costumes complete with feathered boas and top hats. To give the crowd a thrill and fill in unoccupied spaces, choose a few Hollywood standees to set up that boost the Broadway star theme of your float.

Ski Lodge Float
Turn your New Year’s Day float into a ski lodge retreat by blasting your float with a multitude of cool winter decorations. Start decorating your float by attaching blue and white fringe around the base of the trailer for a wintry look. Next, cover the floor of the trailer with shimmering white floral sheeting, which gives it a snowy effect. Then position a whimsical ski lodge arch at one end of the float with groupings of snowy pine tree standees creating a pathway down the float. Another attractive winter decoration is the winter luminescent column, embellished with a snowflake Mylar balloon, and silver cracked ice streamers. Standing snowflakes with iridescent glitter make great fillers for added decorations. A park bench or seating area is also a great idea to include on the float.

Enlist fun and lively friends and family to dress up as avid winter sport enthusiasts equipped with skis, snowboards, and snowshoes. On the opposite end of the float include a happy snowman standee to join a group of kids having a snowball fight. Use several Styrofoam balls as the snowball props. Have everyone dress in winter apparel, including hats, scarves, boots, and winter coats.

Parade Materials
Cover the edge of the trailer with gold metallic fringe. Add a nativity scene personalized banner on top of the fringe on each side. Create a sandy, dirt flooring look by using parade float materials such as gold metallic floral sheeting or gold/silver mottled gossamer.

Nativity Scene
For a simple 2 dimensional look, position the nativity scene standee kit on the float and add large straw bales for a more natural scene. For a more realistic feel, use real people dressed in biblical costumes and children dressed in animal costumes, in lieu of live animals. Build a stable scene using plywood covered with woodgrain patterned paper, and hay or straw for the roof. Back in that day and age most mangers were made out of stone. Build a manger box, then cover it with flagstone patterned gossamer to bring a more realistic setting to your float.

Hillside Encounter
Start by attaching green grass colored fringe around the entire edge of the trailer. Replicate the scene of the angelic encounter with the shepherds on a hillside watching their flocks. Elevate part of the scene to create a hillside environment, then cover the flooring and the hill with grass mats and scatter grass. Situate groupings of sheep standees and shepherds all over the float. Dress up the shepherds with costumes and shepherds hooks. Adorn the angel(s) with angel wings & halo or a complete heaven’s angel costume. Place the angel underneath the lighted star cutout arch for a more celestial ambiance. Use lots of star décor to help set the stage for this glorious scene.

Journey of the Wisemen
Use gold metallic fringe as a skirt around the trailer. Dress up the Wisemen with long beards and rich looking robes. Endeavor to position the camel standees near the Wisemen, as if they were just riding on them for a long journey. Decorate fancy boxes for the Wisemen to carry their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the new baby King. Fill a gold star mylar balloon with helium to float above the Wisemen to represent the North star that they followed to deliver their gifts and worship the Christ child. Create a rural scene with grass, straw bales, and lots of rocks.

First decorate the base of the trailer with black metallic fringe all the way around. Attach Halloween garland that accents the theme of your float on top of the black fringe. Select grass flooring from the many parade float materials available. Tissue grass mats and parade float grass mats are good choices depending on how many ghosts, ghouls, and goblins are walking around on your float.

Graveyard Parade Float Ideas
Use strings of skeletons as the garland on top of the fringe around the trailer. Select a graveyard entrance way from the multitude of spooky Halloween props. The graveyard entrance is a creepy looking old stone arch with lanterns printed on the sides. The spooktacular cemetery arch features two stone columns with plastic lamp posts that light up. To add authenticity to your graveyard parade float, use one of the graveyard fencing options: graveyard fence, silver skull fence, skeleton arm lawn stakes, or the skull fence multi-pack. Essential decorations for this theme are a variety of tombstones, the 3D creepy coffin, and a few spooky 3D tree standees. Increase the fright and mystery on your float with a fog machine.

Horror Movie Parade Float Ideas
Enhance the black metallic fringe on the trailer with the bloody weapon garland over the fringe. Use the eerie haunted house standee as a backdrop for this float. Add as many zombies, vampires, and gory creatures as possible. Spider webs, big hairy spiders, bats, and rats are a must for this horror float theme. Posting a bloody, tattered enter at your own risk banner and the spooky misting cauldron are also chilling touches. Be sure to place horrific characters on your float, check out the frightening Halloween costumes available.

The Great Pumpkin (Jack-O-Lantern) Parade Float Ideas
Opt for a brighter orange or purple colored metallic fringe in place of black fringe around the base of the trailer, and then add the fall leaves jumbo wire garland as an accent. Set up an adorable and delicious candy corn arch to bring height and depth to the float. Use the Jack O’Lantern lighted corex standee as the focal point of the great pumpkin parade float. Another fun pumpkin decoration is the stack ‘o jack-o-lanterns, however, keep in mind that this decoration must be attached to a support stand. Use the giant cornstalk decorations, a bunch of large straw bales, and real pumpkins in a variety of sizes to fill in your float decor.

Parade Float Materials
Start decorating the Bavarian beer garden float with a wide selection of parade float materials, including blue and white fringe to keep in line with the traditional blue and white colors commonly associated with Oktoberfest. Finish off the fringe with white festooning material to soften up the look of the edge of the trailer. A great alternative covering around the edge of the trailer is to use Oktoberfest fabric bunting, just attach the bunting so it does not drag on the ground. Cover the floor of the trailer with rock wall patterned flat paper to simulate a gravel-like ground cover that typically covers the floor at a beer garden.

Oktoberfest Decorations
Set up an entrance to the beer garden with an Oktoberfest themed arch. The Oktoberfest arch features a blue and white harlequin pattern with an impressive beer stein and a shield accenting the sides of the arch. Personalize the top of the arch with the Oktoberfest wording of your choice. Incorporate Oktoberfest banners onto the float to highlight your float. Place a German band standee on one end of the float to add some humor and interest.

Beer Garden Set Up
Put a few wooden picnic tables on the float as the seating for the beer garden, as this is characteristic of a beer garden setting. Dress the tables with an Oktoberfest table cover and matching Oktoberfest tableware. Provide plenty of steins for drinking, and circle an Oktoberfest centerpiece with beer candles. For a charming effect, place a few city lamp posts near the tables.

Oktoberfest Float Participants
Solicit servers for your beer garden and outfit them with various Oktoberfest party apparel, such as the yodeler hat & Oktoberfest vest for male servers and the plastic Fraulein vests for female servers. Seat customers with Oktoberfest party passes at the tables to pretend to eat, drink, and act lively. Dress up a select number of float riders in Salzburg festival children’s costumes, a Hansel costume, and an Elsa the milkmaid costume. In lieu of real people in costume, place Oktoberfest standees on your float near the entrance of the arch and anywhere you want to draw the crowd’s attention. Consider tossing Oktoberfest beer mug beads or mini individual bags of pretzels into the crowd of parade watchers.