Fall is a season full of festivals and parades. If you’re creating a float for one of these fun autumn events, a giant pumpkin parade float is an adorable option. You can create a spooky jack o’lantern float, or create a sweet float featuring the Great Pumpkin. Use your imagination and your results will be spectacular. Here’s some basic tips for creating a pumpkin parade float:

The float is built on an 8’ x 16′farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer, used to move small construction equipment, might be borrowed from a local construction company. The float also might be built on the back of a flat bed truck.

Create a light wooden frame around the wagon using #2 1 x 3 pine. The frame should extend from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. The wood should be available at your local lumberyard. A basic frame this size requires approximately 140’ of lumber.

Staple waterproof, flameproof floral sheeting to the frame. This size float requires 16 yards of Vinyl floral sheeting for the sides. Cover the float in orange floral sheeting. The floor requires another 15 yards of floral sheeting.

To calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float, measure the distance around in feet and divide by three to get the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards. Floral sheeting is made of a heavy plastic backing sheet with rows of sewn-on scalloped plastic flower petal shapes. It’s great for decorating and adding festive texture to your float.

Next, attach 14” high metallic fringe in black or orange by stapling it to the bottom of the frame where the Floral Sheeting stops. Fringe is available in 10’ long packages. This size float requires five 10’ packages of metallic fringe.

Festooning twistees in black or orange outlines the sides of the float. Festooning is available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three, 48’ rolls of festooning. The floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are all made of the same plastic material (waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof) and reusable for another float at another time if you remove the materials carefully after the parade.

Add a festive fall message or school spirit slogan to the side of your float using Styrofoam letters or numbers. They’re 8” tall and you can paint them with inexpensive interior latex paint or leave them white. Be sure to add another board, such as plywood, to your frame under the Floral Sheeting. Just use small nails to fasten the letters to the board. As an alternative, hot glue the letters to the floral sheeting.

To create the giant pumpkin, use chicken wire acquired from a local farm or hardware store to create a round structure. You can do this by creating several cylinders wrapped around each other in opposite directions. Use tissue pomps to fill in the wire structure to make the pumpkin orange. Pomps paste is a handy way to keep the tissue squares in place. Our green festooning twistees are great for adding a vine and a stem to your pumpkin.
You can also create the giant pumpkin or some smaller pumpkins for an accent using paper mache.

Check out all of our parade float supplies and Halloween theme kits for more ideas on how to decorate your float, plus great custom banners!

Show your school spirit for the big game with this Paw Power float design. Add your own creative or personal touch by changing the panther into your school mascot, such as a bulldog, lion, tiger, or wildcat, and changing the accent colors to your school colors. Adding bunches of balloons in your school colors makes a great touch! Check out the How-to-Build a Float book for more tips.

Our Spirit Float Paw Print will look great on your float! It’s an easy-to-use focal point on the float and is available in colors to match your school colors.

Here are more tips for creating a Paw Power Float:

This float is designed for an 8’ x 16’ farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer might be borrowed from a local construction company. You could also build the float on the back of a flat bed truck. Be sure to adjust your measurements and quantities of materials according to the size of your base vehicle.

Start by constructing a light wood frame from 140’ of #2 1/3 pine from a local lumberyard. The frame should start at the top of the wagon bed and extend to 15” from the ground.

Staple waterproof, flameproof floral sheeting to the frame. To calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float, measure the distance around in feet and divide by three to get your yardage. This size float uses 16 yards of yellow vinyl floral sheeting for the sides and 15 yards dark green floral sheeting for the floor.

Attach 14” high dark green vinyl fringe to the bottom of the frame where the floral sheeting stops. Fringe is available in 10’ packages, perfect for the classic “floating” look. This size float requires five 10’ packages of dark green vinyl fringe.

Outline the sides of the float in dark green vinyl festooning, sold in 48’ rolls. This float uses three rolls. Floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are made from waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof plastic, reusable for another float.

Add your float slogan with Styrofoam letters and numbers, 8” high each. You can paint them with interior latex paint or leave them white. Add another board behind your floral sheeting to nail the letters to or hot glue them directly to the floral sheeting.

Construct the 10’ wide (at bottom) x 8’ high x 1’ thick football and panther component out of 140’ #2 1×3 lumber and 80’ of 18” chicken wire with 1” openings, which you can find at any farm supply or hardware store. Use the lumber to build a frame for the component and cover it with the chicken wire, stapling the chicken wire to the frame.

Once the frame is built and covered, stuff tissue pomps into the openings to finish the design. The football and panther require approximately 40 packages of brown pomps, 22 packages of black pomps, and eight packages of grey pomps. Use pomps paste to keep the pomps in place, even in the wind. You’ll need four 1 pint cans of paste, which cleans up easily with warm water.

We created the panther’s teeth with white cardboard and lined the float with 17” x 22” spirit yard signs. You can add your own personalized wording!

Add a fun touch to your float on parade day by having a panther mascot or your school mascot ride the float. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser! We have tons of affordable school mascot costumes and our fast delivery makes them a great way to boost school spirit in a pinch!

The materials listed are based on the football and panther appearing the same from both sides of the float.

Floral sheeting is a fantastic decorating material for parade floats. Floral sheeting is flameproof and available in a range of colors perfect for covering floats and chicken wire float structures. The floral sheeting has a nice texture and shimmer for creating a festive look on parade day.

Floral sheeting can be used for so much more!

Use floral sheeting to create walkways and background at your next school dance or event.

Floral sheeting can be used to create banners that really stand out. Cut the floral sheeting into letters or numbers and use heavy tape to attach them to the wall.

Floral sheeting is especially good for creating table decorations! Cover the table with the flame-proof vinyl floral sheeting. Choose plastic tableware in a contrasting or coordinating color. Edge the table with matching festooning. Hanging vinyl fringe from the edge of the table, securing it under the festooning. All you need is a stellar centerpiece to create a dazzling table for your school event.

Check out all of our parade float supplies and school spirit decorations for more budget-friendly decorations and other ideas.

Choosing one theme for your parade float can be tough. Plus, you may have one idea, but the parade theme committee has another. Sometimes combining a couple themes can create a really fun finished product. Here are some tips to create a New Orleans Luau themed parade float.

This float is designed to be built on an 8’ x 16’ farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer, used to move small construction equipment, might be borrowed from a local construction company. The float also might be built on the back of a flat bed truck.

A light wooden frame, made of #2 1 x 3 pine surrounds the wagon. The frame extends from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. You can find wood for the frame at your local lumberyard. A basic frame this size requires approximately 140’ of lumber.

Waterproof, flameproof Floral Sheeting is stapled to the frame. This size float requires 16 yards of Vinyl floral sheeting for the sides. Our Mardi Gras Floral Sheeting is a perfect fit. The floor requires another 15 yards of floral sheeting. To calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float, measure the distance around in feet and divide by three to get the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards. Floral sheeting is made of a heavy plastic backing sheet with rows of sewn-on scalloped plastic flower petal shapes.

14” high metallic purple, green, or gold fringe is stapled to the bottom of the frame where the Floral Sheeting stops. Green tissue fringe is great for creating a luau grass skirt effect. Fringe is available in 10’ long packages. This size float requires five, 10’ packages of fringe.

Purple, green, or gold festooning outlines the sides of the float. Festooning is available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three, 48’ rolls of festooning. The floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are all made of the same plastic material (waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof) and reusable for another float at another time.

Styrofoam letters or numbers are 8” high and can be used to add your slogan to the side of the float. You can paint them with inexpensive interior latex paint or leave them white. Be sure to add another board, such as plywood, to your frame under the Floral Sheeting. Just use small nails to fasten the letters to the board. As an alternative, hot glue the letters to the floral sheeting.

Accent your float by placing a Mardi Gras Balloon Pedestal on each corner of the float. The balloon columns are great for creating a border to your float and bring in the luau theme when you top them with palm tree mylar balloons from ShindigZ.

Add some purple mardi gras masks to your float for another great accent. The masks are made out of wire and floral sheeting. You can even make your own giant mardi gras mask out of chicken wire and tissue pomps and pomps paste. Or, make a Mardi Gras themed tiki mask. ShindigZ has tiki mask decorations and giant Mardi Gras masks too.

For a really fun Mardi Gras touch, have the people riding on your float wear Hawaiian leis in Mardi Gras colors. You can toss the inexpensive leis to the crowd for great crowd interaction!

Check out all of our parade float supplies for more ideas and float decorating materials! Tell us about your unique parade float themes too!

A Mardi Gras theme float is fun for any season–not just Fat Tuesday. Use a Mardi Gras theme to bring the festive atmosphere of Mardi Gras to your Homecoming float or other parade!

Here are some possible slogans for a Mardi Gras theme float. This theme is a great choice if you’re using a Mardi Gras theme for your Homecoming Dance! Substitute your school’s mascot or your opponent’s mascot as needed.
• Bourbon Street Blowout
• Show the Eagles a Bayou Blitz
• The Blazers are Gator Bait
• Un-mask the Knights
• Jazzed Up for the Jaguars

Once your theme and slogan are decided, brainstorm on the colors and decorative elements that would fit this theme. Here are some ideas for your jungle float.

Float Color Ideas
• Green
• Purple
• Gold
• School Colors

Float Decoration Ideas
• Mardi Gras Throne
• Jazz Instruments
• Aligators
• Swampy Area
• Vines and Grass
• Mardi Gras Balloons
• Mascot

PLANNING YOUR FLOAT

One you have these ideas, the next thing you will want to do is make a sketch of your float. This will help you when you go to build it! Include the placement of your slogan, colors, and decorations. For instance, if you want the fringe to be green and the trim to be gold, label this on your sketch.

MEASURING MATERIALS FOR THE TRAILER

Before you can build your float, you need to order float materials! Here is an estimate of how much material is required to cover various standard-size floats. The measurements will give you plenty of material to cover the deck and sides of your trailer.

2’ High x 18’ Long x 8′ Wide Trailer
Three 6-yard rolls of Floral Sheeting (for deck)
One 18-yard roll of Floral Sheeting (for sides)
Three 3-pound bags of Scatter Grass (may replace floral sheeting on deck)
Six 10-foot rolls of Fringe (for perimeter)
Two 48-foot rolls of Festooning

2’ High x 24’ Long x 10’ Wide Trailer
Four 8-yard rolls of Floral Sheeting (for deck)
One 23-yard roll of Floral Sheeting (for sides)
Five 3-pound bags of Scatter Grass (may replace floral sheeting on deck)
Seven 10-foot rolls of Fringe (for perimeter)
Two 48-foot rolls of Festooning

2’ High x 32’ Long x 10’ Wide Trailer
Four 11-yard rolls of Floral Sheeting (for deck)
One 28-yard roll of Floral Sheeting (for sides)
Seven 3-pound bags of Scatter Grass (may replace floral sheeting on deck)
Nine 10-foot rolls of Fringe (for perimeter)
Two 48-foot rolls of Festooning

Float Materials Per Square Foot

If your float doesn’t fit the particular dimensions in the examples above, don’t worry! Here is an approximate break-down of the materials you will need for each square foot.

Per Square Foot
.83 feet of Floral Sheeting
.07 lbs. of Scatter Grass (optional)
.46 feet of Fringe
.74 feet of Festooning

Simply take these measurements and multiply them by the square footage of your trailer. (To determine the square footage, simply multiple the length by the width.) The result is how much material you will need. For example, if your trailer is 200 square feet, you will need 92 feet of fringe (.46 x 200 = 92).

COVERING THE TRAILER

Once you have received your float materials, it’s time to get to work! Below are some steps to follow when covering your float trailer.
1. Cover the deck and sides of the float completely with Floral Sheeting.
2. Attach Fringe to the bottom of each side of the trailer. This will cover the wheels and make the float look like it is truly “floating.” We recommend gold or purple metallic fringe for a Mardi Gras theme.
3. Edge the sides of your float with Festooning. Attach the festooning between the floral sheeting on the deck and the floral sheeting on the sides of the trailer. This accents the float’s straight line while creating an appealing color contrast. You can also use the festooning between the floral sheeting on the sides and the fringe. Gold metallic or green vinyl festooning would look great on a Mardi Gras float.
4. Display your slogan or school name with Styrofoam Letters. The letters usually look best when attached to the floral sheeting on the sides of the trailer. You can also add them to other areas of your float. Keep the letters white or paint them with your school colors!

CREATING DECORATIONS FOR YOUR FLOAT

Decorations are an essential part of any float. We’ve given you some basic ideas for your Mardi Gras float – but what’s the next step? Here are some suggestions for actually creating your Mardi Gras decorations!
• Use a “King of Mardi Gras” throne in the middle of your float. Your mascot can sit on it during the parade. We offer a sturdy throne that will save you the hassle of trying to build one. Although it is a royal throne, it can be easily transformed into a Mardi Gras throne! Simply drape it with metallic gold gossamer and green festooning (to look like vines).
• Order a royal King’s Crown for your mascot to wear while seated on the throne. (You can even add a royal robe as well!) Recruit a student to dress up and pose as your opponent’s mascot. The opponent’s mascot can be bowing down to your mascot or simply have the opposing mascot costume bitten in half by an aligator.
• Create several trees out of chicken wire (available at hardware stores) and tissue pomps. Each palm tree should measure approximately 6’ high x 10” in diameter. Make a tube using 6’ high x 20” wide chicken wire (available at a hardware store), attach the wire to a vertical wood beam, and stuff it with brown Tissue Pomps. Tissue pomps can go in every other opening. Attach each tree to a wooden base for support. To make the leaves, attach strong (but thin) wire to the top of each tube and hang Green Fringe from the wires. Place a tree on either side of the throne.

• Make vines from green festooning. Drape the vines around the palm trees and throne.

• Inflate lots of Mardi Gras Mask Around Balloons with helium and tie them together in bunches with curling ribbon. Make four separate bunches of balloons and place one bunch on each corner of your float.

• Add aligators, snakes, and other swamp creatures to your float, if desired. These elements can be made from chicken wire and tissue pomps or painted plywood.

Check out Mardi Gras decorations at ShindigZ.com for more accents for your float!

If your mascot is a tiger, our Tiger Mascot Float Kit (shown at right) is perfect for your Homecoming float! If there’s a parade before your next big game or you’re taking part in a town parade, use our Tiger Mascot Float to get the crowd roaring with school spirit. Here are our tips:

The float is built on an 8’ x 16′farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer, used to move small construction equipment, might be borrowed from a local construction company. The float also might be built on the back of a flat bed truck.

A light wooden frame, made of #2 1 x 3 pine surrounds the wagon. The frame extends from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. You can find wood for the frame at your local lumberyard. A basic frame this size requires approximately 140’ of lumber.

Waterproof, flameproof Floral Sheeting is stapled to the frame. This size float requires 16 yards of Vinyl floral sheeting for the sides. Use stripes of black and orange floral sheeting. The floor requires another 15 yards of floral sheeting. To calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float, measure the distance around in feet and divide by three to get the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards. Floral sheeting is made of a heavy plastic backing sheet with rows of sewn-on scalloped plastic flower petal shapes.

14” high metallic black or orange fringe is stapled to the bottom of the frame where the Floral Sheeting stops. Fringe is available in 10’ long packages. This size float requires five, 10’ packages of metallic fringe.

Black festooning outlines the sides of the float. Festooning is available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three, 48’ rolls of festooning. The floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are all made of the same plastic material (waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof) and reusable for another float at another time.

The Styrofoam letters or numbers are 8” high, and can be used to add your slogan to the side of the float. You can paint them with inexpensive interior latex paint or leave them white. Be sure to add another board, such as plywood, to your frame under the Floral Sheeting. Just use small nails to fasten the letters to the board. As an alternative, hot glue the letters to the floral sheeting.  Our Custom Printed Tri-Fold Float Signs are another awesome way for adding a school spirit message to your parade float.

Finally, set the 3 ft. 10 in. high x 3 ft. 9 in. wide cardboard-corrugate mural of a Tiger on your float for an awesome focal point. Have your cheerleaders or football players ride on the float. Don’t forget a mascot, like our Terence Tiger Mascot Costume! He adds just the right amount of fun to your parade float.

Check out all of our parade float ideas and parade float supplies!

This Purple Power float designs is as versatile as your imagination. Adjust the design to fit your theme, school colors or mascot. It’s a simple design that goes a long way for your homecoming or school spirit parade! For more float building tips, check out the How-to-Build a Float book.

This float design is built for an 8’ x 16’ farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer might be borrowed from a local construction company or hardware store. You could also build this float on the back of a flat bed truck. Be sure you adjust the measurements and quantities for materials according to the size of your base.

Construct a light wooden frame from 140’ of #2 1×3 pine to surround the wagon. The frame should extend from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. You can find the wood for the frame, and the rest of this float, at your local lumberyard or hardware store.

Attach waterproof, flameproof floral sheeting to the frame with a staple gun. This size float uses 16 yards of vinyl floral sheeting for the sides and another 15 yards of the same color for the floor. Calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float by measuring around the base in feet and dividing by three to find the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards.

Attach 14” high metallic gold fringe to the bottom of the frame where the floral sheeting stops. This helps to achieve the classic “floating” look. Fringe is sold in 10’ long packages. This float requires five packages of fringe.

Outline the sides of the float with metallic gold festooning. Festooning is available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three 48’ rolls of metallic gold festooning. Floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are all made of waterproof, fade-proof and flame proof plastic material, which is reusable for another float or decorating project.

Create your float slogan with Styrofoam letters or numbers, 8” high each. Leave them white or paint them with interior latex paint. Be sure to add another board, such as plywood, to the frame beneath your floral sheeting. Then you can use small nails to attach the letters to the board. You can also simply hot glue the letters to the floral sheeting.

The “explosion” float component with wording measures 8’ wide at the base, 8’ high and 1’ thick. Create a wood frame out of approximately 150’ of #2 1×3 pine. Cover the frame with 120’ of 18” chicken wire with 1” openings. Chicken wire can be found at most farm supply and hardware stores.

Add the colors by stuffing the 1” openings with tissue pomps. This design requires approximately 40 packages of white tissue pomps and 8-10 packages of purple tissue pomps. Use pomps paste to keep the pomps in place, even in the wind. The paste cleans up easily with warm water. You’ll need four 1 pint cans. (You can change the colors of pomps to suit your creative ideas!)

Add a personal touch to the float by having your cheerleaders ride on it, or placing your school mascot on the float. Cheerleaders can hold bright balloons or deep-tone balloons filled with helium in your school colors. Expanding banners or cheer signs are a great way to greet the crowds at the parade.

A crowd-pleasing idea is to have spirit items to toss out to the crowd of fans. They’ll love wearing wrist bands and spirit beads to the game after the parade or taking spirit balls home as favors from the big game!

The materials listed are based on a two-sided Purple Power design.

A tropical themed float is great for summer parades or an early fall homecoming. Creating a Luau float is simple with these float design tips. For more information, check out the How-to-Build a Float book.

Narrow the focus of your theme with a great tropical slogan. You can use one of our suggestions; just substitute your school’s mascot or opponent’s mascot where needed.

-Lei the Bulldogs Down!
-Cast Away the Eagles!
-Leave the Bears in Limbo!
-Aloha, Victory!
-Welcome to a Lion Paradise!
-The Sun Shines on LSH!

Selecting a slogan helps you decide which decorations will fit well on your float. Before you start decorating decide on a color scheme. To match your tropical theme some great colors include green, blue, orange, yellow/gold, brown, or your school colors.

Once you have your slogan and theme picked out, you’ll want to make a sketch of your float. This will greatly cut down on confusion, mistakes and waste when you build your float. In your sketch, include the placement of your slogan, colors and designs for your decorations. For example, if you want the fringe to be green and the trim to be gold, label this on your sketch.

Next, calculate how much you will need of your building and decorating materials. Here is an approximate break-down of the materials you will need per square foot.

.83 feet of Floral Sheeting
.07 lbs. of Scatter Grass (optional)
.46 feet of Fringe
.74 feet of Festooning

Simply take these measurements and multiply them by the square footage of your trailer. (To determine the square footage, simply multiple the length by the width.) The result is how much material you will need. For example, if your trailer is 200 square feet, you will need 92 feet of fringe (.46 x 200 = 92).

Covering the Trailer
The first step for decorating is covering your trailer to create a base for the other decorations. Cover the deck and sides of the float completely with floral sheeting (Scatter grass or grass mats can be used instead for a more natural look). For a tropical float, metallic dark blue floral sheeting is a great choice.

Attach fringe to the bottom of each side of the trailer. This will cover the wheels and make the float look like it really is “floating.” Fringe is sold in 10’ packages. Metallic gold is a good choice for a tropical float.

Outline the sides of your float with festooning. Attach the festooning between the floral sheeting on the deck and the floral sheeting on the sides of the trailer. This creates a color contrast while creating even edges for a crisp look. You can also use festooning between the floral sheeting and the fringe on the sides.

Add your float slogan to the side of the trailer with Styrofoam letters and numbers. The letters can be attached to the floral sheeting with hot glue or nailed to a piece of plywood placed behind the floral sheeting. You can paint the letters with interior latex paint.

Now it’s time to build your decorations. There are some decorations that you don’t have to construct yourself. Some examples include Mylar suns, gossamer palm trees, sand, water gossamer or water poly vinyl, beach chairs, beach balls, leis, or your school mascot dressed in beach clothing.

Here are some suggestions for decorations you can build and personalize yourself. Get creative!

Construct a giant sun for one side (or more) of your float by covering a corex circle with metallic gold floral sheeting. You can also make a mold in the shape of a sun using chicken wire with 1” holes, which you can find at hardware or farm supply stores. Stuff the holes with tissue pomps and pomps paste. Secure the chicken wire circle to a wood base and support the curve with dowel rods.

Use gold gossamer to create an island in the middle of your float. Add some real sand and giant seashells to accent the beach look.

You can construct your own palm trees using chicken wire, wood, pomps, and green fringe. Each palm tree should measure approximately 6’ high and 10” in diameter. Make a tube using 6’ high x 20” wide chicken wire. Attach the wire to a vertical wood beam and fill it with brown tissue pomps, placed in every other opening. Attach each tree to a wooden base for support. To make the palm leaves, attach strong, but thin wire to the top of each tube and hang green fringe from the wires.

Inflate metallic latex balloons and parrot mylar balloons with helium and tie them together with curling ribbon. Make four separate bunches and place one at each corner of your float.

Accent any of the above decorations with a Luau Hut and Aloha Banner or a personalized luau banner. Use palm leaf thatching for an authentic accent and for a fun look add some standing flamingos.

Have the people riding your float wear sunglasses and toss out leis or beach balls to the parade crowd, they’ll love it!

For a patriotic float for this year’s 4^th of July parade, try an Eagle Parade Float. This float concept also works well for a Homecoming float if your mascot happens to be the eagle!

This float design is built for an 8’ x 16’ farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer might be borrowed from a local construction company or hardware store. You could also build this float on the back of a flat bed truck. Be sure you adjust the measurements and quantities for materials according to the size of your base.

Create a light wooden frame out of #2 1×3 pine around the wagon. The frame will extend from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. A basic frame this size requires approximately 140’ of lumber.

Cover the frame by stapling waterproof, flameproof floral sheeting to it. A float this size requires 16 yards of dark blue vinyl floral sheeting for the sides. The floor requires another 15 yards. Calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float by measuring the distance around (in feet) and divide that measurement by three to get the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards.

14” high metallic gold fringe is stabled to the bottom of the frame where the floral sheeting stops. Fringe is available in 10’ long packages. This float requires five 10’ packages of metallic fringe (for the given measurements).

Outline the sides of the float with metallic gold festooning, available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three 48’ rolls of metallic gold festooning. The floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are made of the same plastic material (waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof) and are reusable for another float.

Use Styrofoam letters or numbers to create the slogan on your float. The letters/numbers are 8” high and you can paint them with interior latex paint or leave the white. Use small nails to fasten the letters to the board or hot glue them to the floral sheeting.

To create the eagle part of the float, build a pine frame using approximately 150’ of #2 1×3 pine. Cover the frame with chicken wire with 1”openings. The Eagle requires about 130’ of 18” chicken wire. Chicken wire can be found at most farm supply stores or hardware stores. The eagle measures 12’ long x 8’ high x 1’ thick.

Once the eagle is molded out of the chicken wire, stuff tissue pomps into each opening in the chicken wire, creating the picture of the eagle. This design requires approximately 50 packages of white pomps and about 20 packages of brown pomps. Pomps Paste is an easy way to make the squares stay in place even in the wind. About four 1 pint cans will be needed. The past cleans up with warm water.

Add an interactive finishing touch by having an Eagle mascot ride on the float, carrying or hanging a personalized patriotic banner or tossing patriotic beads out to the crowd.

The materials listed are based on a two-sided design.

Get your cheer squad really involved in your school spirit parade or homecoming parade by giving them their very own float! We have tons of spirit kits great for incorporating into a cheerleading float! Here are some of our ideas for creating a cheer float!

The float is built on an 8’ x 16′farm wagon with the back removed. A similar size trailer, used to move small construction equipment, might be borrowed from a local construction company. The float also might be built on the back of a flat bed truck.

Create a light wooden frame around the wagon using #2 1 x 3 pine. The frame should extend from the top of the wagon bed to 15” from the ground. The wood should be available at your local lumberyard. A basic frame this size requires approximately 140’ of lumber.

Staple waterproof, flameproof floral sheeting to the frame. This size float requires 16 yards of Vinyl floral sheeting for the sides. Cover the float in stripes of floral sheeting in your school colors. The floor requires another 15 yards of floral sheeting.

To calculate how much floral sheeting you need for your float, measure the distance around in feet and divide by three to get the yardage. Floral sheeting is sold in square yards. Floral sheeting is made of a heavy plastic backing sheet with rows of sewn-on scalloped plastic flower petal shapes. It’s great for decorating and adding festive texture to your float.

Next, attach 14” high metallic fringe in your school colors by stapling it to the bottom of the frame where the Floral Sheeting stops. Fringe is available in 10’ long packages. This size float requires five 10’ packages of metallic fringe.

Festooning in your school colors outlines the sides of the float. Festooning is available in 48’ long rolls. This size float requires three, 48’ rolls of festooning. The floral sheeting, festooning and fringe are all made of the same plastic material (waterproof, fade-proof and flameproof) and reusable for another float at another time if you remove the materials carefully after the parade.

Add your team name or spirit slogan to the side of your float using Styrofoam letters or numbers. They’re 8” tall and you can paint them with inexpensive interior latex paint or leave them white. Be sure to add another board, such as plywood, to your frame under the Floral Sheeting. Just use small nails to fasten the letters to the board. As an alternative, hot glue the letters to the floral sheeting.

Once you’ve created this base for your cheerleading float components, create a festive float for the cheerleaders to ride on.

Spell out the team name with our Giant 3-D Letters. Your cheerleaders can ride around the team name for a simple, but cool looking cheerleading float.

For a big cheer impact, set up our Megaphone Arch. It stands 9 ½ feet tall, 9 feet wide, and 12” deep and is constructed from cardboard and twistees in your color choice. The arch is made from two colors of gossamer of your choice. This arch will look awesome on your float.

Have the school mascot ride with your cheer squad too. We have a huge selection of School Mascot Costumes!

Check out all of our Float Tips and tell us about your cheerleading float!