Decorate for School Spirit with Gossamer!

Gossamer Has Spirit!

Decorating is a snap with our colorful, lightweight gossamer decorating material! Transform your school hallways, stadium, and gym with the ultra-versatile, ultra-fun material. Available in a huge variety of colors, sizes, and designs, gossamer is the ultimate decorating solution for Spirit Week!

Give these ideas a try this school year!

• PAW PRINTS. Does your mascot have paws? Paw print gossamer is the perfect way to add pep to your school! Hang it on the walls, cover cardboard paw prints with it (for the floor!), drape it along the stands, and even use it to decorate spirit bags for the team or your squad. The possibilities are endless!
• STAR POWER. Your school will shine with our beautiful swirls and stars gossamer! These starry designs are perfect for covering ceilings, hallways, and stands. Use it to cover cardboard stars or create an entranceway to the pep rally. The sky is the limit!
• TRUE COLORS. Nothing says school spirit like your school colors! Pick your two colors from our wide variety of easy-to-use gossamer. Then braid, twist, swirl, and loop the colors together in the halls, cafeteria, gym, stadium-anywhere that demands spirit!
• SPIRIT STREAMERS. Don’t use crepe streamers again! Try colorful gossamer streamers instead. More durable, vibrant, and versatile than crepe streamers, our gossamer streamers are perfect for all your decorating needs!
DECORATING WITH GOSSAMER
Need pointers on how to get the best designs from your gossamer? Check out our tips below!

Tent-Style Gossamer Ceiling

Suspend a 3′ metal ring or a 3′ circle of 1/2″ plywood in the center of the area to be decorated. The distance above the floor is determined by personal preference, and ceiling height. If the gossamer strips that will make up the ceiling cannot be fastened directly to the outside walls of the room, run a wire around the room attached by inconspicuous screw eyes. The wire could be an all-purpose steel or aluminum decorating wire from a hardware or craft store. You could also use a monofilament line of 30 or 40 pound test.

Use 60″ wide or 107″ wide gossamer strips to run from the center to the outside walls. To determine the length of the gossamer strips, use a builder’s or carpenter’s measuring tape and measure from the center ring or plywood disc to the walls. Start by measuring the distance to the four corners – since those will be the longest strips. If your ring or circle is positioned correctly in the center of the room, you need only measure to one corner since all four will be the same. Allow additional gossamer to fasten around the ring or fasten on top of the circle and to fasten to the wall or around the wire.
Put up a test strip of gossamer to one corner. If you have a ring, gather the gossamer to 2″ or 3″ across, loop it around the ring and staple gossamer to itself. The stapled loop is on top of the strip of gossamer, out of sight. If you have a wooden disc, gather the gossamer the same way and use a staple gun to fasten it to the top of the disc. Carry the gossamer to the wall, loop it over the wire (or fasten it directly to the wall) and staple the gossamer in the same way – allowing for a swag or droop in the fabric.

At the outside wall, pleat or gather the gossamer to 1/2 its original width for the best appearance. The 60″ wide gossamer should be 30″ wide, the 107″ wide gossamer should be 54″ wide.
19″ wide gossamer is not practical to use for ceilings in any but the smallest of rooms. • Measure additional strips and fill in the complete ceiling the same way.

Side-to-Side Gossamer Ceiling

Strips of gossamer of any length can be swagged across a room from one side to the other. If you cannot fasten the gossamer directly to the walls, attach wires along two opposite walls. Use screw eyes to hold the wires. A wire on each side of a room will allow you to create a single swag of gossamer from one side to another. An additional wire down the center of the room, parallel to the two side wires, will create a double swag. Three equally spaced wires will create four swags in the gossamer from one side of the room to the other.

60″ or 107″ wide gossamer make the most successful ceilings. At the outside wall, pleat or gather the gossamer to 1/2 its original width for the best appearance.
Strips of any width gossamer can also be attached to all four walls and woven in and out (basket-like) for an unusual ceiling treatment.

Creating Gossamer Bows

Use 19″ wide gossamer to make bows from 18″ wide to 24″ wide. Cut a 6′ length of 19″ wide gossamer. Fold it in half the long way to 9 1/2″ wide. Find the center of the gossamer (length). Fold the ends in to the center and overlap slightly. Staple the ends in place. Repeat the process with three more 6′ lengths of gossamer. Line up the lengths one on top of another. Twist the top three lengths slightly at a few degrees of angle to create a wider bow. Staple all the lengths together. Cut a short piece of 19″ wide gossamer, pleat and gather it to about 6″ wide. Wrap it around the center of the lengths, pull it tight and staple it together in the back of the bow.

The same method can be used to make bows of any size, using 60″ wide or 107″ wide material.
The gossamer holds its shape beautifully. The bows have the same type of fullness that can only be created with wired ribbon, at a fraction of the cost.

Covering Walls with Gossamer

Any type of wall surface can be covered with gossamer. Gossamer looks best if slightly stretched and pleated. Pleat each gossamer strip to 1/2 its original width. Fasten the gossamer to a wall or run a wire at the top and bottom of the wall. Attach the wires at each end with a screw eye.

Braiding Gossamer

One, two or three colors of gossamer can be braided together to create roping to swag from walls or ceilings. Use 19″ lengths of gossamer and gather them to approximately 2″ wide. Braid the lengths of gossamer using the standard method. Staple the braid at each end to keep the lengths of gossamer in place.

Gossamer Rope

• An attractive, illuminated rope can be created by wrapping a strand of clear twinkle lights in a length of pleated gossamer. The pleated gossamer, with lights in the center, should be approximately 5″ in diameter.
• Tie the gossamer into sausage-like sections with curling ribbon pieces. Allow the ends of the knotted curling ribbon pieces to hang down several feet. Give extra curl to the ribbon lengths by pulling them over the open blade of a scissors.
• Hang the gossamer rope in swags from walls or ceilings.

Wrapping with Gossamer

Stretched, pleated gossamer can be effectively used to cover doors and columns, following the steps outlined for covering walls. Add gossamer bows or gossamer rope for easy-to-make accents.

Oh la la! Paris Theme Homecoming Supplies!

Paris is the ultimate setting for a dazzling Homecoming Dance! You can easily recreate the city of lights with our wide array of Parisian décor.

Check out Paris Homecoming kits! They come loaded with the decorations you need to create your night of love in the city! Complete your authentic Parisian affair with our dance tips below!

Decorations

• For your night in Paris, you will want to focus on red, white, and blue as your primary decorating colors (these are the colors of the French flag). Use balloons, streamers, and some of our gossamer (a lightweight fabric that is perfect for swags and chair bows) to decorate your dance site.
• Make sure you have an Eiffel Tower decoration set up by the stage or in a corner of your room. This is a must-have for your Parisian dance!
• Place a pair of lampposts on either side of your entrance leading into your event room for a quaint touch of France! You can use a lamppost as part of your photo setting as well.
• For an authentic look, rent bistro tables and wrought iron chairs and place them around your event room.
• Try to find a large French flag to place at your entryway, and then find smaller, paper flags to hang around the room. You could also use the flags for place mats – simply make a colored photocopy of the flag and affix it to some heavy card stock. Check your local travel agency for samples of French flags.

Tableware

• A great centerpiece that we carry is the Eiffel Tower centerpiece. This table decoration looks lovely with fresh flowers or loose petals scattered around it!
• Cover your tables with either white linens or white lace to enhance the bistro look! You may want to scatter some bright confetti across the tables for some shine. A single stemmed red Rose in a Vase is the perfect centerpiece for a Parisian theme, but a full bouquet of fresh spring flowers would be lovely as well.
• Add some candlelight for even more ambiance and romance! Any of our candles can be placed at each table setting for a glowing touch!

Food Ideas

The French are known for their rich foods and delectable pastries, so have fun with your food choices when hosting a dance like this!
• French Onion Soup served with French bread.
• Cheese trays, roasted garlic, and a variety of crackers.
• Croissants, éclairs, and pastries of all kinds!

Favors

• Candles are a romantic favor for an occasion such as this! Use red gel or wax, and imprint them with your Homecoming Dance details. You can place them at each table setting and students can take them at the end of the evening.
• Another favor idea is to bundle up a small package of French chocolates or flavored coffee. Red gossamer is the perfect fabric to wrap these up in – then tie them off with a piece of white wired ribbon – simple but beautiful!
• Choose personalized napkins to complete your Parisian look.