Mardi Gras Party Decorating Ideas

Need a few Mardi Gras party decorating ideas? Mardi Gras is known for its parades in New Orleans. It's also known for mysterious masks, moon pies, decadent balls and necklaces thrown from the parades. The history of Mardi Gras is a bit more intricate. Although it is known as a celebration of New Orleans, it began in Mobile, Alabama. Translated literally from French, Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." This was a reference to the unofficial Catholic holiday that was at the origins of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras was the time of feast, before the Lenten season arrived, during which there was ritual fasting and personal sacrifice of pleasures. Decorate for this holiday by honoring its history and its decadent present-day celebrations.

1. Start looking for Mardi Gras decorations at disount and dollar stores. By saving on the basics, you can splurge on some truly great, authentic Mardi Gras decorations later on. For the basics (such as paper table cloths, cups, plates, garnishes for drinks, candies for cupcakes and streamers), you want to opt for Mardi Gras colors. The classic colors of Mardi Gras are rich purples, greens and yellows.
   
2. Shop off-season when possible. The best time to shop for Mardi Gras decorations are just after Mardi Gras of the year prior to the one you're decorating. Initially after Mardi Gras, local shops mark down merchandise tremendously, trying to get rid of all their excess decorations. The idea is that they need to get all new stuff in next year, so you can get really nice decor at a huge discount (up to 90 percent or more off) if you wait a day or a few days after Mardi Gras has ended. Pack the decorations safely until it's party time the next year.
3. Make masks for Mardi Gras. For an adult party, purchase beautiful masks that you can bring out every year. Masks are also an especially great idea for a kids' party. You can provide plain white masks for every child, then have them decorate the masks with basic school glue and a selection of sequins, faux feathers in purples and greens, markers, finger paints and all sorts of decor that you can imagine.
4. Decorate your dining room table as a huge float, with moon pies, candy and costume plastic necklaces with colorful beads. The float table should be organized with party favor bags for all recipients that are decorated for Mardi Gras, with your own writing that states the name of your party and its year. Every guest must then stop by the table float to get their goodies, as revelers in New Orleans gather around the floats for treats.
5. When decorating for a Mardi Gras party at a school, make little displays on bulletin boards for all the countries that celebrate Mardi Gras. The holiday is now celebrated in many countries around the world, from Canada and the United States to Caribbean nations and many countries in Europe. Students can enjoy the festive decor while learning a lot about the holiday and the celebration we share with many other places around the world.