Mardi Gras Party Ideas

 These Mardi Gras party ideas are all about traditions! Fat Tuesday is a time to celebrate and revel. There are two great things about planning a 2013 Mardi Gras celebration. First there are plenty of great party supplies to choose from that are fun, different and capture the Mardi Gras spirit. Second, even though Fat Tuesday is February 12st this year, a Mardi Gras theme for your parties can work any time during the year.

Mardi Gras Invitations
Get the celebration started off right with a great Mardi Gras Invitation. Here are a few fun Mardi Gras party ideas - 
  • Start the tradition of sending a mask as an invitation! It’s a unique idea that’s perfect for your Mardi Gras party.
  • Green, purple and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Make your own invitation by layering purple cardstock on top of green, and writing out the details in a gold paint pen.
  • If your doing a crawfish boil for your Mardi Gras party, send the invitation along with a bib!
  • Party411 has many custom Mardi Gras invitations to choose from that you can personalize with your own wording.
Don't forget fun wording for your Mardi Gras invitations -
  • Please join the revelry at our 4th annual Mardi Gras party!
  • The Krewe of Strawders invites y'all to join us for a Mardi Gras Ball!
  • Party with us on Fat Tuesday... it's the next best thing to being there!
  • Dancing in the streets with beads and masks, we only need you to have a blast!
  • Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler the Cajun Way!
  • Mardi Gras Madness! Join us for Beads, King Cake, Cajun Food and Dixieland Jazz!
If you're going to have a traditional Mardi Gras masquerade ball, don’t forget to tell your guests to dress their best! It’s good to offer some suggestions that fit the New Orleans theme such as a fortune teller, a jazz band player, a jester, or even a swamp creature. The sky's the limit when it comes to Bourbon Streeters dressing up for Mardi Gras. Prizes should be given out for the most original costume. And don't forget to get an amazing Mardi Gras costume for yourself!


2013 Mardi Gras Decorations and Party Supplies
  Here is are some easy Mardi Gras party ideas to get a great Fat Tuesday look in your party space:
  • Purple, green and gold are the staples of Mardi Gras. Balloon and streamers in these colors all around the room will go a long way in making the space festive.
  • BEADS! Inexpensive and a Mardi Gras must! Pile them on the tables, drape them over curtain rods, sling them over light fixtures, and make sure there are plenty for your guests.
  • The French Quarter is Famous for its streets, so make sure your guests aren't lost! You can make your own street signs or purchase this Mardi Grast Street Sign decoration pack... just be sure to include Bourbon and Canal!
  • Make your own bead garland by looping strands of beads together with a square knot.
  • Spanish moss is synonymous with NOLA. You can purchase it at the craft store and use it around the room (on potted plants, in flower arrangements, at the base of table centerpieces)

Mardi Gras is all about color and fun, so if you need a few more decorations to punch up your room, these are our favorites:
  • Mardi Gras scene setters are an easy way to really change the feel of a room! Make your room look like the French Quarter or try the Deluxe Mardi Gras kit. Party411.com also has some great personalized Mardi Gras banners for the front door, the bar, or anywhere you need one
  • Mardi Gras Swirls - these are perfect for decorating any room, and they look great over buffets and bars.
  • Mardi Gras tinsel garland - bright and fun, for around your bar!
  • Gold Coins - scatter them on tables for a fun Mardi Gras themed confetti.

No Mardi Gras Party is complete without second line and Dixieland jazz band music to get your guests into the carnival spirit. Make sure you don't forget to play "The Mardi Gras Mambo."

Mardi Gras table decorations and menu
Mardi Gras is a time for feasting, they don’t call it Fat Tuesday for nothing! Some brightly colored mardi gras paper goods are mandatory.
 
You can be creative with beads also. One of my favorite Mardi Gras party ideas is to use beads as a table decoration, usually to wrap napkins.

Centerpieces are easy to design with your choice of colorful masks surrounding a bunch of balloons (Mardi Gras colors here too). I like throwing some beads around the table. They look great and if a guest feels “underdressed” they can put a couple on and feel better about themselves. If you’re in a hurry try and easy Mardi Gras centerpiece.

New Orleans food is famous throughout the world, so let's get down to the menu (and drink) details.
  • Shrimp & Crab appetizers
  • Gumbo
  • Crawfish boil
  • Shrimp étouffée
  • Jambalaya
  • Red beans and rice
  • And last but not least a King Cake for dessert!

It's all about the hurricane. If possible, serve in obnoxious-colored plastic containers or a hurricane glass.

Hurricane

1 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. grenadine syrup
1 oz. gin
1 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz. amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz. triple sec
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Pour all but the juices, in order listed, into a hurricane glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, and serve.


mardi gras games and activities
Set up a "create your own mask" station, where guests can create their own mask using beads, feathers and paint.  Later have a contest for best mask.  Or a costume contest, where the best costume wins the title of Rex for the night!

Another fun idea is to organize a parade, small or large.  For the small scale, you can decorate bikes, strollers, and wagons like floats.  Get your friends and neighbors involved, you can even make it a street party and get permission from the city to close the street for the day!
 
2013 Mardi Gras party favors
If you have ever been on Bourbon Street during the celebration (or any time for that matter) you know that half the fun is dressing up for the occasion. At the very least you’ll need hats and noisemakers.

Think about getting a few Mardi Gras parade packs to make your life easier and to decorate your guests. They come with beads, masks, hats, noisemakers and more, all in bright, fun Mardi Gras colors.
 
Here are a few more fun favor ideas - 
  • Tabasco Sauce - makes it home on Avery Island, Louisiana, which lies about 140 miles west of New Orleans. The company has a big presence in NOLA.
  • Moon Pies -  Krewes throw these treats along the parade route
  • Voodoo Dolls - Another big part of New Orleans culture. Something a little different.
  • Mardi Gras Mints - A custom favor you can personalize with your message.
  • Mardi Gras Literopes - A very fun favor... your guests will "glow" with pleasure!
  • Chocolate Coins - Tasty versions of the doubloons that the Krewes throw from the floats!
  • Mardi Gras Coconut - One of the most famous and the most sought after throws from the Krewe of Zulu. It has evolved over the years (natural coconuts, gold painted walnuts, gold painted coconuts covered in glitter) Hand these out to guests, but be ready to explain :)
Most importantly, Have fun on Fat Tuesday!