Mardi Gras Crafts

Mardi Gras is a great holiday to celebrate no matter your heritage. Just like on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish, on Mardi Gras everyone feels the spirit of Cajun revelry.

A History of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Catholic Lenten season, 40 days of prayer and reflection before Easter.

Catholics traditionally “give up” something for Lent, such as chocolate, soft drinks or other bad habits. It is also traditional not to eat meat on Fridays, though fish is allowed.

Fat Tuesday, then, was the last big party before the sacrifice of Lent. It marks the end of carnaval season, which is said to begin after Twelfth Night, January 6, which is the day the three wise men are said to have given their gifts to the baby Jesus.

Carnaval was around long before explorers made it to the new world, but the celebration came to American in 1699 with the French explorer Iberville. In the 1700s, masked Mardi Gras balls were common in new Orleans, but when the Spanish took control the festivals were banned.

In 1827, 25 years after Louisiana became a state, having masked balls was allowed again. The first documented Mardi Gras parade in the city was in 1837, but violence during the parades almost shut the tradition down in the 1840s and ‘50s.

In 1857 Mardi Gras was saved with the formation of the Comus organization, which sought to add beauty to the celebration and make it a safe and festive event. Comus was the first krewe; now many groups that have organized to make parade floats are called krewes.

After a hiatus caused by the Civil War, Mardi Gras returned and in 1871, the tradition of the king cake began. The queen of Mardi Gras was presented with a cake with a golden bean baked inside. In 1872 the first king of Mardi Gras was crowned.

The wars and depression of the early 1900s put a damper on Mardi Gras festivities, but since the end of World War II the tradition has been going strong. Even a devastating hurricane hitting the city couldn’t stop this tradition from taking place.

Carnaval celebrations also take place throughout Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Spain, Portugal, England and other European countries. For more information, visit Carnaval.com.

Mardi Gras Crafts

Mardi Gras is a great day for crafters because it’s all about dressing up and doing extravagant things. Here are some ideas for Mardi Gras crafts you can make at home.

Mardi Gras Crafts: Masks

Make your own simple masks by drawing a mask shape on heavy paper or cardboard. Cut out the shape and make two eye holes. Decorate with glitter, sequins, buttons, ribbons, feathers, Mardi Gras beads, or anything else you would like.

Attach a dowel to the side of the mask so you can hold it to your face, or attach a piece of elastic to the back to hold it on your head.

These masks make great party favors or decorations for a Mardi Gras theme party. You can also make crowns in much the same way by cutting out a crown-shaped piece of paper or cardboard, decorating and attaching a piece of elastic.

Mardi Gras Crafts: King Cake

The traditional desert of Marid Gras, as I mentioned earlier, is king cake. It’s a doughy, yeasty cake with cream cheese icing decorated in the three Mardi Gras colors: purple (which stands for justice), green (faith) and gold (power).

A bean, coin, pea or ceramic baby is baked into the cake. Tradition has it that the person who gets the “prize” has to throw the next party and bake the next king cake.

If you want to try your hand at this crafty desert, check out this recipe.

Mardi Gras Crafts: Make Your Own Parade

This is a fun one for the kids. Collect some old shoe boxes and turn them upside down. Pick a theme for your float (or your parade, if you’re making lots of floats) such as a holiday, a country, a culture, a time period, a favorite sports team, or whatever you want.

Cover the box with paper or foil and use you craft stash and small toys to decorate the “float” according to the theme. Each child can make their own float and then have a “parade” where everyone else can admire their work. These are fun centerpieces, too. This would be an excellent class project.

Mardi Gras Crafts: Mardi Gras Poppers

This craft is also described in New Year's Eve Crafts, but it’s a great idea for Mardi Gras, too. Take an empty paper towel roll and cover the outside with tissue paper (in Mardi Gras colors, of course). Fill the tube with confetti, candy and little treats like Mardi Gras doubloons and tie the ends with ribbon.

The effect is not as dramatic as with store-bought poppers, but the prizes inside are better. Laissez les bons temps rouler!