The New Orleans Sound!

Its always a party on Bourbon Street. Playing a  Mardi Gras Music Cd with songs like: Iko Iko, Tipitina, Fire on the Bayou, Mardi Gras Mambo, Dollar Wine, Mardi Gras Zydeco, Hey Pocky Way, Blueberry Hill, Samba de Janeiro, The boogie Woogie Flu, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Saints Go Marching In and more, will keep your dance floor hopping. The authentic sounds on this Mardi Gras Madness Cd will bring the spirit of Mardi Gras to your party! Songs Include: When the Saints Go Marching In, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Bourbon Street Parade, The Entertainer, Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home, Down by the Riverside, Pine Apple Rag, For Me and My Gal, Beale Street, 12th Street Rag, Creole Love Call, Tiger Rag, The Ragtime Dance, and Maple Leaf Rag.

Mardi Gras Slogans:

After selecting a theme for your party, choose a slogan to use in your invitations, and to use in tying in decorations, favors and etc. to your theme. Here are a few ideas:

• "Mardi Gras Mania"
• "Masquerade Magic" 
• "Midwinter Masquerade" 
• "Masked Magic" 
• "Mardi Gras Mambo" 
• "Fat Tuesday Festivities" 
• "Mardi Gras Madness" 
• "Have Beads - Will Party!" 
• "Bourbon Street Bash"

Invitations: If you want an invite that will coordinate with your tableware, our Mardi Gras Invitations is the perfect choice, and will set just the right tone for your party.  This Masquerade Invitation from Carlson Craft will invite your guests to join in the festivities of Fat Tuesday without being on Bourbon Street. An authentic mask decorated with feathers, stars, and beads fills this themed invitation. Use this coordinating Celebrate seal on your envelopes, sold separately.

As an alternative, mail out  inexpensive masks with a hand written or computer generated tag attached with all the details of the party as your invitation.  Request that each guest customize their mask to match their party attire, and wear the mask to the party.  Suggest that they can embellish them with feathers, tulle, rhinestones, paint, sequins, etc. Award prizes for different categories "biggest", "most creative", "best match with attire", etc.

ATTIRE:

The enchantment of kings and queens can be yours this Mardi Gras! So honor the royal tradition of Mardi Gras and crown your own party king and queen! A Purple Kings Crown
and Purple Queens Crown  will surely add to a royal party! 

Everyone attending a Mardi Gras party should definitely have a Mardi Gras Mask! Be sure to have them on hand to pass out to your guests when they arrive. Masks are an easy and affordable way to dress up your guests and get them in the spirit. The masks can incorporate feathers, beads, and sequins and are usually in purple, green, and gold combinations. If you have some reluctant guests, have a few simple style masks available so that all may participate in the fun. Again, masks are a great way to add some decorating flair to the whole party scene and not just the partygoers themselves!

Choose from a selection of beads.

For the most dramatic effect, ask guests to dress in Black-tie Formal Wear or Mardi Gras Costumes.  If you choose  black-tie formal and you suspect that some people will be reluctant, make the party "Black-tie Optional".  That way, most people will come dressed up, and those who are reluctant won't avoid the party.

Decorate your costume with feather boas, and Mardi Gras Vests . Add a great accent to your Mardi Gras party with Funky Green & Purple Lei .

Just right for that particular jester in your life. Accent your Mardi Gras theme with a purple, green and gold jester hat.

Accent your event with purple, green and gold. This Mardi Gras Sequin Hat  will brighten your party or top off your party with a colorful assortment of Mg Glitter Top Hats or Mardi Gras Glitter Derby , Purple & Green Felt Top Hat

For more great wearable items visit our Mardi Gras party items section.

Start your decorating by hanging a Mardi Gras Banner at the entryway with your personalized message.

Add to your Mardi Gras decor with a 6' self inflating nylon Mardi Gras Airblown Sign. Let this airblown light the way to your Bourbon Street party with it's steady light that will stay on as long as it is plugged in!

Our 61" Mardi Gras Jester balloon leads the parade to your Mardi Gras party. Inflate with helium or air and welcome your guests to a great Mardi Gras party.

Our Purple, Green and Gold Metallic Door Curtain is a great way to give your guests an official Mardi Gras Welcome!

Mardi Gras decorations can be really fun to make. If you're creative and have plenty of time, perhaps you could make a Mardi Gras Cake decorated with beads and masks.

Decorate your table with a  Mask Centerpiece.

Use a clear cylinder vase. Place mardi gras beads inside the vase (purple, gold & green) in parfait fashion. Add masks on a stick, large gold, green & purple Ostrich plume feathers and gold ting ting (available at craft and floral supply stores). Set on a round mirror with green, gold & purple beads.

Place purple, green, gold feathers into a styrofoam base, add gold ting ting or onion grass (available at craft and floral supply stores) between the feathers. Place assorted colored masks on a stick into the center along with a small gold saxophone.

Turn assorted glitter top hats upside down, place styrofoam down in hat and cover styrofoam with shred. Add masks on a stick and gold & green ting ting (available at craft and floral supply stores). Lay beads around the base of the hat.

Place a square green satin pillow in the center of the table. Place a Purple Kings Crown  on top of the pillow and drape with beads.

Bring color to the table via cloth napkins. Give each person two napkins slipped into one napkin ring (beads make excellent napkin rings). Use two different colors, two coordinating patterns or one patterned and one solid-colored napkin. A colorful setting can be achieved with little effort this way.

Another alternative is to order personalized napkins to match your color theme, and have them imprinted with a special message and design. You can delight guests with a message that lets them know how much you care. You can choose from a wide range of napkins, ink colors, and designs to match your theme. The napkins will serve several purposes: great decorating in disguise, and a delightful memento for the guests. Carlson Craft offers Personalized Napkins, in their Party Accessories section and designs to fit all occasions, we like the Masquerade Party (BMK) and Mask (MSK) designs for Mardi Gras.

Start your Mardi Gras decorating by placing "Mardi Gras Scene Setters" on the wall. Use the French Quarter Terraces , Purple Brick , Street Lantern Border, or Masks & Beads Border  the perfect way to convert your party room into a New Orleans scene in minutes.  Mix and Match with Mardi Gras Street Signs, Mardi Gras Icons , Mardi Gras party people, strike up the band with a duet of Jazz Musicians.
 

Our 12' metallic ceiling decoration is covered with colorful dangling masks and stars. The perfect accent for your Mardi Gras party.

Masks! Masks! Add to the decorations at your Mardi Gras party with our purple, green and gold 24" swirl mask decorations.

Our Mardi Gras Column is 7' long when hung from the ceiling.  This purple, green and gold metallic fringe column makes a great decoration, place one in each corner of your dance floor.

Don't forget to hang some Mardi Gras Cutouts around the room.

Decorate your Mardi Gras party with our Masquerade Foil Balloon! Match our Masquerade Balloons with our Mardi Gras paper goods.

Being surrounded by flickering candles is a sure "fire" way to boost the mood. A room in any condition will look great illuminated by the glow of candles. Candles are a great way to pull together a sophisticated color theme. They add mood lighting.....Use candles, candles, and more candles in shades of purple, green and gold to match your theme.

Get all of the favors you need for your Mardi Gras Ball or party.

Nothing captures the mystique and excitement of Mardi Gras like a costume party! Your Mardi Gras party is not complete without: 

• Mardi Gras Party Items - like vests, sequin headbands, crowns, tiaras, boas, wrist streamers, berets, horns, maracas, tambourines, party string and lots more!
• Mardi Gras Masks - Brighten your Mardi Gras, Masquerade Ball and dance floor. Mix feathered masks, masks on a stick, sequin masks, metallic masks, neon masks, and other mask assortments for a festive event
• Mardi Gras Hats - Top off your party with these colorful hat assortments like: Mg Glitter Top Hats, Mardi Gras Glitter Derbies, Mardi Gras Jester Hat, Green and Purple Felt Top Hats, Boa Hats and more!
• Mardi Gras Beads - Beads add to the color and excitement of Mardi Gras. We have beads in all shapes and sizes. Give each guest beads as they walk in to get in the mood of Mardi Gras. Beads are great for table decorations and napkin rings, too.
• Light Up Party Items - Mugs, Martini Glasses, Light Cubes and more!
• Glow Items - Light-Ropes in Mardi Gras colors. The popular purple, green and gold combo is a great choice for your Mardi Gras Party. Glow Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings & sunglasses are also popular items.

MARDI GRAS ENTERTAINMENT:

When it comes to entertainment, Mardi Gras has it all. Your selections of music should reflect just that, a wide variety to please all. Of course, most likely you won't find an authentic swamp band, or a seasoned New Orleans musician, so make sure your DJ or MC knows how to keep the party going. This Mardi Gras Music Cd or Mardi Gras Madness Cd will get you started.

A string quartet or harpist would be the perfect musical accompaniment for a fancy affair, especially during the cocktail hour and dinner.

For additional entertainment, hire a voodoo priestess or fortune-teller to provide some delightful readings.

MARDI GRAS FOODS:

For a formal sit down meal, complete with place cards, a Venetian "flavored" meal works perfectly with this theme.

Garnish food with edible loose-leaf gold, and cover dessert in tiny edible silver and gold balls.

Serve dry snacks and appetizers in Mg Glitter Top Hats in a colorful assortment of green, gold & purple. 

Sheer glitz and glamour, this party will shine and sparkle in the memories of your guests. At the entry to the area where guests will be dining, place a large ornate, gilded mirror on a standing easel. On the mirror, in a removable paint marker, write the menu for the evening in a calligraphic hand.

Louisiana crab cakes and steamed crawfish are excellent appetizers.

Don't forget the frozen Hurricanes and perhaps make some Swamp Punch for the kids, complete with gummy worms and floating toy boats.

Whatever your main course happens to be, offer your guests the option of spicing it up with cayenne pepper and New Orleans hot sauce.

Warm beignet donuts are excellent for dessert, especially when accompanied by a nice cup of Chicory coffee. 

For a casual buffet serve Jalapeno poppers and nachos for appetizers and have a "make your own taco & fajitas" bar. Include chafing trays with seasoned beef and marinated grilled chicken. Along with the tortillas & hard tacos, the fixings include: guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions & peppers, olives, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, taco sauce, chopped chilies. As side dishes have refried beans, yellow rice with black beans & salad.

King Cake

King Cakes are like cinnamon rolls but twisted into a large oval. The tops are covered with white icing and then sprinkled with sugar dyed purple, green, and gold (yellow). Hidden inside the king cake is a plastic King Cake Baby about the size of an almond. Tradition has it that the person who finds the baby in the king cake is the next queen or king and must host the next king cake party. 

To make a simple King Cake

Ingredients:

1 can of cinnamon rolls, with icing 
3/4 cup of sugar, separated into 3 parts of 1/4 each 
food coloring 

Separate the cinnamon rolls and roll them out by hand so that they look like a hot dog. Shape the roll into an oval, pinch the ends together, and place on a cookie sheet. Cook as directed. 

While they are cooking, use food coloring to dye sugar. Make one part purple using blue and red, one part green, and one part gold using yellow. When they are finished cooking, ice the tops with the white icing. Sprinkle the different colors of sugars alternating as you go around the oval. Enjoy!
 

Mardi Gras Party Links

Mardi Gras Decorations and Props by ShindigZ

If you have a large area to decorate, ShindigZ by Stumps offers a wide selection of large decorations and props such as murals, arches, columns and etc. that are perfect for decorating a ballroom, or other large areas. Here are links to some of our favorites.

Mardi Gras Party Supplies by Shindigz

Excellent candles for Mardi Gras are the French Quarter Glitter Candle or French Quarter Flute Candle.

If your budget is low, but your dreams are grand, consider the depth of a giant mural. They fill a wall, and better yet, they provide guests with the most realistic setting imaginable. Giant Murals add a distinctive flair to your decor. Use one or several side-by-side. These murals go up fast for quick and easy decorating and they are the perfect way to carry through any theme. 

Mardi Gras Mural 

Mask Mural 
Create a spectacular backdrop for your Mardi Gras party with this brightly colored mask mural. Printed on heavy paper.

Sax Player Mural 
Giant Murals add a distinctive flair to your decor. Use one or several side-by-side. These murals go up fast for quick and easy decorating. Perfect way to carry through any theme. 

Bourbon Street Memories Mural 
Add a fun full-color mural to your Mardi Gras party with personalized flair!

Transport guests to Bourbon Street in the famed French Quarter for the evening. Party N'awlins style with our Mardi Gras essentials.

Add this classic Mardi Gras Mask to your party decorations for the flair of New Orleans with an elegant touch. It looks great above your mantle or hung on the wall. Metallic stars, streamers and purple, green and gold fringe accent the mask. 2' tall x 4' wide.

Bourbon Street Masquerade 

Masquerade Arch 
Let the good times roll! A night in New Orleans will be yours when you step through this 9' tall x 8' wide corrugated arch. Traditional Mardi Gras colors adorn the festive arch. It features all of the items shown. 

Bourbon Street Lamp Post 
The old-fashioned charm of New Orleans is replicated here with our 12' tall x 4' wide lamp post. We've used tubing, balloons and cardboard to create the lamp post.

Masquerade Columns
Colorful beads, masks and balloons all garnish our 8' tall corrugated column in typical Mardi Gras fashion. The arch is 18" wide.

Bourbon Street Bubble Fountain 
Twinkle lights illuminate the golden crown that sit atop of our 6' tall x 6' wide corrugated fountain. The bubbles are actually balloons! Twinkle lights included. 

Masquerade Balloon Strand
The ultimate in fun! You'll receive 100 purple, teal and gold balloons to create this 2' tall x 25' wide balloon strand

French Quarter Soiree Kit 

French Quarter Soiree Kit Contains: 1 French Quarter Arch, 1 French Quarter Lamppost, 4 French Quarter Columns, and 1 French Quarter Balloon Strand. We created the floor and background with thunder gray seamless paper. The floor is scattered with metallic balloons, shred and beads.

French Quarter Arch 
Enter into the mystique of Mardi Gras! This 9? high x 8? wide corrugated arch is your gateway to the French Quarter. Adorned with traditional Mardi Gras colors, the arch comes complete with all of the items shown. 

French Quarter Lamppost 
Transport the charm of the French Quarter to your dance! Our old-fashioned 12? high x 4? wide lamppost adds an authentic touch to your Mardi Gras theme. Two lampposts come with corrugated fencing and banner as shown. 

French Quarter Column 
Continue your night of revelry surrounded by our festive 8? high corrugated columns. Colorful beads, masks and balloons all garnish our column in typical Mardi Gras fashion.

French Quarter Balloon Strand 
Accent your dance floor with classic Mardi Gras colors! You?ll receive 100 purple, 100 green and 100 gold balloons to create this balloon strand. 

New Orleans Arch 
This balloon and cardboard arch features purple, green, and gold colors, and is topped with a corrugated crown, black masks and purple foil stars. 

New Orleans Columns 
Each cardboard column measures 8 1/2' high x 3' wide and is festooned with green and purple balloons, masks, foil stars, and corrugated feathers. Sold in pairs.

New Orleans Gossamer Columns 
These magical gossamer columns measure 10' high and are topped with a 3' balloon (helium required). Gold foil stars included. Sold in pairs.
 

Mardi Gras Mambo Kit 

Mask Mural 
Capture the glitz of Mardi Gras with this tri-color mural.

Giant Hanging Mask 
Hang it from the ceiling with materials we provide or hang it on the wall. Sturdy corrugated paper is highlighted with cracked ice. Decorative metallic streamers and balloons are also included. 6? wide, 12? high. 

French Quarter Fountain
Our 5? high column is fashioned of black corrugated paper and metallic accents. A gossamer braid finishes the look. 

Masquerade Balloon Boat 
Two purple masks trimmed in gold grace both sides of this 31" x 4? floor decoration. 8 yards of gossamer and 30 assorted metallic balloons fill the inside of the boat. 

Mardi Gras Magic 
Perfect Photo Op!

Mardi Gras Magic Arch 
Guests will step under this magnificent arch into a night of Mardi Gras Magic. The 9 1/2' high x 7' wide cardboard and corrugated arch is accented with metallic cutouts and toss beads, and is illuminated by three light fixtures in each side column. 

Mardi Gras Lighted Stars 
Place these lighted stars at the entrance to your party to welcome guests to your Mardi Gras celebration. Each 3' high x 3' wide cardboard and corrugated star is illuminated with twinkle lights.


Mardi Gras Decorations 

Mardi Gras Arch 
Beads, masks, lights, and metallic accents make this arch a sparkling addition to your Mardi Gras bash. The 10' high x 9 1/2' wide x 1' deep corrugated and cardboard arch is also a wonderful backdrop for party photos.

Mardi Gras Music Entrance 

Mardi Gras Music Entrance 
Jazz up your evening on Bourbon Street with this musical arch! Standing 10' high x 7' wide, the corrugated and cardboard arch includes two battery-operated candles and a bevy of musical notes and balloons. Arch comes complete with one Trumpet Player and one Saxophone Player. 

Jazz Players 
Bring the sounds of New Orleans to your Mardi Gras celebration with these self-standing cardboard and corrugated jazz players. Trumpet player stands 6' high x 3 1/4' wide; saxophone player stands 5 3/4' high x 2 1/2' wide.