Tips for throwing a Mardi Gras Party

The Mardi Gras season is from January 6 (the feast of the Ephiphany) until Mardi Gras Day, also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Most people celebrate the season on Mardi Gras Day (which is February 21 this year) or the weekend before.

Do you want to have a fun and fabulous Mardi Gras party this year? Check out these tips and ideas to help you get started:

Invitation Ideas

• Create a festive mask to send as your invitation.
• Use the colors purple, green and gold, Mardi Gras colors. One idea: layer purple cardstock on top of green, and write the party details in a gold paint pen.
• Planning a crawfish boil for the party? Include a bib with the invite. 

Decorations

• Use Mardi Gras Colors throughout.
• Adorn yourself and guests with Mardi Gras beads. You can also pile them on tables, place then on curtain rods and sling them over light fixtures for a festive touch. 
• Give your guests feathered masks to wear and/or encourage them to wear a Mardi Gras costume. 
• Include a little Spanish moss, which is plentiful in New Orleans. You can get it from a craft store, and use it around the room on potted plants or as table centerpieces. 
• Search the Internet or your local party supply store for more Mardi Gras decorations.

Food
Traditional Mardi Gras food includes:

• Gumbo
• Shrimp and crab appetizers
• Crawfish boil 
• Jambalaya
• Red beans and rice
• Hurricanes
• Mardi Gras King Cake 

For more tips and ideas, check out Throwing a Mardi Gras Party and Mardi Gras 2012 Party Ideas.




[Photo Credit]