Mardi Gras Crafts for Kids

On February 21, New Orleans, and many other places around the world, will come to life with parades and parties as they celebrate Mardi Gras. You can have your own celebration right at home with these crafts.

What You Need:

Paper plates

Scissors

Markers

Decorations like feathers, glitter, stickers, lace

Ribbon – purple, green, gold or a combination

Thin dowel, 12-inch long

Masking tape

Glue

What to Do:

1. Cut the paper plate in half. Hold the half plate up to your face and gently mark where your eyes are with a marker then cut eye-shaped holes (you may need help from mom or dad). Cut out a small area on the bottom middle for your nose.

2. Using a green or purple marker, color the front of the mask completely. You may want to use some newspaper under your mask so you don’t get marker on the table.

3. Decorate with feathers, glitter, stickers, lace or anything else you have in your craft box.

4. Glue the end of the ribbon to the bottom of the dowel. Allow to dry.

5. Wind the ribbon around the dowel to cover it completely. Glue the end of the ribbon to the dowel. Allow to dry.

6. Tape the dowel to the back of the mask on the side.

What You Need:

Thick cardboard

Scissors

Glitter gold paint

Paint brush

Black paint

Wax paper

What to Do:

1. Cut several circles from the cardboard in two or three different sizes.

2. Place a piece of wax paper then paint the cardboard with the glitter gold paint. Allow to dry completely.

3. Flip over and paint the back side. Allow to dry completely.

4. Paint numbers on one side of the coin to represent its value, like 25¢ or 50¢. Allow to dry.

What You Need:

Gold craft foam

Scissors

Stapler with staples

Glitter, markers, fake gems or stickers

What to Do:

1. Cut two strips of gold foam about four-inches wide the length of the foam (along the long side).

2. Along one long side on each strip, cut out triangles to create the top of the crown.

3. Overlap the short sides of the crowns, matching up the triangles, then staple in place. Wrap the foam around your head, overlapping the two strips. Carefully remove from your head then staple in place. Trim the excess.

4. Decorate with glitter, markers, fake gems or stickers.

What You Need:

Tissue paper

Toilet paper roll

Curly ribbon

Tape

Scissors

Candy or small toys

What to Do:

1. Cut tissue paper so that it covers the toilet paper roll and has two-inches extra on each side.

2. Fill the toilet paper with candy and small toys.

3. Cover the toilet paper roll with the tissue paper and hold in place with a piece of tape.

4. Carefully close the ends by tying with the curly ribbon.

What You Need:

Small white paper bag

Markers

Glue

Glitter

What to Do:

1. Decorate the bag with markers or glitter. Draw pictures of beads, crowns, masks, etc. in purple, green and gold. Allow to dry completely if you use glitter.

Get all your costumes and party supplies created before Mardi Gras. On the day, get dressed up in brightly colored clothes with lots of purple, green and gold in them. Put on the costume items you made then have a parade through the living room. Mom and dad can toss beads (these can be purchased inexpensively at the dollar store), gold coins, party poppers, and other trinkets (which can also be bought at the dollar store) as you pass by that you can collect in the bag you decorated.