Things You'll Need:
- Glue
- Mardi Gras plastic beads
- Sequins
- Candy coins
- Serving dishes
- Feathers
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Step 1
Come up with a theme for your party. Select elegant decorations for masquerade balls, family-friendly props for block parties and adult-themed items to capture the mayhem of Bourbon Street.
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Step 2
Make your own invitations. Glue sequins, glitter and small colored feathers onto cards. Be sure to specify whether children are welcome at your party. Just like the real Mardi Gras in New Orleans, some parties may be too raucous for children.
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Step 3
Go to your local party or craft store and pick up streamers, balloons, ribbons, Mardi Gras beads and plastic cups in shades of green, gold and purple.
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Step 4
Order plastic cups and have them imprinted with the party date and theme. Keep in mind that the more cups you order, the more you save on printing and delivery costs.
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Step 5
Fill serving bowls with a thin layer of brightly colored Mardi Gras beads, and place chocolate candy doubloons inside. If you can't find doubloons, select chocolate coins from your local grocery store or candy store.
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Step 6
Create an authentic-looking Mardi Gras street by placing faux ladder seats around the room or in the yard. Pick up a wooden seat at your local hardware store and attach it to the top of a ladder. Be sure to place the seat far enough out of reach so no one tries to sit on it during the party.
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Step 7
Select Mardi Gras music to keep the party going into the night. Look for compilation CDs featuring New Orleans greats like the Neville Brothers, the Meters, Professor Longhair and Sugar Boy Crawford.
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Step 8
Pick up a small plastic baby for the King Cake. If you're baking the cake at home, be sure to place the plastic baby under the cake after it has cooled completely.
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Step 9
Cook authentic Mardi Gras cuisine, like red beans and rice, fried chicken and jambalaya. Pick up the "New Orleans Cookbook" by Richard Collin for quick recipes (see Resources below).
