Things You'll Need:
- Invitations
- Mardi Gras beads
- Gold coins
- Black masks
- Gold permanent marker or paint pen
- Paper plates
- Glue
- Glitter
- Feathers
- Hole punch
- String
- Crown
- Beaded curtains
- Balloons
- French Quarter backdrop
- Confetti
- Feather boas
- Personalized candy bars
- Slushies
- Jambalaya, red beans and rice
- Shrimp, crab and crawfish
- King Cake
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Step 1
Select invitations. Choose festive invitations informing guests about the theme for the Sweet 16 party. Consider attaching the invitation to a string of Mardi Gras beads or placing a gold coin on the invitation. Purchase inexpensive black masks and write the information on the mask using a gold permanent marker or paint pen. Include information about special events such as a costume parade or costume contest.
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Step 2
Think about party activities. Making Mardi Gras masks provides a creative party activity. Provide black plastic masks or paper plates so guests can create one-of-a-kind masks. Supply glue, glitter and feathers to decorate the masks. Punch holes on the sides and tie a string through the two holes so guests can wear the mask. Ask a friend to dress as a fortune teller and read guests' fortunes. Hold a costume contest for the most original costume, most creative or most authentic. Give guests several strands of beads as they arrive. Establish a hot phrase such as "party," "Mardi Gras" or "beads." If another guest catches someone saying the hot phrase, he or she must give the guest a strand of beads. The person with the most beads at the end of the evening is the Mardi Gras king or queen and wins the crown.
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Step 3
Decorate for the Sweet 16 Mardi Gras party. Traditional Mardi Gras colors are purple, green and gold. Use these as the basis for the Sweet 16 Mardi Gras party. Purchase beads for guests to wear and extras for table decorations. Hang beaded curtains in the doorway, metallic masks on the wall and balloons from the ceiling. Consider painting or purchasing a backdrop of the New Orlean's French Quarter. Backdrops provide excellent photo opportunities. Use confetti, masks, gold coins, boas or balloons as centerpieces.
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Step 4
Plan a festive menu. Make finger foods such as shrimp, crab and crawfish. Consider a dinner when serving jambalaya, red beans and rice. Dish up a traditional New Orleans dessert, King Cake, and give a prize to the guest who finds the baby. Serve purple, green and yellow slushies in plastic hurricane glasses.
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Step 5
Prepare party favors. Making masks during the Sweet 16 party provides the perfect party favor. Another option is to make masks before the party and pass them out to guests as they arrive. Encourage guests to take beads home at the end of the party. Consider personalized candy bars if you want to send guests home with a small token to remember the party. Include the guest of honor's name, date of the party and a few Mardi Gras symbols such as beads or masks.
