Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is one of the largest festivals of the year, with history dating back to the 18th century. Although the biggest celebration takes place in New Orleans, you can bring Mardi Gras right to your own home.
Here are six helpful and easy Mardi Gras decoration ideas using flowers.
1. Use flowers for decoration
Flowers are the perfect way to bring some life to your Mardi Gras decorations, whether you're looking for a decorative centerpiece or festive conversation starter. The official Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold were chosen by the Rex Organization in 1892 for symbolic reasons: Purple represents justice, green is synonymous with faith, and gold stands for power. Using these three colors in a festival floral arrangement to celebrate the occasion is a must.
2. Arrange a bouquet with purple, green, and gold flowers
Buying purple, green, and yellow (gold) flowers, and placing them in a decorative vase is a great way to spice up any space for Mardi Gras. If you can't find green flowers, green leaves work well, too.
Take the three colors of flowers and place them in a vase for a Fat Tuesday mixed bouquet that will be the hit of any party! If you want to get creative, you can create DIY Mardi Gras picks, with fancy masks and plastic beads, to really take your bouquet to the next level. Use glue to attach ornate Mardi Gras masks and feathers to skewers to create a stunning effect.
If you don't feel like putting together your own bouquet, just find an arrangement that is already arranged with flowers of the traditional Mardi Gras colors, such as the Good Day Bouquet.
3. Make a vase with beads
Head to your local party store and grab a bundle of those festive purple, green, and gold Mardi Gras beads that adorn the displays this time of year. These inexpensive plastic necklaces are sure to dazzle!
Option one: Throw a few necklaces into the vases with the water to decorate the arrangement from the inside out.
Option two: Make your own Mardi Gras beaded vase by using a glue gun to wrap the beaded necklaces around the outside of the vase. For a funny and unexpected surprise, consider gluing a plastic baby to the bottom of the vase to mimic the king cake. Then, fill your Mardi Gras vase with some festive flowers!
4. Create wearable floral décor
Turn flowers into interactive décor by creating beautifully festive corsages, floral crowns, pins, and more! If you plan on handing out Mardi Gras beads at your soiree, attach flowers to them. Using a simple needle and thread, poke a hole through the bottom of the flower (closest to the stem) and create a loop around the necklace. Then, tie a knot to secure and — voila! — you have a beautiful Mardi Gras flower necklace. If you give out flowers to your guests, they can also add them themselves for a DIY party idea.
5. Add festive flower bundles throughout
Putting together a jaw-dropping centerpiece is one Mardi Gras floral option, but here's another unique idea to keep the whole event space decorated with flower decorations. Pair appropriate colors together in bundles and create mini bouquets to spread around the room. Add these tiny arrangements to any areas that could use a little extra oomph: empty tables, mantle pieces, patios, even bathrooms. At the end of the night, let guests take the bouquets home as a party favor.
6. Decorate food with flowers
The menu is one of the most important parts of any celebration...especially one called “Fat Tuesday!" Take some extra care when preparing your Cajun-inspired menu and decorate the dishes with some fragrant, freshly cut flowers — they're sure to wow guests and make for some photo-friendly foods! If you can't find a king cake, decorate cupcakes with purple, green, and gold flowers and fun toppers.
AUTHOR
Celebrate every occasion and holiday with Michelle Yastremsky! Join her as she comes up with creative ways to make your holiday party stand out!