Mardi Gras Mask Decorating
Decorating a Mardi Gras mask in the festival's signature purple, green, and gold is a joyful, maximalist craft — more is more! Feathers, gems, glitter, sequins, ribbon — children pile it all on in the spirit of Mardi Gras excess and creativity.
What You'll Need
- Plain domino-style mask — plain half-face masks from a craft store
- Purple, green, and gold paint — for the base
- Feathers, gems, glitter glue, sequins — the more the better
- Elastic or dowel — for wearing or holding
- Glue
How to Do It
Step 1: Paint the base. Paint the mask in purple, green, and gold sections. Let dry.
Step 2: Decorate! The whole activity is this step. Children pile on feathers, gems, glitter, and sequins with abandon.
Step 3: Dry completely. Let dry flat overnight.
Step 4: Attach wearing mechanism. Attach elastic to wear, or glue a dowel to hold up to the face.
Step 5: Parade! Wear the mask for a Mardi Gras celebration.
🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
Maximalist aesthetic — Understanding that sometimes more really is more is a valid artistic concept.
Cultural celebration — Learning about Mardi Gras connects to Louisiana and French-American culture.
Tips & Variations
- Play Mardi Gras jazz music during the decorating for atmosphere.
- Make matching crowns.
- Research the history of Mardi Gras masks together before making.
My Two Cents
Mardi Gras crafts are the perfect antidote to any crafts that have been too restrained — give children full permission to cover every millimeter of the mask in glitter and feathers. The resulting masks are spectacular.
