Mardi Gras Crafts for Kids

Five family-friendly projects to celebrate Fat Tuesday!

1. Decorate the house!
Green (faith), purple (justice) and gold (power) are the traditional colors of Mardi Gras. Stock up on party supplies such as streamers, beads, balloons and feathers in those colors.

As you hang your decorations, explain what each of the colors mean to your child. To dress up plain decorations, add-on gold fleur-de-lis stickers, another symbol of Mardi Gras that represents royalty.

2. Feathered Masks.
Just like at Halloween, kids will love the idea of creating a fun disguise. Pick up a bunch of half-face masks (they're safer than the full-face ones) at your local craft store such as Michael's or A.C. Moore.

Then, stock up on feathers (the more the better!), rhinestones, glitter and other fun supplies to decorate the masks with. Plan this for a late-morning/early-afternoon activity to give the masks time to dry.

3. Paper Plate Tambourine.
Kids love musical instruments and they'll have a blast playing a tambourine, pretending to be marching in a Mardi Gras parade.

To make have your child decorate the outside of two paper plates. Glue purple, green or gold streamers to the inside of one plate and then glue the two plates together, insides facing one another. To finish, use a hole punch to punch a hole around the rim of the plates and then tie jingle bells onto each hole.

4. Crafty Crown.
Kids will love to be king or queen for the day! Measure the circumference of your child's head and add several inches. Trace a rectangle as long as that measurement and about four inches wide, onto an open brown paper bag. Next, draw a zig zag pattern across the top, resembling a crown and cut out.

Have your child decorate the crown using markers, crayons, large jewels and glitter. To wear, wrap the crown around your child's head and tape to secure.
 
5. Paper Flower Centerpiece.
Help your child cut out several large circles of purple, green and gold tissue paper (you'll need at least 20 or so). Scrunch the center of the pile and form into a flower shape. Tape or staple the bottom and gently seperate the layers. Twist a green pipe cleaner to the bottom to make a stem.

Next, arrange the flowers in a vase or an empty coffee can that has been covered in decorative paper. Insert long, colorul feathers, such as peacock feathers among the blooms.