Mardi Gras Party: Part I

I held my Fat Tuesday party on Saturday! I hope these pictures and ideas can help you in putting together your own Mardi gras celebration! Lots more after the jump!

Invitation

I selected this cute Mardi Gras invitation from evite that matched perfectly with my theme. I love the simplicity and hint of mystery!

Party Décor:

I decided to use the traditional Mardi gras colors of purple, green and gold as my main pallet. I used beads, masks, candles in these colors to draw everything together. As usual, the table didn’t come together until the last minute. When it did, I was very proud! Here’s how it was all put together:

The tablescape was anchored by a piece of purple sequined fabric I had left over from New Years. To add height, I placed books underneath the fabric to make the accessories behind the candles stand out.

The main punch of color came out in the paper lanterns that hung over the food table. To add some height, I created a tree of beads using a tall gold vase that I already had. I added some branches that I cut off a tree and spray painted white. It was free and made a big statement on the table!

I used upside-down water glasses as bases for my gold, green and purple candles. The candles were adorned with two inch thick piece of black shiny scrapbook paper and spelled out the Brazilian term for the Mardi gras season, “Carnival.” I bought the green and gold shimmery candles on sale at Crate & Barrel.

The table ended up being all about the accessories. The easiest and most fun part of the décor to make was the masks! I purchased the masks for $1.00 from Party City and decorated them with feathers, jewels and sequins. Don’t you just love your hot glue gun?! To highlight the masks, I layered a glass vase with Mardi gras beads and used wooden dowels to anchor the mask in the vase. I also turned a wooden plaque from Hob-Lob into a Bourbon Street sign using spray paint, wooden letters and stickers.

In a last minute shopping spree I found an oh-so fabulous metal crawfish at Ross. This little guy added a touch of red and that perfect Cajun feel to the table!

I used black placemats and gold chargers to protect my table and serve as platters for my appetizers. I was excited to use the appetizer plates from C&B that I won in the HWTM contest!

Check back soon for EVEN MORE photos of this party! I’ll be posting pictures of the ever important bar area and recipes for all the delicious dishes you see above!

See more photos of this party:

• Mardi Gras Party Flickr Album