It is customary to wear a mask to celebrate Mardi Gras, so, if you don’t have one on hand for this special event, you can use these directions to make your own paper plate Mardi Gras mask. Along with making a mask, you might want to make some green, purple, and gold clay to make beads and then put on your own Mardi Gras parade.
Why green, purple, and gold? Those are the ‘official’ colors of Mardi Gras. I have read where those colors were chosen because they were the colors most associated with the Catholic church and also that they were chosen in 1872 in honor of the visiting Russian Grand Duke. No matter which of these reasons are true, what is true is what each color represents. Gold represents power. green represents faith, and purple represents justice.
Supplies Needed to Make a Paper Plate Mardi Gras Mask:
- Paper plate
- Paint (either purple, green, or gold)
- Items to Embellish (feathers, sequins, etc)
- Craft Glue
- Stick (Dowel, Straw, or a Large Piece of Paper)
- Tape
Tools Needed:
- Paint Brush
- Scissors
Start out by painting half of the paper plate either green, purple, or gold. Let the paint dry.
Flip the paper plate over and draw out your mask. First, cut the paper plate in half and then cut out the nose shape. Hold the plate up to your face and mark where your eyes are. Cut out the eye holes.
Now comes the fun! Use a variety of craft supplies to decorate your mask. Technically, as far as Mardi Gras goes, the more garish, the better so mine is a little plain. Add plenty of feathers and go wild with anything that sparkles!
The final step is to add a stick so you can hold the mask up to your face. The best option for this is a piece of dowel. You can try to use a straw, but if you have a lot of embellishment on your mask it might be too heavy.
I didn’t have a dowel or a straw so I made one from a large piece of paper. To do this, simply lay your paper on a table and roll it very tight. Tape it together.
If you are lucky enough to go to a parade for Mardi Gras, or any other celebration, make sure you take your mask with you! If you aren’t going anywhere, put on your own parade.
