Mardi Gras Centerpiece Ideas

About Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras – French for “Fat Tuesday” – is the culmination of midwinter Carnival celebrations. The day is marked by excess and jubilation, including masquerades, rich, delicious foods, vibrant music, and carefree socializing. In the United States, Mardi Gras has a strong French Catholic influence as well as a unique Cajun flair from New Orleans. However, a Mardi Gras celebration can be themed to any number of countries that enjoy this raucous holiday, including Argentina, many Caribbean islands, and others.

Mardi Gras Decorations

The most recognizable feature of Mardi Gras parties is the bold colors – purple, green, and gold are the traditional colors for this holiday. Most party decorations, including centerpieces, should highlight these colors. A Mardi Gras centerpiece is particularly important because food is prominent for this holiday and a sumptuous snack or buffet table is not complete without a stunning centerpiece as its focal point.

Fun Mardi Gras Centerpiece Ideas

There are many ways to create a themed centerpiece for a Mardi Gras party, from formal and elegant options to wild and outrageous decorations. Popular ideas include:

• Masks: A bouquet could be made of multiple Mardi Gras masks that may double as party favors, or a single, more elaborate painted or jeweled mask could be surrounded by colorful beads or feather boas to serve as the highlight of the table.

Have a jolly party with a jester hat centerpiece.

• Jester Hat: Fun and frivolity is essential for a Mardi Gras party, and a jester hat with its crazy colors and bells can symbolize the festive nature of the party. Add beads, garland, or other accents to turn even a simple jester hat into a clever centerpiece.
• Jazz Theme: A Mardi Gras party that focuses on the rich music of New Orleans is perfectly symbolized by a jazz centerpiece made of musical notes or gleaming instruments.
• Creative Colors: The traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple, green, and gold – can create a unique centerpiece with colorful flowers, feathers, silk blooms, or other classic centerpiece items in only these festive colors.
• Candles: Colorful candles can be set into bases filled with Mardi Gras beads or colored gems, or for more elegant Mardi Gras centerpiece ideas, simple ivory or white candles can be paired with themed accents.
• Edible Centerpieces: Because Fat Tuesday celebrates excess with rich, delicious foods and decadent desserts, an edible centerpiece is the perfect choice for a Mardi Gras party. Cookie bouquets, cupcake towers, or dishes of colored candies are all tasty options. You can also opt for a crazy colored, tilted tiered cake for a more elaborate edible treat.
• Treasure Chest: A Mardi Gras party can celebrate richness by spreading wealth through a treasure chest. Fill the chest with beads, gold doubloons, and gems in Mardi Gras colors, and the booty can also serve as easy party favors.
• Bead Tower: A more elaborate centerpiece option is to create a tower of iconic Mardi Gras beads. Use a curved wire support to stack graduated sizes of styrofoam balls coated with glitter or paint in appropriate colors to create a tower, and surround it with smaller strings of beads or other colorful accents.
• King’s Crown: A colorful jeweled novelty crown can double as a king’s centerpiece to celebrate the “king of fools” heritage of Mardi Gras. Fill the crown with beads, treats, or other baubles for an even more festive look.

Coordinating Your Centerpiece

Whatever centerpiece will grace the table at a Mardi Gras party, it should not stand alone. Well-coordinated table decorations enhance the beauty and impact of both simple and elaborate centerpieces and add more flair to the festivities. A richly colored tablecloth, garlands or beads strung along the table’s edge, colored cutlery and serving dishes, and elaborately arranged trays of food will emphasize the party theme and provide a suitable backdrop for a beautiful Mardi Gras centerpiece.

From simple, classic looks to elaborately themed creations, there are many Mardi Gras centerpiece ideas to choose from when planning a party for this wildly festive occasion. Some centerpieces may be purely decorative while others double as party favors or even additional snacks, but all of them will enhance the beauty and fun of a Fat Tuesday party.