This week on our bi-weekly segment on News 15 we again celebrated the Mardi Gras season with a super simple, but fun craft on Good Day Acadiana with Alex Worstell.
Last year, I created the Shoebox Mardi Gras Float for my very first appearance on the morning show. It was a fun memory that I have carried with me from my childhood and I remember being excited to make one every year. So I asked my kids what crafts they remembered making when they were younger to celebrate carnival season and they both said a Mardi Gras mask.
Check out the post on our Facebook page from the show this week:
Mardi Gras Paper Plate Mask
Growing up in New Orleans, we always used the left over beads for our arts and crafts projects. As Louisiana residents many local have attended Mardi Gras balls or parties, ridden in parades where mask were part of the required attire. And this is usually the time of year that most folks do not mind having to wear a mask! With that, let me give you the details on how to make your own Mardi Gras Paper Plate mask with your kids this carnival season.
Supplies You'll Need:
- Paper or Styrofoam plate
- Paints, brushes, and markers
- Popsicle sticks
- Elmer's glue and/or hot glue
- Mardi Gras beads
- Exacto knife or scissors
- Stickers, glitter, pom-poms, sequins, noodles, beans or other small decorative items
- Ribbons or string optional as well
Step-by-Step Instructions
First paint your paper plate. I recommend only painting the top three quarters so you can hold the bottom of the plate as you craft. Make sure to paint both sides. You will probably need to put a couple of layers on your plate to make sure the coverage is solid.
Next, while your paint is drying you can decide which trinkets or goodies you want to add to give your mask some pizazz! You will want the actual inside of your plate to be the section that covers your face, so your trinkets will go on the other side. You can use anything from leftover beads to stickers, glitter, or other small items like buttons, beans, or noodles. Using hot glue to add your decorative items is best, as they will have a better chance of staying in place.
Now that your plate is completely dry, hold the plate up to your face or your child's face to mark the eyes with a pencil. I used an Exacto knife to cut the eyes out. They may look a little wonky but you can always trace over them with a dark marker or add another layer of paint if necessary.
Begin to add your decorative items around the plate as you desire. We used leftover beads, feathers, stickers, glitter glue and and pom-poms. Now you can cut your bottom half of plate away so that the only part covering your face is from the nose up. I trimmed my mask several times to get it to the right desire.
Next, using hot glue add a popsicle stick to the inside part of your mask so you can hold it up over your face. You can paint the stick, add ribbons, or other decorations as you desire. It's totally up to you! If you have string or elastic straps, you can also cut two holes on the side of your plate and run the string through so you can wear your mask hands free.
You kids will enjoy creating this Mardi Gras magic with you and they can wear their own mask to the parades, around the house, or better yet, make their own parade with friends in the neighborhood!
 January 24, 2024 Image by Sierra St. Julien |
Join us next time on Good Day Acadiana on Wednesday, February 7, 2024,
from 7:00 am to 9:00 am for more fun, inexpensive crafts.
You can also catch the live stream of News 15 Today online. Or, catch up on our past crafting segments with Alex Worstell on News 15 KADN on their You Tube Channel.
Happy Crafting Acadiana! |
