Masks are an important part of a Mardi Gras celebration.
Masks are an important part of any Mardi Gras celebration for both kids and adults. New Orleans' most famous celebration includes masks as part of the street parades, at fancy dress balls, and at nearly every party. Masks come in all shapes and sizes and are very easy to make on your own. Mardi Gras mask-making can be a fun project for kids, or you can dress things up a little to make easy masks for adults.
Venetian Masks
Festive Carnival masks in a Venetian style are always appropriate for Mardi Gras. Form the body of the mask using heavy card stock or craft foam, and cut out a variety of fanciful shapes. Venetian masks often come in an "eyeglass" style but can also include bird beaks and other unusual design elements. Take some time to look at real Carnival masks before you choose a style. Apply glitter, plastic gems, and shiny stickers, or paint your mask in a unique design all your own. Mount it on a stiff wire or small dowel rod.
Beads
Choose a commercial mask base, then decorate it with beads or rhinestones. Use an adhesive that will keep the beads on the mask base even in hot or damp weather. Epoxy-based glues like E-6000 are a good choice. Attach plastic beads, metal beads, or readily available semi-precious stone beads. Take a little time to plan out the pattern before you start gluing, since many adhesives set up quickly and moving beads can be difficult. Remember that large beads may make your mask heavy to wear.
Feathers
Feather masks are a Mardi Gras staple, and they are relatively simple to make at home. Choose a plastic or paper mache mask base, then add chicken, pheasant or maribou feathers. Glue feathers one layer at a time using a strong, epoxy-based adhesive, and allow the glue to dry fully between layers. Feather masks look best if you work from back to front. Start with the largest feathers and work your way down to the smallest. Never allow a feather mask to get wet, since it can be hard to restore the feathers to their original condition.
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