3 Easy Mardi Gras Crafts

Hot glue guns help make quick work of crafts. If you are throwing a Mardi Gras party and need decorations, favors or both, all you need is one trusty hot glue gun and a few supplies from the craft store. Here are just a few ideas to make your Mardi Gras decor more memorable.

The Mask

Masks are a mainstay of Mardi Gras Celebrations. These masks are easy to assemble so you can have one ready for all your guests. You will need a mask pattern, craft foam (think purple, yellow and green), sequins, gemstones or other embellishments, 1/4-inch wood dowels - about 12 inches long, gold metallic paint, glitter and feathers. Paint all the dowel rods with gold metallic paint. Trace out the mask pattern onto the craft foam and cut out the design. Decorate the mask in any way you want, using hot glue to attach everything. You can keep it simple and ring the eye holes with sequins and add gemstones to the corners. Another option is to cover the area with feathers then embellish with glitter. Glue one side of the mask to the dowel and you are ready to go.

The Umbrella

Make your own parade umbrella and truly stand out from the crowd. Start with a basic umbrella from a craft or dollar-type store. Use the glue gun to attach feathers on the outside of the umbrella. It is better to put the glue on the feathers before laying them on the umbrella. This is because the umbrella fabric could melt. Glue glossy tassels to the points on the umbrella to give it some swishy movement when you walk. You can also line the interior of the umbrella with a different color of feather or feathers. Make everything shine with a layer of glitter.

The Necklace Chandelier

Add a distinctive decorative element to your party with these chandeliers. By using Mardi Gras beads in a variety of colors with battery operated lights, you can have lighting wherever you need it. For this project you need lots of Mardi Gras necklaces and a wire wreath frame, in addition to your glue gun. Glue the beads to the innermost ring on the wreath, letting them drape over the outer rings. Completely cover this inner ring with beads. Glue the beads in place on the outer ring, as well. Since the rings are of different sizes, you can add more strings of beads to the outer rings. You can also leave them out if you like the look of the frame. Trim the ends with scissors, if desired. Uneven ends are okay also, it just depends on the look you are going for. Glue a loop of craft wire at the top of the chandelier to use as a hanger. Use the battery operated light to make it glow.


Image by Scott*, and licensed through Creative Commons. 

Casey Heigl is Hot Melt’s Product Support Specialist. Hot Melt has been manufacturing and distributing bulk hot melt an hot glue guns for industrial and hobby adhesive applications for 20 years.