Mardi Gras Mask Fun

I created simple masks for a Mardi Gras program at the local library. The kids had a lot of fun and made such creative designs. I thought some of you might enjoy making masks with your kids, too.

The mask base is just cereal box cardboard, but once it is covered in feathers, glitter, paper, or sequins, you really can’t tell. Some of the nicest masks were the ones made with glitter, but I prefer paper because it can be a very green craft. (I used red tissue paper that I rescued from a Christmas present someone gave me for my butterfly mask.)

I also made paper beads with the kids. This is a really simple, but fun, craft that I first remember doing in 1st or 2nd grade with magazine pages and paper scraps.( The paper beads seemed like a nice, free alternative to the plastic mass produced Mardi Gras beads people buy to hand out.)

The librarian running the program made a king cake to go along with the program. I should have gotten her recipe, because it was delicious! I found a king cake recipe for bread machines, though. I’m thinking about giving it a try.

The first mask was so simple that you really don’t need a template. Just trace around some glasses and adjust the ends to be as pointy and cat’s eyeish as you want. The butterfly mask template was a bit harder, so I’ve included a pdf of the template for you:

Mardi Gras Mask Template