As your guests arrive, let them hear the sounds of a Dixieland jazz band or the Mardi Gras music playing in the background. Purple, green, and gold are the traditional colors of the celebration, and can be displayed throughout the house (along with any other colors you choose).  Hang crepe paper on the walls, along with masks, balloons, etc.

There are some great Mardi Gras scene setters available.  My favorite is the Mardi Gras Terraces design. Try brightly colored replicas of jazz band instruments such as saxophones and horns.

 Hang feather boas and Mardi Gras beads around mirrors. Make sure you have plenty of beads on hand for your guests to wear. Make king and queen crowns available for your guests. Use inflatable musical notes to hang on walls or off the backs of chairs.

I like adding Mardi Gras swirls from the ceiling.  Add a little bit of Mardi Gras garland for accent and you have created Bourbon Street in your home!  One of the best things about having a Mardi Gras theme party (besides the fact it’s so much fun) is the large amount of colorful decorations available.  Visit Mardi Gras Decorating411 to see the wide selection of Mardi Gras decorations that are available.

Don't forget about New Years Eve though when you're decorating!  Add some New Years danglers to your ceiling decorations or glitter Happy New Years banners.

New Year's Mardi Gras Party Centerpieces

Make different bouquets of New Years Eve noisemakers and 2010 glasses to use as your centerpieces. Have them coming out of fun Mardi Gras sequin hats (or other fun Mardi Gras theme hats). Tie purple, gold, and green helium filled balloons to the bouquets to give them some height. Your guests can use the noisemakers later to join in the festivities too. Use Mardi Gras coins and King Cake babies to scatter across tables.

We never have a formal sit down dinner for New Year’s Eve so food is necessary but pretty informal. Naturally we use paper goods!  Choose a fun design for your paper goods.  Pick from either New Years theme paper goods or Mardi Gras theme paper goods.  Just choose something bright and colorful! 

Mardi Gras New Year's Menu

Mardi Gras Activities

Along with the usual New Year's Eve hoopla, have a costume contest! Whoever has the most elaborate and creative costume is the winner! Another fun game that you can play is "Hidden Treasure." Divide everyone into two teams, and have a treasure hunt for gold Doubloons and beaded necklaces. You can hide a bunch of stuff with or without giving the teams clues as to the whereabouts of the "treasure." The team that finds the most "treasure" wins a prize! We suggest the grand prize be a a festive Mardi Gras crown.

New Year's Eve Party Favors
 

This is a great night to decorate your guests. For complete theme kits of hats, tiaras and noisemakers check out these New Year's Theme Kits, Party Apparel and Noisemakers.

A bag of chocolate Doubloons are always a nice treat for your guests to take home. But even better is a personalized Mardi Gras candy bar wrappers that will remind your friends how much fun they had the night before. 

It's going to be a great party, but be warned....  Your guests will have so much fun at your New Year's Mardi Gras party that they will want you to host another Mardi Gras party in February!