The colours of Mardi Gras, purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power, are the heart of any Carnival decoration.
This guide shares DIY Mardi Gras decoration ideas in purple, green, and gold for 2026, from masks and wreaths to table settings and banners you can make at home on a budget.
Why Purple, Green, and Gold? The Meaning Behind Mardi Gras Colors
Before you start crafting, here’s a quick history lesson. The Rex Organization established these colors in 1872. Twenty years later, they assigned each color its official meaning:
| Color | Meaning | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Purple | Justice | Royalty, balance, fairness |
| Green | Faith | Renewal, growth, abundance |
| Gold | Power | Warmth, prosperity, celebration |
These aren’t random party colors. They connect Mardi Gras to its Catholic roots and royal traditions. Now you can share this fun fact at your Fat Tuesday party!
Easy DIY Mardi Gras Wreath Ideas for Your Front Door
A front door wreath screams “party house.” It’s the first thing guests see. Here are three budget-friendly options.
The Classic Bead Wreath
Supplies needed:
- Wire wreath frame (12-18 inches)
- 20-30 strands of Mardi Gras beads
- Ribbon in purple, green, and gold
- Hot glue gun
Instructions: Loop beads around the frame. Alternate colors evenly. Secure loose ends with hot glue. Add a large ribbon bow at the bottom. Done in under 30 minutes.
The Deco Mesh Mardi Gras Wreath
Deco mesh wreaths are trending hard in 2026. The material puffs beautifully and catches light.
Pro tip: Buy mesh rolls in all three colors. Twist and attach to a wire frame. Tuck in feathers and small masks for extra flair.
The Repurposed Christmas Wreath
Don’t throw out that old holiday wreath. Strip off the red decorations. Add purple, green, and gold ornaments instead. Christmas clearance sales are perfect for stocking up on solid-colored balls.
Homemade Mardi Gras Centerpiece Ideas for Every Budget
Your table deserves attention. These centerpieces range from super cheap to moderately fancy.
Under $10: The Hurricane Vase Centerpiece
Fill a clear hurricane vase with Mardi Gras beads. Add a battery-operated candle on top. Simple. Stunning. Safe.
Under $25: The Feather Arrangement
What you need:
- Tall glass vase
- Peacock feathers (or purple, green, and gold ostrich feathers)
- Beads for the vase base
- Decorative mask
Arrange feathers at varying heights. Fill the bottom third with beads. Lean a mask against the front. This makes an elegant Mardi Gras table centerpiece for dinner parties.
Under $50: The Fleur de Lis Candelabra
Paint an old candelabra gold. Add purple taper candles. Scatter green gems around the base. Attach a small fleur de lis ornament. This is classic New Orleans style.
Cheap Mardi Gras Decoration Ideas for Indoor Spaces
You don’t need to spend hundreds. Dollar stores become goldmines during Carnival season.
Living Room Transformation Checklist
- [ ] Hang purple, green, and gold paper lanterns from the ceiling
- [ ] Drape beads over lamp shades
- [ ] Scatter metallic confetti on coffee tables
- [ ] Display masks on bookshelves
- [ ] Add colored light bulbs to existing lamps
The Balloon Arch Trick
Balloon arches photograph beautifully. Buy a balloon arch kit and use purple, green, and gold latex balloons. Add some metallic gold balloons for shine. Position near your main party area or photo spot.
Mantel and Fireplace Decorating Tips
Your mantel is prime real estate. Here’s a layering strategy:
- Start with a base garland of greenery or gold tinsel
- Weave in strands of Mardi Gras beads
- Place candles at varying heights
- Add 2-3 decorative masks
- Finish with a large fleur de lis centerpiece
Outdoor Mardi Gras Decoration Ideas That Make Neighbors Jealous
New Orleans porches are legendary. Channel that energy outside your own home.
Porch and Yard Must-Haves
| Decoration | DIY Difficulty | Visual Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Oversized beads on trees | Easy | High |
| Mask door hanger | Easy | Medium |
| DIY yard signs | Medium | High |
| Lighted garland on railings | Easy | Very High |
| Jester yard stake | Medium | High |
How to Make Giant Mardi Gras Beads for Trees
This TikTok-famous hack uses dollar store plastic ornaments and rope.
Steps:
- Buy large round ornaments in purple, green, and gold
- String them on thick rope or clothesline
- Space them 6-8 inches apart
- Drape over tree branches
- Watch your neighbors ask where you bought them
Front Porch Setup Guide
Start with your door. Add a wreath. Hang a beaded garland around the doorframe. Place potted plants in purple or gold containers on either side. Wrap porch columns with battery-operated lights in Carnival colors. Add a yard sign that says “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
DIY Mardi Gras Table Decorations for Parties
Throwing a Mardi Gras party? Your table setup matters. Here’s how to nail it.
Tablescape Essentials
- Tablecloth: Gold is the safest base color
- Napkins: Alternate purple and green
- Napkin rings: Use leftover beads twisted into rings
- Plates: White dishes let the colors pop
- Glasses: Hurricane glasses from Pat O’Brien’s are iconic (or use any cocktail glasses)
Quick DIY: Bead Napkin Rings
Cut Mardi Gras bead strands into 8-inch pieces. Loop around rolled napkins. Twist ends together. That’s it. Each costs about 10 cents.
The King Cake Display Station
Every Mardi Gras party needs a king cake. Create a dedicated station. Use a gold cake stand. Sprinkle purple, green, and gold sugar around the base. Add a small sign explaining the tradition and the hidden baby.
Budget-Friendly Mardi Gras Party Decoration Hacks
Tight budget? These tricks stretch your dollar.
Dollar Store Finds to Grab
- Plastic tablecloths (use as backdrops too)
- Metallic streamers
- Solid-colored balloons
- Battery tea lights
- Picture frames (for DIY signs)
- Artificial flowers in purple and green
Printable Decorations Save Money
Search for free Mardi Gras printables online. Print masks, banners, and signs at home. Frame them or string them as bunting. This costs almost nothing.
Upcycling Christmas Decor
Your Christmas storage bin holds Mardi Gras treasure:
- Gold tinsel → Garland
- Purple ornaments → Vase filler
- String lights → Porch decor
- Green ribbon → Wreath accents
- Metallic gift wrap → Table runners
Mardi Gras Mask Decorating Ideas for Walls and Tables
Masks are the soul of Carnival. Display them everywhere.
DIY Mask Display Wall
Create a gallery wall of masks. Mix sizes and styles. Add some feathered, some sequined, some simple. Use Command hooks for easy removal. This becomes a year-round conversation piece.
Mask Centerpiece Hack
Stand masks upright in tall vases filled with beads. Instant centerpiece. Swap masks for different occasions throughout the year.
Kids’ Mask Crafting Station
Set up a table with plain masks, feathers, glitter, sequins, and glue. Let kids create their own. They take home a party favor. You get cute photo ops.
Purple Green and Gold Party Supplies Checklist
Planning a party? Here’s your shopping list organized by store type.
What to Buy at Dollar Stores
- Tablecloths
- Plastic cups and plates
- Streamers
- Basic beads
- Candles
What to Buy at Craft Stores
- Deco mesh
- Quality feathers
- Decorative masks
- Ribbon
- Floral picks
What to Order Online
- LED string lights in Mardi Gras colors
- Custom banners
- Bulk beads (better quality)
- Specialty items like jester hats
Mardi Gras Decorations for Small Spaces
Apartment dwellers deserve Carnival fun too.
Studio or One-Bedroom Ideas
- Focus on one statement area (entryway or dining table)
- Use vertical space with hanging decorations
- Choose quality over quantity
- Opt for removable hooks and tape
- Display items on existing shelves
Desk or Office Decorating
- Small mask on a stand
- Beads draped on monitor
- Purple, green, and gold pens in a cup
- Tiny wreath on your door or cubicle wall
- Mardi Gras coffee mug
Last-Minute DIY Mardi Gras Decorations
Fat Tuesday snuck up on you? These take under an hour.
15-Minute Projects
- Wrap existing vases with bead strands
- Print and hang a “Happy Mardi Gras” banner
- Fill clear bowls with ornaments and beads
- Tie ribbons on door handles
- Scatter confetti on tables
30-Minute Projects
- Create a simple bead wreath
- Make a feather centerpiece
- Assemble a balloon bouquet
- String beads on your porch railing
- Set up a themed tablescape
2026 Mardi Gras Decoration Trends to Watch
This year brings some fresh takes on tradition.
What’s hot:
- Oversized outdoor beads (the TikTok effect)
- Peacock-themed decor
- Velvet and satin textures
- Mixed metallics (gold + rose gold)
- Sustainable/reusable decorations
What’s fading:
- Cheap plastic everything
- Overly cartoonish jesters
- Cluttered maximalism
The sweet spot: Elegant meets festive. Think New Orleans sophistication, not frat party chaos.
Where to Shop for Mardi Gras Decoration Supplies in 2026
In-Store Options
- Hobby Lobby (best selection, watch for 50% off sales)
- Michaels (quality craft supplies)
- Dollar Tree (budget basics)
- Party City (quick themed kits)
- HomeGoods/TJ Maxx (unique finds)
Online Retailers
- Amazon (bulk beads, specialty items)
- Etsy (handmade masks, custom signs)
- Oriental Trading (party supplies)
- Mardi Gras Outlet (authentic NOLA items)
Final Tips for DIY Mardi Gras Success
- Start early. Carnival season begins January 6. Don’t wait until February.
- Shop sales. Hit Christmas clearance for purple, green, and gold basics.
- Layer your decor. Mix textures: beads, feathers, fabric, metallic accents.
- Focus on high-impact areas. Front door, main table, mantel.
- Take photos. Your decorations deserve Instagram.
- Store carefully. These decorations work every year.
Ready to let the good times roll? Mardi Gras 2026 starts on January 6 and culminates on February 17. You’ve got time to craft, create, and celebrate. Whether you spend $20 or $200, the spirit of Carnival comes from joy, not your budget.
Four Themed Decorating Schemes to Anchor Your Look
Picking one theme before you buy anything keeps your shopping focused and your finished room from looking like a pile of unrelated purple, green, and gold items. Each scheme below uses the same three traditional colors but commits to a distinct mood, so guests read it as a deliberate style rather than a random collection of carnival props.
Venetian Masquerade
This look leans formal and a little mysterious. Hang decorative masks (the full or half kind with feathers and gold filigree) on the wall in a loose cluster, and stand a few on small easels along a mantel or buffet. Use deep purple table linens, gold chargers under the plates, and tall thin tapers in gold holders. Add green only as an accent, such as emerald ribbon tied around napkins or a few green glass votives. Keep the lighting low and warm so the metallic details catch the light.
Vintage Jazz and Speakeasy
For a 1920s New Orleans feel, mix the three colors with black and a heavy dose of gold sparkle. Think fringe garlands, gold sequin table runners, art deco fan shapes, and feather plumes in tall vases. Frame a few black-and-white photos or printable jazz posters. Brass instruments (real or toy trumpets and saxophones) make great shelf props. A small chalkboard menu with a handwritten cocktail list completes the scene without much cost.
Fleur-de-lis Elegant
The fleur-de-lis is the classic New Orleans symbol, so make it the repeating motif. Use gold fleur-de-lis wall decals, stencils on a runner, or napkin rings stamped with the shape. Pair them with solid purple and green so the symbol stands out. This scheme reads upscale and works well for a sit-down dinner or a more grown-up gathering where you want restraint rather than a busy carnival look.
Kids’ Carnival
For a family party, go bold and playful. Use balloon arches in all three colors, paper streamers twisted across the ceiling, pinwheels, and a beaded-toss station. Set out paper masks the kids can color themselves, and use plastic tablecloths that wipe clean. Mini king cakes or cupcakes with purple, green, and gold sprinkles double as both food and decor. The goal here is bright, durable, and easy to clean up.
Lighting and Ambiance in Purple, Green, and Gold
Lighting changes a room more than almost any decoration, and it is often the step people skip. The right glow makes the metallic gold pieces shine and gives purple and green real depth after dark.
- String lights: Warm white mini lights woven through a garland read as classy, while multicolor purple and green LED strands feel more like a party. Drape them along a banister, around a doorway, or across the back of a serving table.
- Lanterns: Group three or four metal or paper lanterns of different heights on a porch or side table. Spray-paint dollar-store lanterns gold, or slip purple and green tissue inside clear glass ones for a colored glow.
- Candles and votives: Battery-operated tea lights inside colored glass votives are safer around fabric and feathers than open flames. Cluster them in odd numbers down the center of a table.
- Uplighting: A few inexpensive LED color-changing puck lights set on the floor and aimed up at a wall or curtain will wash the whole area in purple or green. Tuck them behind furniture so the source stays hidden and only the color shows.
If you can dim your overhead lights, do it. Low ambient light plus several small warm sources gives the room a festive feel that bright ceiling fixtures wash out.
Step-by-Step: A Deco-Mesh Mardi Gras Wreath
A deco-mesh wreath is a high-impact front-door piece that comes together in about an hour and costs far less than a store-bought version. The poly mesh holds its shape, resists weather, and stores flat for next year. Here is a complete project from start to finish.
Materials
- One 14-inch or 18-inch wire wreath frame
- Three rolls of 10-inch deco mesh, one each in purple, green, and gold
- A spool of thin floral wire or green pipe cleaners (chenille stems)
- Wired ribbon in coordinating colors for bows and tails
- Optional accents: a fleur-de-lis sign, mask, or a few strands of beads
- Scissors and a sturdy door hook
Steps
- Cut four to six pipe cleaners and twist one onto each section of the wire frame, leaving the ends open and pointing up. These will hold the mesh.
- Gather the end of the purple mesh into a small bunch, set it on the frame, and twist a pipe cleaner around it to lock it down.
- Push the mesh forward about six inches, gather another bunch, and secure it to the next point on the frame. Continue around, working with the outer ring first so the puffs face outward.
- Repeat with the green mesh on the inner ring and the gold mesh down the middle, alternating colors so all three weave together. Fluff and adjust each puff as you go.
- When the frame is covered, cut the mesh and tuck the loose end under a nearby puff. Trim any thin or sparse spots and add filler where needed.
- Tie a large wired-ribbon bow and attach it at the bottom or top with floral wire. Let the ribbon tails hang loose.
- Wire on your accent piece (fleur-de-lis, mask, or beads), step back, and fluff the whole wreath one more time before hanging it on the door hook.
Eco-Friendly and Reusable Decorating Ideas
Mardi Gras has a reputation for waste, especially the plastic beads that get tossed and trashed every year. A few simple habits cut down on what you throw out and save money over time.
- Reuse beads instead of buying new: Drape old beads over picture frames, wind them around vases and candle holders, or hot-glue a section to a foam wreath form. Mason jars wrapped in beads make instant centerpieces.
- Choose natural materials: Magnolia leaves, eucalyptus, and dried palm or wheat bring green into a display and compost when the season ends. Spray a few sprigs lightly with gold paint for shine without plastic.
- Pick decor you can take apart: Cloth banners, glass votives, and metal lanterns last for years, unlike single-use paper streamers and foil curtains.
- Store smart for next year: Sort decorations by type into labeled bins, wrap fragile masks in tissue, and coil bead strands loosely so they do not tangle. Keep wreaths in flat boxes or large bags so the mesh and ribbon hold their shape.
If you collect a few sturdy pieces each year, within two or three seasons you will have a reusable core kit and only need to add a fresh accent or two.
Coordinating a Whole-Room Palette Without the Clutter
Three strong colors in one room can tip into chaos fast. The trick is balance and breathing room rather than covering every surface.
- Use the 60-30-10 rule: Let one color dominate (around 60 percent of what you see), a second support it (30 percent), and the third act as a sparing accent (10 percent). Gold usually works best as the small sparkle, with purple or green carrying the room.
- Pick two or three focal zones: A door, a mantel, and the main table are plenty. Decorate those well and leave the spaces between them mostly clear so the eye has somewhere to rest.
- Repeat shapes and materials: Echoing the fleur-de-lis or the same gold metallic finish across zones ties the room together more than piling on different items.
- Edit before guests arrive: Walk through and remove anything that feels redundant. A room with a little empty space looks more polished than one packed wall to wall.
Decorating a Parade-Watching Spot or Porch
If you are setting up a spot along a route or hosting on the porch, the goal is visibility from the street and comfort for people who will be standing or sitting for a while.
- Build a backdrop: Hang a purple, green, and gold banner or a length of fringe curtain behind your chairs so photos look festive and your group is easy to spot.
- Mark your territory: A bead-wrapped railing, a fleur-de-lis flag, and a couple of balloon bunches on the corners stake out your area and help friends find you.
- Plan for evening: Add solar or battery string lights along the railing and a lantern or two on the steps so the spot stays lit and welcoming after dark.
- Keep a catch station ready: Set out a basket or two for tossed beads and trinkets, and have a small bin nearby so cleanup is quick once the parade passes.
- Stay weather-ready: Choose outdoor-safe materials, weight down anything light with sandbags or bricks, and skip paper goods if rain is in the forecast.
A porch or curbside setup does not need much to feel like part of the celebration. A bold backdrop, good lighting, and a clear spot to sit will carry you through the whole route.
More Mardi Gras & Carnival Guides
Explore the rest of our Mardi Gras coverage, and Carnival celebrations in other cities:
- Mardi Gras 2026: The Ultimate Guide (Start Here)
- Mardi Gras 2026 Calendar: When Parades Start
- 20 Traditional Mardi Gras Foods to Try
- Creative Mardi Gras Party Ideas
- What to Wear to Mardi Gras: Costume Ideas
- Is Mardi Gras Family-Friendly? Best Spots
- Why We Throw Beads: Mardi Gras Traditions
- Mardi Gras vs. Fat Tuesday: The Difference
- The Best Authentic King Cake Recipe
- What Is King Cake? Meaning of the Baby and Colours
- Rio Carnival 2026: Complete Guide (Brazil)
- Venice Carnival 2026: Complete Guide (Italy)
- Quebec Winter Carnival 2026: Full Guide (Canada)
- Nice Carnival 2026 Guide (France)
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the Mardi Gras colours mean?
Purple stands for justice, green for faith, and gold for power, set by the Krewe of Rex in 1872.
What are easy DIY Mardi Gras decorations?
Paper masks, purple-green-gold garlands and wreaths, beaded centrepieces, and banners are simple and budget-friendly.
How do I decorate for Mardi Gras on a budget?
Use the three colours, reuse beads you already have, and make masks and garlands from craft paper.
When is Mardi Gras 2026?
Mardi Gras 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17.
