Sweet 16 parties should be extra special. This birthday is part of your teen’s passage into young adulthood. While years ago a sweet 16 party represented a young lady’s coming out, today it’s an opportunity to throw a fabulous party. If you want your teen’s 16th birthday to be one that she will remember, plan a Mardi Gras party theme. Her friends are likely still to be talking about it for weeks afterward.
Step 1
Craft your own party invitations. Make them bright and colorful with a purple, green and gold color format. Cut the invitations in the shape of small Mardi Gras masks. Decorate the front of each with feathers, beads and glitter.
Step 2
Ask guests to come dressed in bright costumes adorned with feather boas. Indicate on the invitation that there will be a costume-judging contest for the craziest, most creative and most elaborate costume categories.
Step 3
Decorate the party room in a purple, green and gold color scheme. Use lots of metallic tinsel for a real Mardi Gras look. Hang Mardi Gras swirls and streamers from the ceiling for a more festive air. Place bouquets of purple, green and gold Mylar balloons throughout the room. String purple, green and gold lights around the room for added glow.
Step 4
Cover the buffet and seating tables with shiny gold tablecloths. Add balloon bouquets and feather masks as centerpieces. Drape the tables with lots of colored beads. Sprinkle shiny plastic gold coins, and green and purple confetti over the tablecloths.
Step 5
Keep a record of who attended by asking guests to sign a guest book as they enter. Invite them to write you a special message to remember the day. Cover the guest book in a busy purple, green and gold fabric. Attach a grouping of the same color feathers tied together with a metallic gold ribbon.
Step 6
Have your teen don a Mardi Gras crown and make her own entrance to the party in grand style, tossing strings of colorful beads to your guests.
Step 7
Give out glow jewelry, glittery or sequined derby hats and feathered masquerade masks as party favors. Glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets add to the fun out on the dance floor. Glitter glow sticks and glitter UV rainbow bracelets are even better.
Step 8
Hire a DJ to play some Mardi Gras music in between the usual teen pick hits. Have face painting and a fingernail-painting table available at the party to add to the carnival atmosphere.
Step 9
Pass on some of the more traditional Mardi Gras foods that might not go over well with teens. Serve spicy Buffalo wings, pizza, and chips and salsa instead. Opt for grape (purple), lime (green), and pineapple (yellow) slushes in keeping with the Mardi Gras color theme. Add pizzazz to the drinks with purple and green glow straws.
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