Throw your own Saint's play off party with our party supplies. We have all your black and gold decor, including beads so you can get your Mardi Gras head start. When hosting and entertaining, why not have a cocktail to remember? Or food to satisfy hungry football enthusiasts? Here are a few simple NOLA inspired cocktails and share dishes.

This recipe I found is from My Invisible Crown on Pinterest. I have actually tried this recipe and it was so good, my whole family including my 7 year old wanted more. This can also be done in a crock pot.

Ingredients:

Saute 3 tablespoons butter, bell pepper, onion, salt and pepper just until tender, about 2 minutes. Add thawed crawfish (it’s precooked so you’re in no danger of getting it underdone) and Tony’s and heat just until mixed well and flavors are blended. Remove from heat (if you like spice) another fresh sprinkle of Tony’s over the top and let cool to room temperature. Be careful though. Tony’s has salt and pepper along with lots of other flavors so you can overdo it.

Peel garlic clove and in a separate pan melt stick of butter around it so that the butter has a good garlic flavor and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with non-stick spray. Add cheeses to the cooled crawfish mixture and stir to combine. Start by flattening a single biscuit just by pulling apart with your fingers. Add to the middle, a teaspoon of the filling and fold over and close up by pinching the seam. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just closed. Arrange the balls in the bundt pan. No order is necessary. When I’m about half way I pour half of the garlic butter all over the top and keep going. It seems time consuming when you get started but you’ll be done in no time. The good news is this could easily be done ahead of time and baked off right before you’re ready to eat.

Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and then invert the pan…PRESTO! Beautiful Crawfish Monkey Bread. Credit: Christy, MIC.

Now, the cocktail I have created myself. It is a hard sweet tea, with a twist. The recipe is as follows:                                    

You can make this single, or a bowl. You will need:

First, steep 8 bags of black tea. While still warm, add sugar. Simple syrup also works if you want. Then zest a whole lemon and add it to the warm mixture. Now, get your peaches ready. Even though it isn't peach season, you can find peaches at most grocery stores either for smoothies or in produce. Either frozen peach pieces or muddled in the bottom of your glass, it is all preference. You can even add raspberries or strawberries. The sweet taste of the peach fits well with black tea. And if you don't want to add fruit, use Peach Schnapps. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Then add the bottle of Deep Eddy, or a 1 1/2  to 2 ounce pour to add your "hard" part to the tea.  This drink could sack even the strongest of quarter backs! Make as strong or as sweet as you like.

A great game day refresher for all those party snacks!

Enjoy the play offs, stay safe before New Years, and shop local for all your Mardi Gras Supplies!

Get Into the Mardi Gras Spirit for Your Holiday Festivities

It often seems that everyone's family and friends are throwing their own holiday party. Why not jazz your boring holiday party up with a special theme? At the end of the year, themed holiday parties can give everyone the opportunity to have a fun get together without feeling repetitive, and there are few themes as fun as a Mardi Gras party.

Provide Your Guests With Masks

Some affordable Mardi Gras masks are an excellent way to add to the theme of your party. Start by handing out masks at the door, and incorporate them into a secret Santa activity. You can purchase some small tokens that guests can gift, or ask everyone to bring a silly gift and turn it into a white elephant secret Santa, in which gift givers try to avoid a specific undesirable object.

Incorporating Mardi Gras trinkets into your gift exchange provides some fun and entertainment while still incorporating the holidays.

Make Some Mardi Gras Cocktails

November and December are the months for cider, mulled wine, and other holiday-spirit drinks. But you can change it up by making some Mardi Gras-inspired cocktails, which will be perfect for both the theme and the general holiday festivities.

Look for punches and other similar recipes that can be mixed up in large batches and served to large volumes of guests. You could even consider letting guests customize their own drinks with a festive fruit and juice bar as well.

Get the Decor Just Right

Why not incorporate Mardi Gras into your holiday tree? Gather up all of the yellow and purple Mardi Gras beads, streamers, and other trinkets to use as ornaments for your evergreen.

If you don't want a holiday tree, you can simply place brightly colored streamers and beads throughout your home or the venue. As long as you capture the spirit, anything can be Mardi Gras. Paper streamers are especially effective at making an area festive, and they are both affordable and easy to put up.

Make a Mardi Gras Play List

Music is what really defines a Mardi Gras party, so before the party starts, you can create a Mardi Gras playlist. And since it’s also the holidays, don’t forget to add some upbeat holiday songs in there as well. For some extra fun, you can set up a laptop somewhere in your party area so that guests can flip through the songs in the playlist and queue up their favorites, or you could hire a DJ to take requests.

Take Some Fun Pictures

As your guests come in and don their Mardi Gras masks, don't forget to take some pictures of them in their costume and beads. Many smartphones can also insert filters, such as Mardi Gras frames, so you can appropriately capture the spirit of your party. Share the pictures on social media with those who couldn't attend — and maybe they'll get some ideas for their own holiday parties.

Don't Forget the Grab Bags

As your guests are leaving, don't forget to give them some bags to remember the night by. You can let them take home their masks and give them bags full of beads or other Mardi Gras trinkets. Not only can they use these in celebration of the actual Mardi Gras, but they can also keep them as memorabilia. Some brightly colored, wrapped candies are another great way to end a fantastic night.

Of course, it doesn't have to be the holidays or Mardi Gras to enjoy a fun, Mardi Gras party. Use the ideas above, as well as the tips from our previous post, to create Mardi Gras any day of the year — and bring your family and friends together for a fun and worry-free night.

Don't forget to check the comprehensive inventory at Mardi Gras Supplies for all of your Mardi Gras party supplies.

5 Prize-winning Ideas for Your Mardi Gras Float

Planning to participate in a parade for Mardi Gras this February? Make sure that you have what you need to pull off a prize-winning float, display or theme in tribute of Fat Tuesday. Buy Mardi Gras Beads, decorations and accents to help bring an authentic flavor to your float and earn well-deserved recognition. Here are five prize-winning ideas for your Mardi Gras float.

1. Throw a Lot of Goodies to the Crowd

When it comes to a parade, it's all about the throws. Keep the float simple and invest resources in throws like beads, doubloons, cups and stuffed toys for the crowd as you pass. The tossing of throws to the spectators and revelers began back in 1870, and it is something that both young and old spectators look forward to.

2. Honor the Doubloon

Another symbol of Mardi Gras is the much-coveted doubloon. The doubloon began as an undated coin issued to honor the event and provide a memento to celebrants. In the mid-20^th century, the doubloon gained a newfound fame as a sought-after Mardi Gras parade throw. Buy doubloons to distribute to everyone you see throughout the parade circuit.

3. Integrate the Mardi Gras Color Palette

Make sure to integrate the traditional Mardi Gras color palette into your float design. Use ornate gold, deep purple and vibrant green to pay homage to the holiday. The Mardi Gras colors were established in 1872 and have an underlying meaning for the holiday. Purple signifies justice, green represents faith, and gold symbolizes power.

4. Incorporate Mysterious Masks

Mardi Gras is also associated with mysterious masquerade balls and the Italian concept of Carnivale, so create a float that displays theater masks in some way. There is something inherently creepy about some of these masks, so use them to evoke a haunted, old New Orleans vibe. Take advantage of this with ghoulish characters, ghostly decorations, and a scary scenario for your holiday float.

5. Do Something With a Dragon

Mardi Gras wouldn't be the same without the dragon. Typically, a dragon makes an appearance at all parades and celebrations during this time of year and it is a familiar symbol of the season for natives. Enlist a couple staffers, friends or associates to wear the long, traditional dragon costume and walk next to your float during the parade procession.

Incorporate as many authentic and symbolic elements of Mardi Gras as you can into your display, which will ring true and make sense to observers and spectators of all ages. You can also use these traditional features of Mardi Gras in a new or unique way to meld traditional and contemporary in a prize-winning float!

Other tips to stand out include:

• Don't skimp on the beads; buy in bulk and be generous to spectators and guests.
• Use fringed table skirts to cover your float's base or trailer. Consider the weather conditions before buying your skirts to ensure that they hold up during the parade.
• Let others know about your float ahead of time via social media.
• Use your float as a marketing opportunity for your business with banners, signage and promotional products to distribute to parade-watchers.

Participating in local parades and holiday events is something that friends, colleagues and your community need to know about. Share information about the event and your float with your patrons and customers in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras.

Make sure that everyone knows what your float is trying to convey with lots of Mardi Gras Beads, decorations and costumes. Share the festivity and celebration of this holiday by encouraging your family, team or staff to participate in a parade this Mardi Gras.

Best Prices for Carnival Krewes

Search Globally, Buy Locally

Visit us at Gulf Coast

Best Prices on the Coast

Search Globally, Buy Locally

Visit Mardi Gras Supplies, Gulfport, MS at Gulf Coast

Ten Case Bead Package

Mardi Gras Supplies
$199.00

Item	Dozen / Case	Cases	Total
42 inch - 6 styles of beads	20	5	100 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Turquoise	25	2	50 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Silver	25	2	50 Dz
48 inch 10mm - Purple, Green & Gold	10	1	10 Dz
Total:		10	210 Dz

Your Association
$300.00

Fifteen Case Bead Package

Mardi Gras Supplies
$299.00

Item	Dozen / Case	Cases	Total
42 inch - 6 styles of beads	20	5	100 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Turquoise	25	3	75 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Silver	25	3	75 Dz
60 inch 12mm - Turquoise	10	1	10 Dz
60 inch 12mm - Silver	10	1	10 Dz
48 inch 10mm - Purple, Green & Gold	10	2	20 Dz
Total:		15	290 Dz

Your Association
$450.00

Twenty Case Bead Package

Mardi Gras Supplies
$399.00

Item	Dozen / Case	Cases	Total
42 inch - 6 styles of beads	20	6	120 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Turquoise	25	4	100 Dz
48 inch 8mm - Silver	25	4	100 Dz
60 inch 12mm - Turquoise	10	2	20 Dz
60 inch 12mm - Silver	10	2	20 Dz
48 inch 10mm - Purple, Green & Gold	10	2	20 Dz
Total:		20	380 Dz

Your Association
$600.00

Happy Halloween from Mardi Gras Supplies!

It's wreath season! Whether it's an Autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year or Mardi Gras wreath, there's plenty of materials here at Mardi Gras Supplies. Lowest Prices On The Coast!

This is a tutorial for a simple Halloween wreath that needs few supplies. Feel free to add as many decorations as you desire to your wreath!

Things you'll need:

• DECO1500 (Purple Mesh)
• DECO1651 (Black Mesh) or DECO1272 (Orange Mesh)
• DECO1604 (Wreath Form)
• MASK391 (Black Mask)
• Scissors

Step By Step

Step 1) Fold purple mesh over 3 times and tie to "corner" of wreath on the bottom ring to secure mesh. If you don't prefer this method, secure mesh with the tinsel wire attached to the wreath form by wrapping wire around the mesh and the bottom ring.

Step 2) Bunch mesh up to make a poof. Make poofs as big as desired but make sure you're satisfied with them because it's difficult to manipulate them once secured.

Step 3) After securing the first poof, secure poofs all around the bottom ring of the wreath form. Leave a 2 inch gap between poofs.

Step 4) Repeat step 3 on the top ring of wreath form.

Step 5) Repeat the whole process but with the black mesh. The black mesh poofs should go where the 2 inch gaps are.

Step 6) Attach mask to upper center of wreath by tying the mask's ribbons around the middle ring of wreath. You're done!

Get ready for the outrageous Fantasy Fest with our large selection of costumes, throwbeads, light up necklaces, and accessories!         

Fantasy Fest runs from October 20-29 and is a 10 day party in "Shangri- La" for adults only! Get more info here

Fantasy Fest is all about dressing up, having fun, and coming together as a community. Make Key West proud by going all out with your costume! 

Light Up Necklaces

Light Up Hats

Naughty Beads

The official Mardi Gras season comes along once per year between the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. However, you need not wait until that time of year to enjoy all the pleasures of Mardi Gras. When you throw a Mardi Gras party, you can invoke the pure joy and good times of the holiday. Follow these tips to throw a Mardi Gras party that guests will always remember.

Carefully Choose Food That Fits the Mardi Gras Theme

If you are doing a fancy Mardi Gras dinner party, French fare should be served. However, for casual parties, simply prepare food that one would get when attending a Mardi Gras celebration. The main course is then carnival food. You may opt to keep things healthier and be inclusive for all guests by serving vegetarian hot dogs and beignets.

Finger foods can take the form of the food that is commonly thrown in Mardi Gras parades. You can serve these on a platter, or have some extra fun with it. Consider having an impromptu "parade" where someone walks through the party in full costume, tossing out "goodies" to the crowd. Food that has been thrown from Mardi Gras floats include Moon Pies and Cracker Jacks.

Be sure to have dessert in the form of a King Cake! A king cake is simply a cake that has a small trinket (usually a little plastic baby to represent baby Jesus) baked inside the cake. When you serve the cake to guests, be sure that everyone knows to look out for the trinket. According to tradition, the person who is served the piece of cake with the trinket is believed to receive luck and prosperity from it.

Decorate With Plenty of Beads

Many people don't realize that Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday." That's what the term means, but there is a lot more to this jovial, often misunderstood holiday. One thing is for sure: Mardi Gras and beads go together. Be sure to include lots of beads when you're decorating for Mardi Gras.

Also, since the official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold, it's a good idea to go with purple, green, and gold beads for the majority of your decorating. Get creative. Hang them on mirrors, and you may even want to hang them from the tops of doorways. Use your imagination and decorate extravagantly. That's the style of Mardi Gras.

Give High-Quality, Themed Party Favors to Guests

Your party guests will be thrilled by gifts that are themed for Mardi Gras. In addition to having beads as decorations at your party, you want to also give guests beads as gifts. You may do a little questionnaire when inviting guests to your party where you find out each guest's favorite color. You can then give them beads to match their preferences.

You can give away the party favors one by one, too. For example, buy plenty of Mardi Gras masks to give away to guests. Be sure to stash some extras, too, in case you get some last-minute, unexpected guests. Then, as guests walk in the door, you may let them choose a mask from a group of masks. That way, people get to choose the colors and designs that they like, and they can have the option of wearing the mask throughout the party.

Finally, keep in mind that your Mardi Gras party can be full of surprises. The holiday itself is. While most people think it started in New Orleans, its origins in the United States are actually in Mobile, Alabama. Mardi Gras is still such a big celebration in Mobile that most schools give kids two or three days off for the festivities.

Don't be afraid to do up your party in grand style. Mardi Gras is worth celebrating to the max. When you're preparing for your next celebration, you can find everything you need at Mardi Gras Supplies. From beads to all the party supplies you can dream up, we carry what you want for festive fun. 

It's that time of year again! Cruise the coast in style with our selection of car beads!

These hot rod beads are modeled after the 1931 Model A Ford, 1933 Ford Coupe, 1959 Chevrolet Corvette, and 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Get them here: pink car, green car, red car, orange car

Throw some beads into the crowd! (Pictured above)

2017 Cruisin' the Coast Schedule

A Simple Twist for a Festive Beignet!          

Ingredients: