Decorate colorful mask with beads and ribbons to prepare for Carnival, chase winter blues away.
Winter may have taken its good-old time getting here, but it finally arrived with an icy vengeance. And regardless of what that groundhog claims, spring will arrive when it usually does.

Chase away those winter blahs with a Mardi Gras celebration. It’s Carnival time in New Orleans, where the parade season is in full swing. While many activities are for adults, there are parades planned especially for kids, such as the Krewe of Little Rascals parade in Metairie, La., just outside New Orleans. Kids will also be on hand to watch four-legged parade participants strut their pedigrees in the Mystic Krewe of Barkus parade.

This is the second Carnival season since Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast. Parade routes have been altered to avoid blighted neighborhoods that have not recovered from the storm. There are 31 parades scheduled between Feb. 9 and Fat Tuesday, Feb. 20, the day before Lent begins.

If you’re stuck indoors because of the weather, you can enjoy Mardi Gras by throwing a party with a Carnival flavor. Make decorations in the official Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. Use beads and doubloons for party favors and make masks using things you have at home plus a few items from a craft store.

Supplies you will need:
• Mask.
• Purple acrylic paint and brush.
• White glue.
• Green crepe paper.
• Hole punch.
• Strings of beads and/or sequins.
• Two Mardi Gras ponytail holders (from craft store).
• 12-inch dowel.
• Thin ribbons in yellow, green and purple.
• Feathers.
• Beads.

Paint the mask purple.

While it dries, take a 12-inch square of green crepe paper and fold in half four to six times. Randomly punch holes in the paper to make it look like lace. Unfold the paper. Brush glue on the mask and place the paper on top of the mask, carefully smoothing the paper down flat. When dry, trim the paper from around the mask and eye holes.

While the glue is drying, wrap the ribbons around the dowel. Tie off each end and secure with a drop of glue to keep the ribbons from unraveling. Thread a few beads or buttons onto the end of three 12-inch lengths of ribbons and tie to the top of the dowel.

Line your mask with strands of sequins, beads, or both. I cut two elastic ponytail holders in half and glued them to the bottom edge of my mask, under a string of gold beads. Glue feathers to the back of the mask at the top and trim.

Glue the dowel to the back, upper right corner of the mask with the ribbons hanging from the top. Let dry overnight.