MARDI GRAS SHOEBOX FLOAT
Growing up in New Orleans, children of all ages anxiously wait for the coming of the Mardi Gras season so we could build our annual Mardi Gras floats. These are still today the fondest remembered tradition to young and old alike. No one actually knows when the tradition first actually started. Many believe it's roots come from the actual building of scale models for the larger floats. Others say it was always was a custom uniquely to the Crescent City and the Carnival season that has spread around the world.

These floats are made using a shoebox covered with aluminum foil first as the base and decorated according to a given theme. In this craft, an upside-down shoebox is the base of a festive parade float. The lid of the shoebox is the backdrop of the miniature float.

ShoeBox Floats Then and Now
A shoebox float is a small replica of any large float that might appear in a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, Especially the Krewe of Mid City since there huge floats were in fact covered and decorated in Aluminum foil. Many believe the parade was designed by that idea as large shoeboxes for floats. The Krewe of Mid City Parade began in 1933 organized by local Mid City business men, The parade was actually the first neighborhood parade in the history of Mardi Gras not following the traditional routes of other parades . Many in New Orleans still wonder what came first the parade foil covered floats or the mini home made shoebox floats.

Some local elementary schools from the 1940's- 50's-60's often would line up the floats and have a mini parade down the long halls this is often the memory of those who still cherish the mini float designs. After the annual school parade the kids would take them home so their parents would often use them as a table centerpiece for a king cake party or place them on their front steps or porches as a homemade Mardi Gras decoration. The shoebox Mardi Gras float tradition still keeps parading on even today in the 21st century.

New Orleans Mardi Gras Shoebox Float Competitions
Many local groups, organizations and schools hold annual Shoebox float Competitions. Sometimes awarding prizes and honors to the winners. The competitions usually draw hundreds of entries because it is one of New Orleanians favorite holidays. Floats are often displayed at schools and local shopping centers, malls,Churches and hotels. Many Mardi Gras New Orleans Krewes often solicit these schools to make them as to be used as grand table center pieces for their Masked balls often following that years Parade theme.

The Krewe of Mid City at one time sponsored and organized a Shoe box Float Competition that was a traditional highlight to the carnival season. The contest was open to all Kindergartners through fifth-graders who attended public and private local New Orleans Mid City Area schools each year. The winning floats would receive the honor of having their floats displayed proudly mounted on the front and sides of the King's float and paraded down the streets of New Orleans at Mardi Gras. Usually 6- 7 floats would be chosen and placed along the sides of the float, the overall winner was placed in the center front spot of honor.

Each school would have students make floats then they would judge the best from each school and the finalist would then be judged by Krewe Of Mid City's own Betty Ray Kern, Mid City's Float Designer. The floats were judged on overall theme, originality and aesthetic beauty. Float design categories also included special effects and animated design something that Mid city was known for.

How to make your own Mardi Gras Shoebox Float
Take your box and cover both parts (the lid and the base) with the colored Christmas paperback
foil wrapping paper or plain aluminum foil. Then, flip the box over and attach
the lid to one side of the box using the stapler or, a hot glue gun, or tape.

Materials needed:
· Shoe box with lid (one for each float you'll make)
· Scissors
· Glitter, tissue paper, construction paper, aluminum foil, paint, paintbrushes, or other decorative materials
· Glue

Step One: Pick a theme for your float. or use an actual New Orleans Mardi Gras Parades theme. Be creative when choosing your theme. It could be anything you like your favorite movie, political or current events or even Mardi Gras as theme itself.

Shoe Box Float Themes
Usually decorations on Shoe box floats followed simple themes from book report stories, Movies, favorite television shows of which represented story characters scenes and events, to serious themes like "Just say no to drugs", or "Hurricane Katrina Recovery" or "The kingdom of make-believe!" just as an example. These floats theme and design are limited only by your own imagination and of what you have on hand to decorate with.

Remember a Mardi Gras Float is rolling scenery or just a background for the riders. Some floats are castles others battlefields and places created from the imagination of the float designer.


Step Two: Remove the lid from the shoebox, turn the box upside down on the table and glue the lid (so that it stands up) to one end. Now your float will have a back.

Step Three: Decorate your float using tinfoil, tissue paper, glitter, paint, markers, and other materials. Toys and even Christmas cards or pages out of story books. Get creative and as they say think out of the box!


Some local New Orleans Artist make elaborate mini Paper Mache' floats as special collector items in French Quarter shops, often sold as center pieces with a special place for flowers to be placed. These floats are often seen at conventions, weddings and parties with a Mardi Gras Theme.