Flower Power: Take a Piece of Mardi Gras Home With You

By Douglas Brantley updated on 08/23/2017
Catch these cool Carnival collectibles.
Carnival Collective flowers at MIette in New Orleans.
Garden of delights: The flower-covered ceiling at Miette. (©ONLINEOPTIMISM)

Missed Mardi Gras? The parades might have passed, but you can still catch the Carnival spirit at Miette, where the seasonal celebration continues year-round.

The Carnival Collective, a group of local independent artists who help create Mardi Gras’ rolling masterpieces, lets you bring a bit of Fat Tuesday festivity back with you via float-scale flowers. Constructed from poster paper, wire, foam and papier-mâché, the one-of-a-kind pieces come to life on floats as they roll down St. Charles Avenue and bring new life to barren home walls.

Brightly colored and available in a wide range of styles (along with butterflies, bees and fireflies), sizes and price ranges, the handmade works can take up to a full day to create.

Hey, mister—throw us a bouquet!

Carnival Collective Mardi Gras float flowers from Miette in New Orleans.

Flower Power: Take a Piece of Mardi Gras Home With You By Douglas Brantley updated on 08/23/2017