NEW ORLEANS — By this point in Carnival season, most of us have a pile of beads at home, and maybe even a bag or two stashed away in the attic.
But cutting through the mass-produced Mardi Gras throws is something special.
There’s been a rise in the popularity of signature throws. They’re the kind that are handmade, one of a kind, and unique to each krewe.
Throw me somethin’ signature! They could be sunglasses from the Krewe of Iris, hand-decorated plungers or toilet brushes from Krewe of Tucks, Krewe of Carrollton shrimp boots, Krewe of Alla’s glittered genie bottles, cups from the Krewe of Cleopatra, hand-decorated mirror compacts from The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, custom Zulu coconuts, Krewe of King Arthur grails, or of course, Muses shoes.
Nearly every krewe that rolls has its own signature throw. And every year, more krewes add a trademarked piece.
“Everybody wants the shoe. Everybody wants the shoe. Like I will try to give them other things, and they’re like, we just want the shoe,” said Penny Caballero of Glitter Krewe.
Penny Caballero and her husband Paul are the creators behind ‘GlitterKrewe’. You’ll find them on Instagram, where thousands of followers await a sneak peek at their annual creations.
“We usually take 2 weeks off after Mardi Gras, but I already have a list of 2024 things that I want to make,” said Penny.
Long before the parades roll, nearly 500 King Arthur Grails and Muses shoes are expertly glittered in their garage, which has a permanently shimmering floor. They call it the ‘glitterage’.
It’s Holy Grail Headquarters for their entire family, who rides with the Krewe of King Arthur.
They take these basic plastic grails issued by the Krewe and turn them into works of art.
It’s more a hobby than a business, but these former LSU Tiger Band members do sell handmade band hats to krewes all over Louisiana.
For grails, Paul has the 3D printer going year-round, and Penny always has the next project planned out.
She said, “I just jot down ideas on a notepad or on a piece of paper, all year round and send notes to Paul. Like hey I need this 3D printed. Can you make me a toucan? Can you make me a pirate chest? I have a vision for what I want to do next.”
It’s an art. And for these two, whose careers are in I.T., it’s a science. They’ve got every shade of glitter imaginable and even mix them to create custom colors. They’ve also figured out how to turn the entire room into a dehydrator.
That means faster drying time for grails and for the 25 incredible, unique shoes Penny glitters every year as a member of the Krewe of Muses.
It is one of the most well-sought-after throws in Mardi Gras for sure, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Muses has everything to do with this tradition of signature throws, according to Mardi Gras Historian Errol Laborde.
“The pioneer in doing personalized throws was Muses. Which started in the year 2000,” said Laborde.
The shoes started it all, but Laborde started our history lesson on throws more than a hundred years earlier.
“Well, I think the place to begin would be 1871,” he said.
That’s when, Laborde said, the Twelfth Night Revelers parade had a Santa Claus throwing small gifts into the crowd. Next, Rex began throwing imported glass beads in the early-1900s.
Zulu began throwing less-expensive coconuts in 1909. And in the mid-century, Rex began throwing the first personalized throw; doubloons embossed with the Krewe’s name.
“Rex and his entourage were at Gallier Hall and the parade was way down St. Charles Avenue, and calls were coming in. ‘Man, people are going crazy, Rex is throwing money to the crowd and people fighting for the money.’ So that was the first time they’d seen a doubloon,” said Laborde.
Then in 1968, Laborde said Bacchus went all-out with the floats, the grand marshal, and the throws. It spurred a demand for trinkets that changed carnival forever.
Now, parade-goers yearn for the moment a Muse picks them to give away one of their few specialty shoes.
According to Laborde, “The combination of Bacchus creating more and more of a demand for throwing, and muses introducing new creativity. I mean, the thing has been a spiral.”
And in that spiral, New Orleanians found a hustle. Signature throws have become big business for some crafters who are paid to come up with ideas and create signature throws for krewe members.
Others, like Glitter Krewe, gain big online followings showing off their creativity.
And as the culture of signature throws expanded, other pages, like the Mystical Order of the Phoenix ‘Platter Tracker’, and the Krewe of Carrollton ‘Shrimp boot Tracker’ popped up. They’re dedicated to sharing photos of the throws in their new homes.
“That’s one of our favorite things,” said Penny Caballero. “So in our grails we put a little note that says tag Krewe of King Arthur, hashtag got a grail, or tag you know Muses shoes. And the day after the parade, we’re looking all day like ‘is that ours, is that ours’. We love to know where they go.”
In a sea of mass-produced throws, Louisianans have found yet another way to bring art into Mardi Gras.
And if you make a sign, or maybe just look like you’re having a great time, you might just get one to call your own.
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