7 Easy DIY Cinco de Mayo Party Decoration Ideas

Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) is right around corner. You know what that means – mariachi music, delicious Mexican food and salty margaritas! But why exactly do we indulge in such greatness on the fifth of May? It all derives from the Battle of Puebla that took place in Puebla de Los Angeles, Mexico, in 1862.

During this time, Mexico was experiencing financial hardship and was forced to default on debt payments to European governments. As a result, France sent over their troops and not only demanded repayment, but also attempted to take over their land. Despite Mexico’s small army at the time, they still managed to defend their land and express victory in 1867.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated primarily in Mexico and throughout the United States in observance of Mexican culture and heritage - not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day that took place in 1810.

Now that you have some background on the holiday, you are now prepared to throw a Cinco de Mayo fiesta of your own! But what is a party without some festive decorations? Be the talk of the neighborhood with these 7 DIY Mexican decorations for Cinco de Mayo.

Pump Up the Fiesta with Homemade Maracas

Don’t know what to do with those leftover plastic Easter eggs? Dump out those old Hershey’s kisses, and let’s get crafty with some homemade maracas. You will need:

• Plastic Easter eggs
• Plastic Spoons
• Uncooked rice
• Duct tape or washi tape

This is one of our simpler Cinco de Mayo decoration ideas – and certainly something the kids will enjoy! To begin, fill each egg with uncooked rice. Next, anchor a plastic spoon on opposite sides of the egg using either duct tape or washi tape. Last, wrap and decorate the egg and spoon handles with tape. Olé! You are now one step closer to forming your very own mariachi band!

Frolic in Your Very Own Mexican Paper Flower Garden

Imagine having a beautiful garden that will last forever without having to water it. With a few stacks of vibrant tissue paper and some green pipe cleaners, this could very well be possible! You will need:

• Square pieces of tissue paper
• Green pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• Paint and glitter (optional)

To begin, stack 4-6 square pieces of tissue paper on top of one another. Next, fold the stack of paper into 1-inch increments – folding one way, then flipping it over and folding it the other way accordion style until it is all folded into a 1-inch stack. Fold a green pipe cleaner in half and stick the folded paper in the middle.

Twist the pipe cleaner once to keep the paper in place. Now fold the paper in half and cut the edges to round them off. Finally, fluff up the paper until it resembles a beautiful flower! For extra style points, splash some vibrant paint and some glitter onto the flower pedals.

Mini Donkey Piñata

This is one of our favorite Cinco de Mayo party decorations! You will be surprised to find that you may have most of the materials you need already lying around your home. To get started, you will need:

• Cereal box
• Glue stick
• 12-inch ruler
• Masking tape
• Tissue paper
• Pencil
• Hole puncher
• Razor Knife

Using a pencil, draw two identical outlines of a donkey and two rectangles (2 in. x 8 in. each) on a broken down cereal box. Next, cut out each template. Now tape the rectangles in between the two donkeys using masking tape.

Now that the base of the donkey has been assembled, using a razor knife, cut a small trap door into the donkey’s back for the candy. Next, using a hole puncher, punch a hole between the ears of the donkey and attach a string.

Next, cut the tissue paper into horizontal strips and cut small slits vertically along one long side of each strip. Using a glue stick, apply glue to all sides that do not have the small slits. Overlap each strip slightly as you attach them to the donkey, allowing the small slits to add texture to the piñata.

The Ultimate Cactus Centerpiece

The best kind of centerpiece is one that serves a dual purpose. This centerpiece appears to be a cactus, but also serves as a holder for your appetizers – without having to worry about the sharp barbed spines! To begin, you will need the following:

1. One oval shaped watermelon
2. Two large curved cucumbers
3. Three daises
4. Toothpicks
5. Skewers
6. Large knife
7. Large Spoon
8. Other fruit for skewers (grapes, pineapple, strawberries, etc.)

To begin, cut off a small end of the watermelon. Next, chop up the watermelon from the piece you cut off into cubes. Now, using the large spoon, scoop out the remainder of the watermelon from the center. Next, place the watermelon, flat side down onto a large plate.

Next, cut a small end off each of the cucumbers. Puncture the cut ends of the cucumber with a toothpick and then anchor them by puncturing the other end of the toothpick into either side of the watermelon. Next, using a toothpick, puncture a small hole into the top of the watermelon and the now anchored cucumbers. Now you will cut most of the stem off each of the daisies and insert into each of the three holes you just made.

Next, puncture the watermelon all over with toothpicks to simulate a cactus. Lastly, chop up other fruit (we recommend strawberries, grapes, pineapple and other melons), and slide them onto a skewer. Once all your skewers are complete, anchor them all around at the base of the watermelon for your guests to enjoy. The best part? Even once the skewers are all gone, your centerpiece remains!

Homemade Mini Sombreros

Looking for some easy Cinco de Mayo decorations that you can make with your little ones? This is something you can place on your table for some added flare, and wear around the party. To get started, you will need:

• Yellow plates (or white plates painted yellow)
• Yellow cups (or white cups painted yellow)
• Red, white and green small pom poms
• Thin red ribbon
• Multi-colored sequins
• Hot glue gun
• Fishing line (optional)
• Hole puncher (optional)

First begin by hot gluing the rim of the cup face down to the center of a face up plate. Next, hot glue the red ribbon to the base of the cups rim. Next, hot glue the pom poms equidistant to one another around the rim of the plate.

Next, hot glue sequins all over the sombrero. Next, you have the option to hole punch the rim of the plate on either side and to tie a fishing line to either side to act as a convenient chin strap.

Papel Picado Streamers

Traditionally, many people create papel picado (perforated paper) banners using tissue paper. This time, we are going to use streamers instead! To get started, you will need:

• Colorful streamers
• Scissors
• Hole Punchers
• Tape

To begin, cut a two-foot strip off one of the streamer rolls. Next, cut a small rectangle out of either side of the accordion stack. Next, hole punch the “flags” you just created into the accordion stack, allowing the print to be consistent among all of the flags.

Now, unfold the stack to admire your beautiful banner! To continue with the fun, you will follow the same steps as the first banner, but this time change up your design. Using your scissors, try cutting out some fun geometrical shapes through the accordion stack. Be sure to cut the shapes into the middle of the stack, and not all the way through to the end. Once complete, you will tape each streamer together and hang it up for your guests to see!

Papel Picado Luminarias

This particular decoration for Cinco de Mayo is absolutely stunning! It will look beautiful and festive in the daylight, but at night it will truly wow your guests! To begin, you will need the following:

• Pre-made papel picado banners (or make your own)
• Scissors
• Glass hurricanes
• Small candles
• Mod podge glue
• Foam paint brush

To begin, cut the pre-made papel picado squares to fit the size of each glass hurricane. Next, coat each glass hurricane one by one with mod podge glue using a foam paint brush. Now you will anchor the papel picado square to the hurricane smoothing out any bumps or creases. Now, wait for the glue to dry, drop a candle into each hurricane and watch the beautiful prints flicker amongst the walls.

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