Homemade Cinco De Mayo Decorations
Cinco de Mayo means "the 5th of May" in Spanish. It is a day for Mexicans to celebrate their heritage, not a day of independence as many mistakenly believe. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more by Mexicans and Americans in the United States than by those still living in Mexico. Have a party to celebrate your heritage; use homemade decorations to cheaply show your pride in your native country. Does this Spark an idea?
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Mexican Flag
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Fold a piece of construction paper in half with the short sides together. Tape the open ends together so the paper stays closed. Cut pieces of green, white and red tissue paper into small squares and crunch them up. Glue them down on both sides of the construction paper in the flag: blocks of green, white and red. Glue a short dowel on the end of the paper by the green block. Make several and put them in a vase for the center of the table.
Bark Paintings
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Tear off a piece of brown construction paper or butcher paper. Get it slightly damp and crumple it up into a small ball. Squeeze out extra water and iron it flat with a cool iron. Paint a design on the paper with brightly colored paints. Display the pictures around the house.
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Mini Pinatas
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Create mini pinatas for each person at your party. Fill them with candy for them to take home as favors. Cut down the length of an empty paper towel tube; roll it up so it forms a cone and tape it in place. Roll the cone in green tissue paper and tape it in place at the tip. Make sure it is completely covered with the tissue paper. Take the tube out and fill the tissue paper cone with candy. Twist the top of the tissue paper and tape it shut. Cut tissue paper to look like fringe and tape it to the top of the cone.
Paper Chain
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Make a paper chain out of red, green and white construction paper. Cut strips of paper two inches wide. Wrap one into a circle and tape it closed. Loop another strip through the first circle and tape it shut as well. Continue adding strips and tape them into loops until you have the desired length. Hang it from a chandelier or loop it over the mantle to decorate your home.
Cactus Table Favors
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Cactus plants are abundant in Mexico; show your love for the natural terrain by making fake cactus centerpieces. Purchase a styrofoam egg shape and paint it green. Cut craft wire into two-inch pieces and stick them into the egg to look like the spines of the cactus. Paint a styrofoam cup brown and fill it halfway with sand; put the egg into the top of the cup. Tie ribbon or raffia around the cup for a little color. You can put a small tissue paper flower on the cactus, as they do have flowers at certain times of the year.
Maracas
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You will need two styrofoam cups for the maracas. Paint them both the same solid color; you can use whatever color you like. Once dry, add stripes, dots of zig-sags to the cups using other colors. Put about two dozen dried beans or peas into one cup. Put a line of hot glue on the rim of the cup with beans in it and place the other cup on top, trapping the beans inside. Allow the glue to dry before using the maracas. Make enough for each guest to take one home; put them for display on a side table to stand as a decoration during the party.
Sombrero Garland
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Decorate a doorway or mantle with a garland made of paper sombreros or chili peppers. Cut chilis from red and green paper; color the stems black. Sombreros should be cut from yellow or tan paper. Decorate the hats with markers; add zig-zags along the brim or a wide band of color around the crown. Cut a piece of yarn long enough to stretch across the doorway where you are hanging it. Place a dab of hot glue on the back of the chilies and hats and press the yarn into the glue. Be sure to alternate the red and green chilies with the sombreros. Allow it to dry and hang the garland up with a few pieces of tape.
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References
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- Photo Credit mexican flag image by apeschi from Fotolia.com
