Throw the Ultimate Cinco de Mayo Party

Complete with tacos and tequila, of course.

By: Clara MacLellan

Related To:

Margaritas, guacamole and tacos — what's not to love about Cinco de Mayo?

Recognized in Mexico as the day the Mexican army claimed an improbable victory against the French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, the holiday rose to popularity in the United States to celebrate Mexican-American culture.

Ropa Vieja Tacos

The only thing better than tacos are miniature one like these ropa vieja tacos. A variety of fillings and taco shells can be prepared ahead of time, then quickly assembled right before guests arrive.

Today, we're still carrying on that tradition by indulging in our favorite Mexican dishes and beverages. If you're planning on throwing your own bash to celebrate, take a look at a few of our favorite recipes and decorating ideas that will ensure your fiesta is a success.

Festive Tablescape

A bright arrangement of flowers and colorful, geometric linens and dishes set the mood for a fun-filled fiesta.

Cinco de Mayo Tablescape

From: Kristin Guy

Make it: Fiesta-Style Table Linens

Sugar Skull Place Cards

Easily make these place cards out of inexpensive aluminum pans.

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Make Hammered-Tin Place Cards

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Sugar Skull Style

Mexican sugar skulls have been cropping up more and more often in decor. Instead of standard place-card settings, Mexican sugar skulls were used to identify the seating arrangements. They were made inexpensively using disposable aluminum pans, a leatherworker’s stylus tool was used to hammer out the design and add each guest’s name.

Tools and Materials

Tin can be hard to find, hard to work with and a little expensive. So we used disposable aluminum pans instead. To make these personalized sugar skull place cards, you will need: 1 foil oven liner, stylus tool, sugar skull template, a cutting mat or wooden cutting board, and scissors.

Smooth Aluminum Pan Ridges

We used a stylus tool normally used for leather working “hammer” our skull. But you could probably use a ballpoint pen, as long as you don’t press too hard and pierce the aluminum. Download our paper template of a sugar skull. There’s enough room in the design to accommodate a person’s name at the bottom. The aluminum oven liners do come with some raised lines and imprinted writing, so start out by smoothing the aluminum using a paint stirrer.

Trim Edges

Cut off the rolled edges of the oven liner to create on smooth sheet.

Trace the Template

Use a stylus to trace over the template once, pressing moderately hard to make sure the imprint are visible.

Cut It Out

When the outline is complete, cut out the sugar skull.

Deepen the Design

Use the stylus again to go back over the lines from the first tracing to make them deeper. This works best on a cutting mat because it is soft and will allow the stylus to create deep lines without piercing through the aluminum.

Personalize and Place

Add each guest’s name in the blank area.

Multi-Purpose Sombrero

Center the table with a sombrero to hold cupcakes or finger foods. Keep a second hat on hand for the photo booth.

Fiesta Table Setting

What better way to celebrate summer than an outdoor fiesta? This table is dressed up with orange burlap layered over a red tablecloth for a bold, colorful touch. A large sombrero sits on a tall candlestick and acts as the table's centerpiece. The sombrero is filled with cupcakes topped with miniature Mexican flags for a festive look.

DIY Piñata

Create your own piñata for guests to smash. Fill it with a variety of candy and let the bashing begin. This is a good idea to incorporate for the kids to enjoy.

DIY Flower Piñata

DIY Donkey Piñata

DIY Flower Pinatas

From: Kristin Guy

DIY Pinata

From: Kristin Guy

Colorful Floral Wreath

Welcome guests to the party with a bold wreath of multicolored paper flowers.

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Make it: Fiesta Flower Wreath

Tasty Tacos

Whip up some delicious tacos to serve as the main meal. Your guests will be begging for this recipe.

Tacos al Pastor

Bring the world to your table with famed chef Kevin Gillespie's recipe for Tacos al Pastor featured in the pork-centric cookbook Pure Pork Awesomeness.

Photo by: Image courtesy of Pure Pork Awesomeness: Totally Cookable Recipes from Around the World by Angie Mosier

Image courtesy of Pure Pork Awesomeness: Totally Cookable Recipes from Around the World by Angie Mosier

Make it: Tacos al Pastor Recipe