Cinco de Mayo is next week so in honor of that, I’m sharing one of my favorite party themes! The fiesta. However, before we get to that, let’s talk about what Cinco de Mayo is and a few of the traditions.
Why? Because I truly believe it you’re going to make a party around something, you should know what it is, why it’s celebrated, and what we may be getting wrong.
I’m not about just taking a culture and making it a party, I want to learn about the culture. The more you know, the more you grow!
So here we go…
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Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza (Source).
It commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the Indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.
In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat .
Source
Cinco de Mayo gained traction during the 1960s, when Chicano activists began looking for a way to honor their history and culture. Today, the biggest Cinco de Mayo celebrations are held in U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations, such as Los Angeles, which every year attracts hundreds of thousands of people to its Fiesta Broadway festival.
Source
Now that you know the background of the holiday, we can start talking about all the fun fiesta items. Each of the designs can be made with just a few printables.
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First up is the invite. I always start with an invite when design new items. It helps me get a feel for what I want the designs to look like and say. Once that is done, everything flows much easier.
Supplies You’ll Need: All you need for the invites is card stock, a printer, and a paper-cutter. Check Paper Source or Papers Paper for the best selection. I also recommend this paper-cutter at hobby lobby.
Banners can be a lot of work, but they really add a lot to a party. I’ve created this “taco ’bout a party” one for this theme.
Supplies You’ll Need: For the banners, you’ll need card stock and a printer again, but a couple of other items as well. You also may want to get chip board and mount the pieces onto it. Chip board is a crafters’ secret weapon. I use it for every banner as it gives more weight to the individual parts. Then it’s just ribbon of your choice, glue, and a hole punch.
Another item that tends to be time-consuming but so much fun, is photo props. Personally, they are my favorite thing at a party. Yes, I said it. They can be a lot of work, so if you don’t have the time (because who really does) check out our printed ones here.
Supplies You’ll Need: If you are going to DIY it, then get out that card stock, and you can find the wooden dowels at Hobby Lobby. Print, cut, and attach.
Don’t forget to say thank you at the party! I love making thank you tags because they can go on anything. These below have 6 different designs.
Supplies You’ll Need: For the thank you tags, you’ll need card stock, and twine. You’ll also want to get a good hole punch.
Stickers are another fun party item. I made them as wearable items here, but you could do thank you stickers as well. Or, make the same design into Cupcake toppers.
Supplies You’ll Need for stickers: If you want to make your own stickers, you’ll need card stock, a circle punch, and a sticker maker. I love my sticker maker, and you can find the same one at Hobby Lobby.
Supplies You’ll Need for cake toppers: For these, you’ll need that card stock again. I also really recommend a circle punch. It will make your life so much easier. I use them for every circular sticker or topper I make and I love it. You can then mount the circles on wooden picks with hot glue.
If you’re planning on having water bottles at your party, then these are for you.
Supplies You’ll Need: For these you’ll need card stock, a paper-cutter as well as double-sided tape. I’ve found this is the easiest way to attach the labels.
Last up is the games. This one I’ve created is for a bachelorette party but can be changed for any event. It can be a how well do you know the birthday boy or girl, graduation advice cards, etc.
Supplies You’ll Need: These last items are just like the invites, all you’ll need is card stock, a printer, and a paper-cutter.
You’re in luck! You can find a complete fiesta bundle below by joining The Printables Club. Access these and other graphics.
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