Easy Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas

Throw a festive Cinco de Mayo party with these easy recipes and DIY entertaining ideas.

By: Farima Alavi

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Photo By: Laura Fenton

Photo By: Farima Alavi

Festive Invites

Set the tone of your Cinco de Mayo party from the start. Send out colorful invitations that fit with your theme, and use bright coasters and wine charms on the day of your party. Design by Paper and Cake; Photo by Missy Marie Photography

Printable Fiesta Banner + Playlist

If you're throwing your fiesta outdoors, make sure to decorate doorways and fences with festive paper decor. The vibrant design of this printable banner will get the party started, and don't forget the music! Download our upbeat fiesta playlist to get your guests off their feet.

From: Kristin Guy

Baked Churros

Bake desserts that are easy to eat, such as churros. If you'd like to take the healthier approach to making them, bake them in the oven instead of frying. To give them the same crispy, fried texture, set them in the broiler for a few minutes after baking.

Color-Coordinated Chairs

Seating is essential for any party. Give your chairs a Cinco de Mayo flair by spray-painting folding chairs in different hues. Photo courtesy of Society Social

Mini Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas

Bite-sized treats are easy, filling and fun to eat. Serve these mini chipotle shrimp tostadas — your guests will be asking you for the recipe.

From: Kristin Guy

Sombrero Centerpiece

Setting a table for your party is simple: Place a sombrero on a tall candlestick and fill the rim with cupcakes. Place peppers in clear vases and choose colorful tableware. The more color, the better! Design by Courtney Whitmore

Terra-Cotta Serving Bowls

Serve all your dips in terra-cotta pots in varying sizes, saving you money on serveware. You can use the smaller pots for food and fill larger ones with flowers as table centerpieces.

Cupcakes With Tequila

Serve guests your favorite drink in cupcake form. This margarita cupcake recipe is perfect for your Cinco party, but you'll be making this delicious dessert year round. Photo by Missy Marie Photography

DIY Piñata

What's a fiesta without the traditional candy-filled piñata? Make your own using a large cardboard box, toilet paper roll tubes and crepe paper.

From: Kristin Guy

Floral Piñatas

Not into tradition? If you're throwing an upscale fiesta, make a DIY flower piñata. This vibrant twist on the traditional piñata will be the focal point of the party.

From: Kristin Guy

Confetti-Dotted Vases

Dress up your tablescape — whether it's for Cinco or a summer barbecue — with easy-to-make confetti glass vases. Make small vases to give as party favors or group bigger ones together to create a bold centerpiece.

Adobo Chicken Tamales

Impress your guests and serve adobo chicken tamales on corn husks. This flavorful dish looks difficult to make, but you can whip it up in no time.

From: Kristin Guy

Colorful Candy Party Favors

Don't forget the party favors! You can still give your guests something to take home even if you've maxed out your budget. Tape the bottom of two cupcake liners together, and place jellybeans in the top liner. Write each guest's name on a small piece of paper, and tape it to a toothpick to stick in the center for double use as a place card. Design by Jessica Okui

Avocado Fries

If you already have enough gaucamole, use your leftover avocado to make avocado fries. Serve it with an easy lime Sriracha mayonnaise for a kick.

Cinco de Mayo Banner

Bring Mexican flair to your party with a colorful Cinco de Mayo banner. Dress up this free printable with tissue pom-poms. Design by Paper and Cake; Photo by Missy Marie Photography

Easy Corn Salsa

Grill the corn in this salsa for a taste that will remind you of summer days ahead. Serve it with tortilla chips or atop your favorite Mexican dish.

Easy Queso Dip

Queso blanco is an all-time favorite at any party. With a few easy steps, you can make this dip 15 minutes before the start of your party using ingredients you most likely have on hand.

From: Farima Alavi Ferguson

DIY Table Linens

A fiesta isn't the same without a vibrant tablescape. Dress your table up with an authentic Mexican or other geometric-patterned table runner and napkins.

From: Kristin Guy

Fiesta Centerpiece

Create a practically free centerpiece by filling Mexican food cans with vibrant roses from the grocery store. Choose cans of varying heights to bring dimension to the table. Design by Kristin Guy

From: Kristin Guy

Colorful Spiral Cookies

Add some color to your party with dessert. These easy-to-make cookies are great for Cinco or a kid's birthday party. The best part? They're slice and bake, so you can freeze leftover dough until your next occasion.

Roasted Salsa

Placing the vegetables in the broiler before making this salsa really brings out their flavors. This recipe is perfect for your Cinco de Mayo gathering, but will be a great hit any time of year.

Easy Flan

You may steer clear from making flan, but this recipe is easy to make even for beginner bakers. Make individual-sized flan in ramekins or bake in a pie pan for guests to slice and eat.

From: Farima Alavi Ferguson

Easy Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas

Related To:

Shop This Look

Festive Invites

Printable Fiesta Banner + Playlist

Baked Churros

Color-Coordinated Chairs

Mini Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas

Sombrero Centerpiece

Terra-Cotta Serving Bowls

Cupcakes With Tequila

DIY Piñata

Floral Piñatas

Confetti-Dotted Vases

Adobo Chicken Tamales

Colorful Candy Party Favors

Avocado Fries

Cinco de Mayo Banner

Easy Corn Salsa

Easy Queso Dip

DIY Table Linens

Fiesta Centerpiece

Colorful Spiral Cookies

Roasted Salsa

Easy Flan

Easy Queso Blanco Dip

Easy Flan Recipe

Throw a Festive Fiesta-Inspired Cocktail Party 8 Photos

Cinco de Mayo Cocktails

Sol de Flare Cocktail Recipe

Mini Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas