Where the party happens decides most of this list: papel picado, yarn garland, liquor bottle tiki torches and cactus balloons suit an outdoor yard, while a crepe paper streamer canopy and bell pepper vases fit a living room or a counter.
Costs run from a few dollars of yarn for the diamond garland and a bell pepper from the produce aisle to the fringed foil number five, which needs a form and rows of fringe.
Settle the color scheme before you buy anything: 3 main shades plus 1–2 accents will make every later decision quicker.
1. Serape Table Runners
A striped serape runner does the work of a whole color scheme in one piece of fabric. Lay it down the center of the table and let the fringe hang over the ends; that edge is half the charm.
Keep everything else on the table plain, like white plates and clear glasses, so the stripes stay the focus. Busy dishware next to a busy runner just looks cluttered.
2. Papel Picado
Papel picado is tissue paper cut into lacy patterns and strung on a line, and it moves with the slightest breeze. Hung outdoors against green trees, the bright colors read from across a yard.
I like a mix of colors on one line over a single shade. Hang the banners in a loose swag between 2 trees, posts, or a fence, and leave a little slack so they can flutter.
Store-bought sets save hours of cutting, which makes them the easy choice for a big gathering.
3. Giant Tissue Paper Flowers
For filling a big blank wall or a bare corner, giant tissue paper flowers cost less than anything else I know.
One large bloom covers more space than a dozen small decorations, so make a few big ones in a single color instead of many little ones.
Make them in different sizes and group them rather than spacing them evenly. Work on a cutting mat so scissors and glue stay off the table, and fluff the layers last, once the shape is set.
4. Cactus Centerpieces
Mini cacti in terracotta pots earn their spot twice: they decorate the table during the party, then go home in a guest’s hands. That halves the cost of your centerpieces and your favors.
Tuck a few between the glasses and flower arrangements, and keep the pots small enough that guests can see across the table. Cacti need no watering mid-party, which is one less thing on your list.
5. Colorful Paper Lanterns
For an evening party, paper lanterns with a light inside give you warm color without any extra setup. Hang them at different heights so they cluster rather than line up.
Vellum makes the best lantern body: cut an 8" x 11" sheet down by 1/2", then glue a sheet of tissue paper to the bottom side. Her 18×18" tissue was folded over and glued on top, which creates the long tassels.
Vellum lets the light glow through the lattice instead of blocking it.
6. Sombrero Decorations
Sombreros work as decor when you stop thinking of them as costumes. A paper sombrero with pom-poms and zig-zag trim costs pennies and weighs almost nothing, so tape or a pin will hold it on a wall.
Hang a few on a wall, set one at each place, or use one as a bowl cover for chips. Kids can decorate their own with markers and pom-poms, which doubles as an activity.
A paper sombrero is also easy to toss out afterward, with no storage to worry about.
7. Colorful Maracas
Maracas made from cardboard cylinders and popsicle sticks are decoration and activity in one. Paint each cylinder a bright color, add geometric patterns, and write a guest’s name on the stick so every maraca doubles as a place marker.
Set one at each seat, or fan a handful out in a bowl as a centerpiece. Let kids do the painting at the party, and the table fills itself.
Seal the ends before the party starts, so nothing spills out when guests shake them.
8. Chili Pepper Candle Centerpiece
Red chili peppers stacked into a candle holder turn a plain taper into a centerpiece with no vase and no florist. Stack the peppers snugly so the candle stands straight, and keep red tapers as the match.
Real peppers are cheap, so buy a few extra for stacking, then use the leftovers in the salsa.
9. Crepe Paper Streamer Canopy
Crepe paper streamers in yellow, orange, pink, and blue can cover a whole ceiling for the price of a few rolls.
Run them across the room from wall to wall, then let some ends drop down the walls so the color wraps the space.
Twist each streamer a few times before taping it up; the twist adds body and keeps it from hanging flat. Painter’s tape is gentle on paint.
This suits a living room or any small space where a single big decoration would feel crowded.
10. Corona Bottle Table Centerpiece
Corona Extra bottles grouped in a circle, each tied with a pink ribbon, make a centerpiece that costs almost nothing if you are already buying the drinks. Stagger them in tiers, with the tall ones in the middle.
Top each bottle with a slender gold candle, which gives the arrangement its glow. Empty bottles hold the candles steadily, so save these from earlier in the week.
Pink ribbon against clear glass is a bold pairing, and I would keep the ribbon length identical so the circle looks tidy.
11. Tequila Bottle Lantern Display
A tequila bottle inside a wooden lantern frame works as a centerpiece and a conversation piece. Pack moss around the base, then tuck in small succulents so the frame looks planted rather than staged.
Use a bottle with a handsome label, like Don Julio, since the label faces out through the slats.
Set small candles and glasses beside it. A lantern like this suits a rustic indoor table, and the bottle can go back on the shelf afterward.
12. Yarn Diamond Garland Setting
Yarn diamonds strung into a garland give an outdoor table a canopy of color. Wrap yarn around crossed sticks to form each diamond, then thread them onto a line at even gaps and hang it over the table.
Brights like hot pink and orange hold up well against green plants. A painted floral table and pink chairs make the full version, but a plain table works fine with the garland alone.
Yarn scraps from a craft drawer will do the job nicely.
13. Bejeweled Tequila Bottle Decor
A bottle covered in pearls, rhinestones, and a satin bow turns an empty Don Julio into a keepsake, and cream and white keep it looking polished rather than loud.
Hot glue holds beads well, so work from the base up and add the rhinestones last as accents.
Tie the bow after the glue sets, and set the bottle on a shelf or the buffet, away from spills. It needs a clean, dry bottle with its label intact, since the label anchors the design.
14. Bell Pepper Flower Vases
Green bell peppers make mini vases that cost a dollar or two and then go into the salad bowl. Slice off the top, scoop out the seeds and ribs, and fill with a little water.
White and yellow blooms look fresh against the green skin. Trim the stems short so each flower sits just above the rim.
Set a pepper at each place or line several down a counter. If one wobbles, shave a thin slice off the bottom so it stands flat.
15. Citrus Fruit Slice Tower
Stacked lemon and lime slices on a wooden platter build a centerpiece that smells as good as it looks. Slice the fruit evenly, about 1/4" thick, and pat each piece dry so the tower holds its shape instead of sliding.
Pile the slices in tiers, alternating yellow and green, and tuck small white flowers into the gaps. A wooden platter gives it a warm base.
Citrus softens as the hours pass, so build it close to party time.
16. Liquor Bottle Tiki Torches
Empty liquor bottles can become tabletop tiki torches, and a gold tray gathers them into one tidy display.
Pick bottles with labels you like, since the glass is the decoration. Gin and tequila bottles both have good shapes.
Keep the torches on a tray so any drips stay put, and place them well away from paper decorations like papel picado. Outdoor tables suit them best.
Lemons scattered around the base add color for pennies.
17. Fringed Foil Number Five
A giant number five wrapped in fringed foil is a party’s photo backdrop and its decoration at once.
Cover a cardboard or foam form in rows of fringe, working from the bottom up so each row overlaps the last. That way the strands hang like feathers and hide the seams.
Buying the number form saves time, and the foil is where the effect lives.
18. DIY Cactus Balloons
A green balloon, a white pot, and a few details make a cactus that never needs watering and never wilts. Inflate the balloons to different sizes so the cactus looks like it grew in stages.
Outdoors, weigh the pots down with a few stones so a breeze can’t tip them.
Inflate them the day of the party, since latex loses air over time.
19. Cinnamon Sugar Churros
Churros are the one decoration on this list that guests eat, and cinnamon sugar is the coating to choose.
Roll them in the mixture while they are still hot so the sugar sticks, then let them cool a few minutes before stacking them upright in a parchment-lined bowl or jar.
Serve a small dish of chocolate sauce alongside for dipping. Frying is the only messy step, so fry in batches just before dessert and keep the first ones out of the way of the crowd.
A store-bought frozen version works if you would rather skip the oil.
Budget-friendly Decoration Tips
Start with a walk through your own cupboards and closets, because the best table decor is usually already there.
Bright scarves make good table runners, colorful napkins add pattern for free, and Mexican pottery from old trips, clean canned goods and glass jars all work as vases or holders.
Spend the money on one good thing, a colorful tablecloth, and fill in around it with homemade pieces.
Citrus-filled jars, mini piñatas and crepe or cardstock paper flowers all cost little. Cardstock holds up better than tissue if the party runs outdoors.
Some cheap projects double as pre-party activities for kids or crafty friends: paint hard taco shells and string them on twine as a garland, or cut cardboard guitars and paint them in the flag colors for the wall or as photo props.
Late April is when I’d check the dollar aisle at Target and the Dollar Store, since Cinco de Mayo items tend to start appearing then.
Color Palettes for Cinco De Mayo
Pick your colors before you buy a single thing. Every later choice, from tablecloths to balloons to dinnerware, gets easier once the palette is set.
You have 2 directions.
The traditional one is red, white and emerald green, the flag colors. The modern fiesta palette mixes hot pink, citrus orange, lime green, turquoise, marigold yellow and cobalt blue, and I think it photographs better.
Keep it disciplined: 3 dominant colors and 1–2 accents. Hot pink, lime green and marigold yellow with cobalt blue as the accent is a combination that works.
Snap photos of paint and fabric swatches so the colors are in your phone when you shop. Matching colors across several stores is hard from memory, and the swatches keep your shopping consistent.
Party decorations can include things like the Mexican flag colors, sombreros, or cactus plants.
Cultural Significance of Decorations
Papel picado is the decoration I would never skip. The name translates to "punched paper," and it has been part of Mexican folk art for centuries.
Hang it high so it flutters, and use it in more places than one line.
String it across doorways and patios, pin it behind a dessert table or photo spot, or tie small banners to chair backs for color at each seat. Hang a second row at a different height and the banner looks fuller.
Flowers carry meaning too.
Bright linens in stripes, flowers or cactus prints keep the look rooted in tradition. Add succulents for a desert feel.
