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Crafts for Kids - Fiesta Crafts

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Fun Fiesta Crafts for Children

Children will enjoy learning about Mexican culture by making easy fiesta crafts, party decorations and decorating fiesta theme coloring pages.

Children can celebrate Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, Dia de los Muertos or any other reason to have a fiesta style party with Fiesta Crafts for Kids.

This lens features easy fiesta crafts: pinatas, maracas, punched paper (papal picado), Mexican blankets and vest crafts for children to make.

Contents at a Glance

Fiesta Crafts Angel Blessings
Dia de los Muertos Calavera Craft
Fiesta Fun - Simple Punched Paper Decora...
Cinco de Mayo Crafts - Fiesta Arts &...
Easy Maracas - Recycled Paper Tube Craft...
Fiesta Coloring Pages

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Did you know you can buy your very own Angel Feather Wings at Amazon?

Dia de los Muertos Calavera Craft

Day of the Dead Skull Pattern

Celebrate Mexico's special Day of the Dead holiday with calavera skull crafts. Start with this printable skeleton skull coloring page from my web site as your pattern, and go wild with colorful decorations!

Fiesta Fun - Simple Punched Paper Decorations

Papel Picado Banners

Punched paper banners - fiesta papel picado

Papel Picado is a traditional Mexican folk craft - paper cutting- that's created using special hammers and paper punches on tissue paper. You can help children create simple cut paper designs using newspaper or colored tissue paper and scissors, using the same basic principles as making paper snowflakes. Older children and teens can try making papel picado using a craft knife and patterns.

Simple Papel Picado Children's Craft
Use square or rectangular pieces of paper folded into quarter size strips (similar to the way tissue paper is packaged). Don't cut off the corners. Tissue paper is slippery and flimsy. It may help to fold a sheet of regular paper around the tissue and create a sandwich to hold the paper while cutting.

When the cut paper designs are done, attach them to a piece of string or ribbon by gluing or stapling the top edges and letting the rest of the paper hang free like a flag. Attach many end to end and mix up colors and designs in your papel picado punched paper banners.

Papel Picado photo by KCKoenig, Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/kckoenig/ / CC BY 2.0

Cinco de Mayo Crafts - Fiesta Arts & Crafts for Children

fiesta clip art banner cinco de mayo graphic

Cinco de Mayo Coloring and worksheets: CINCO DE MAYO WORKSHEETS & COLORING ACTIVITIES
The Holiday Zone: Cinco de Mayo Arts and Crafts: Large collection of simple Cinco de Mayo art and craft projects for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school children.
Making Friends Paper Dolls: Printable paper dolls that can wear Fiesta outfits, traditional Mexican clothing (see below)
Fiesta Friends - Mexican Paper Doll Clothes: Printable paper doll "Friends" traditional Mexican clothing.
Cinco de Mayo Crafts for Children: Foods, decorations, musical instruments, pinatas, shoes, serapes, sombreros plus songs, games and Spanish words.
Papel Picado Traditional Mexican Folk Art of Paper Cutting: Papel picado is the traditional Mexican folk art of paper cutting... appropriate as 6th grade social studies activities
Wearable Sombrero - Kaboose.com: Fun to wear, easy to make Mexican hat - Sombrero - for kids Fiesta crafts. Make sombreros for Cinco de Mayo!
Mexican Paper Flowers Craft: Easy to make paper flowers for fiesta crafts fun.
Homemade Castanets: Why buy musical instruments when you can make your own castanets quicker than you can say, 'ole!' A perfect project for Cinco de Mayo, or any day.
How to Make Paper Sombrero: Simple how to article about making a sombrero from newspaper sheets.
Cardboard Paper Tube Crafts: Make a Mini Pinata for Cinco de Mayo: Modeled after traditional piñatas, these personal-size candy holders tear open easily, revealing a cache of sweets inside achili pepper shaped container. And since they're a cinch to put together, they make great favors for a school party.
Printable Party Garland - Mariachi Musician and Dancer Paper Flags: Kids will love creating these Cinco de Mayo streamers. Simply print, trim and string up these charming Mexican party pennants.
Mexican Metal Tooling - Multicultural Art and Sculpture - KinderArt: Children learn about Mexico and make simple metal tooling fiesta crafts - complete instructions and lesson plan.
Fun Cinco de Mayo Crafts for Kids - Children's Crafts for Cinco de Mayo: Children's crafts for Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo crafts, activities and ideas to do on Cinco de Mayo.
How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers - Kids Crafts Video: Flowers are fun to color or to use for craft patterns. Make some tissue paper flowers for Mexican fiesta, Valentine's Day, Easter or Mother's Day. Easy to follow video instructions show step by step how to make lovely paper flowers.
TeachKidsArt: Day of the Dead Fiesta Crafts for Kids: A big collection of wonderful art and craft projects kids will love.

Easy Maracas - Recycled Paper Tube Crafts

Recycle toilet paper rolls to make Maracas

Use the cardboard tube cores from toilet paper or paper towels to make Maracas. Staple or tape closed one end, then fill about 1/3 full with dry beans. Tape the remaining end closed, then cover the outside with construction paper or tissue paper and stickers.

An even simpler way to make maracas is to use paper plates. Decorate the back sides of the paper plates with markers or crayons. Fold the paper plates in half and staple the open sides together, leaving an opening at the top. Add several large dried beans, then finish stapling closed. If desired, cover the stapled edges and staples with duct tape or masking tape along the joined edges.

Shake to make maraca sounds.

Fiesta Coloring Pages

PLUS! Cinco de Mayo Coloring Pages

cactus fiesta coloring book page cinco de mayo coloring sombrero fiesta coloring book sheet

Fiesta Coloring for Cinco de Mayo and Other Mexican Holidays: Traditional fiesta coloring book pages, coloring posters and coloring crafts for Cinco de Mayo, Dia de la Muertos and other Mexican holiday celebrations.
Cinco de Mayo Coloring Poster - Chili Peppers: Cinco de Mayo chili peppers coloring poster, a free picture to color for 5 de Mayo fiesta.
Fiesta Coloring Book: Fiesta coloring pages, printable festival and Cinco de Mayo pictures to color of Mexico sombreros, skeletons, cactus and maracas.
Fiesta Coloring Sheets-Cactus,Sombrero,Cinco De Mayo Pictures: Free fiesta coloring pages for Cinco de Mayo, Day of the Dead and Mexican cultural crafts.
Mariachi Band and Dancer: A fun fiesta coloring page: festive Mexican musicians and dancer in traditional costumes.

Cinco de Mayo Crafts

Cinco de Mayo (On My Own Holidays)

by: Linda Lowery

Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 02/14/2012)
List Price: $6.95
Used Price: $2.40

Usually ships in 24 hours

How to Make a Pull String Pinata

Recycle Paper Bag into a Cinco de Mayo Party Game

Make a paper bag pinata for your next fiesta party. It's easy and of course lots of fun to play at your party. This version uses a "pull string" to get the candy and treats from the bag so nobody gets whacked with a stick trying to break open the pinata.

Materials
Brown paper bag
Tissue Paper
Ribbon or String
Craft Glue
Stapler

Small toys, candy and wrapped treats.

Make the Pull String
Carefully cut a section from the bottom of the paper bag, leaving at least 2 inches of the bottom intact. Cut a 48-inch piece of string or sturdy ribbon and place the center inside the hold. Glue on a layer of tissue paper to fit the bottom of the bag, taking care to leave the ends of string free but glued onto the bottom. Glue on several more layers of tissue to the bottom of the bag to create a new bag bottom. This will make a quick-release rippable pinata bottom that you can use for the game instead of breaking open the pinata with a stick.

Fill the Pinata Body
Cut pieces of colorful tissue paper into strips and shapes about 6 inches long. Slightly scrunch these pieces and use as confetti-type filling in a layer at the bottom of the bag. You can also add glitter confetti and ribbons to the mixture.

Add a layer of toys, treats or candy, then another layer of confetti filling.

Alternate confetti and toys layers until the bag is almost full. Don't pack down too much as you fill the pinata. Keep it light and fluffy.

Add a Hanging Cord
Staple a length of string or sturdy ribbon into the top of the bag, then fold over slightly and staple the top of the bag closed. This will be the hanging cord for the pinata.
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Decorate the Pinata
Separate different colored tissue paper pieces into 4 sheet stacks, keeping layers folded the same way as they came in the package, or fold into thirds the long way.

Cut through the folded layers to make strips of tissue paper about 6 inches deep, then cut 4-inch slits about 3 inches apart all along the long edges - you're creating "fringe" from each of the bands of tissue paper. Separate the fringe bands carefully.

When you've finished making the fringe, glue the bands around the bag, starting at the bottom and working upward in layers, leaving the fringe parts free.

Alternate colors and continue working your way around the bag and up to the top. Finish off by stapling a fringe section over the top of the bag, working around the hanging cord. Glue any other paper streamers or decorations you like to the outside of the pinata bag.

When all the glue is dry, hang the pinata from a tree branch or doorway and prepare children for the pinata game.

Paper Flowers

Fun to make paper flowers for fiesta!

Alex My Giant Paper Flowers Kit

Amazon Price: $7.11 (as of 02/14/2012)
List Price: $13.00

Classic paper flowers - make your own party decorations for Mexican fiesta.

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Paper Bag Mexican Costumes - Vests and Serapes

Brown Shopping Bag Craft Costumes

This easy fiesta craft uses brown paper grocery bags to make Mexican "vests" and blankets (serapes).

Supplies and Equipment
Brown paper shopping bags
Scissors
Glue
Tissue paper
Markers or crayons
Yarn scraps
Fabric scraps

Paper Bag Vest
Cut down from the top to the square bottom on the front of one bag. Cut out a neck hole to meet this front, then cut off the bag corners to make arm holes. Decorate with tissue paper, markers, sequins or yarn fringe in bright colors. After coloring, fringe the lower edges of the vest.

Brown Bag Serape
Cut off the bottom of a bag, then cut along one of the long folds to make a flat rectangle. Decorate with stripes made from colored tissue paper or markers to make the serape look like a traditional Mexican cotton blanket. Fringe the short ends of the bag by making 3-inch cuts about 1/2 inch apart after coloring, or glue on fabric strips, yarn or commercial fringe.

Crafty Chica, Mexican Crafts

Latina Crafts Super Star Shares Her Secrets

The Crafty Chica Collection: Beautiful Ideas for Crafts, Home Decorations and Shrines from the Queen of Latina Style (Quarry Book S.)

by: Kathy Cano Murillo

Amazon Price: $4.50 (as of 02/14/2012)

Classy-meet-campy companion collection of Latino-American pop art - projects include everything from party gear to home decorations; garden accessories to gifts; and shrines to jewelry. More than 60 fabulous ideas.

Fiesta Clip Art for Paper Crafts

Graphics for Cinco de Mayo, Fiesta Celebrations, Day of the Dead

Design your own crafts with fiesta theme clip art. This compilation includes links to general fiesta graphics, Cinco de Mayo clip art, Mexico clip art and Dia de los Muertos graphics.

Cinco de Mayo Flowers Clip Art - Mexican Marigolds with Word Art Banner: Fiesta marigolds clipart with Cinco de Mayo lettering, colorful Mexican flowers and banner graphic.
Serape with Chili Peppers Fiesta Banner: Mexican blanket with chili peppers Fiesta word art graphic.
Fiesta Clip Art-Chili Peppers: Free chili peppers clip art, printable chili peppers party graphic for scrapbook, crafts, decorations, invites and blog pages for Cinco de Mayo, fiesta or Dia de los Muertos.
Free Mexican Clipart: Find Free Mexican clipart for fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, classroom projects or blog decorations here.
Microsoft Clip Art - Fiesta Graphics: Free fiesta clip art from the big library of images and templates at Microsoft. Many free graphics submitted from the user community of Windows Live.

Fiesta Party Games and Activities

Games to Play at your Mexican Fiesta Celebration

The best known and beloved children's fiesta theme party activity is the Pinata Game.

Children can play the traditional game where each child takes a turn at swinging a small bat at a bobbing paper animal filled with treats and toys. For younger kids, or for added safety, you can easily change the rules a bit and make a pull-string pinata.

Here's a collection of additional fiesta theme party games for children:

Cinco de Mayo Bingo - print a set of these free CINCO cards and call numbers for this classic favorite party game with a Mexican twist
Fiesta Party Games - How to do the Mexican Hat Dance
Fiesta Pin The Tail Donkey Game - this traditional game is fun and appropriate for a fiesta party celebration
Cactus Beverage Cooler Ring Toss Game
Candy Jewelry Crafts - kids can string candy on licorice laces or ribbon

Mexican Folk Art Coloring Book

Dia de los Muertos

Mexican Folk Art Coloring Book (Dover Design Coloring Books)

by: Marty Noble

Amazon Price: $0.98 (as of 02/14/2012)

Festive Fun - Fiesta & Cinco de Mayo Lenses

Fiesta is a big part of Mexican culture; it's not just Cinco de Mayo or Dia de los Muertos. There are other reasons to celebrate fiesta in Mexico. Enjoy these fiesta lenses!