¡MYO Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May, is a Mexican-American holiday that dates back to 1862. This day celebrates Mexican ethnic contributions to food, music, and beverages in the United States. One of my favorite traditions for celebrating Cinco de Mayo is creating frozen margaritas and making authentic Mexican food and décor. Take your party south of the border into the Yucatan and Jalisco with my tips below!
Create a frozen margarita bar for your guests to enjoy with the Party Bullet. It’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to make frozen margaritas and you can incorporate some of your favorite fruits of the season. Click here for frozen margarita recipes. For your guests who prefer non-alcoholic daiquiris, click here.
MYO (make your own) taco bar! One of my favorite new appliances is the Crock-Pot Hook Up Connectable Entertaining System, which is great for creating an entertaining spread for small or large parties. It comes with four different units and is perfect for making a taco bar. Click on the links below to get crock-pot recipes for authentic Mexican foods.
Slow Braised Beef Jalisco-Style
What’s a fiesta with out décor? Papel picado or “perforated paper” is a decorative craft that can be used on holidays or really at any time! All you need is a pair of scissors, string, tissue paper, Command decorating clips, and mini colored binder clips. Click here for instructions and templates to MYO papel picado.
MYO Cinco de Mayo: Papel Picado
Papel picado or “perforated paper” is a decorative craft that can be used on holidays or really at any time! All you need is a pair of scissors, string, tissue paper, Command decorating clips, and mini colored binder clips.
Papel picado can be made by making cuts into tissue paper to create a design, then clipped onto string with binder clips. Use Command decorating clips for damage-free hanging on your walls!
Click on the links below for each template and follow the instructions to make your own papel picado.
- Print the template and cut out the border and shapes to create a stencil.
- Lay your stencil over one side of the 8.5” x 11” paper and trace all of the shapes.
- Fold 1: Fold the paper evenly in half with the printed side out and so that the edges of the shapes line up on the crease. Keep the paper in this half fold throughout the whole process.
- Cut out the edges with zigzag scissors to create the border.
- Cut out the shapes that are on the center crease (fold line 1).
- Fold 2: Keeping your paper folded in half, fold the paper again along fold line 2 and cut the shapes out along this line.
- Open the paper back up to the half fold (from step 4).
- Fold 3: Fold the paper along fold line 3 and cut out the shapes along this line.
- Open your paper to reveal your papel picado!
- Print the template and cut out the border and shapes to create a stencil.
- Lay your stencil over one side of the 8.5” x 11” paper and trace all of the shapes.
- Fold 1: Fold the paper evenly in half with the printed side out and so that the edges of the shapes line up on the crease. Keep the paper in this half fold throughout the whole process.
- Cut out the edges with zigzag scissors to create the border.
- Cut out the shapes that are on the center crease (fold line 1).
- Fold 2: Keeping your paper folded in half, fold the paper again along fold line 2 and cut the shapes out along this line.
- Open the paper back up to the half fold (from step 4).
- Fold 3: Fold the paper along fold line 3 and cut out the shapes along this line.
- Open your paper to reveal your papel picado!
Holiday Door Décor
‘Tis the holiday season and it’s time to deck the halls, tree…or other parts of your home!
Don’t have your Holiday decorations all wrapped up in a bow? Not to fear, I’m here with holiday decorating cheer for tips on decorating the most visited spot in your home…the front door, inside and out!
I’ll show you how to decorate your front door in one of the three themes; traditional, modern and free form. The outside of your door is the first thing guests see when entering your home, so why not make it the most festive spot as well! The inside of your front door is the last thing they may see; so don’t forget to decorate the inside to make a lasting holiday impression!
Click on the links below for details and instructions on how to decorate your door with ease.
The Traditional Door
Using holiday colors, you can decorate your door with a traditional pine wreath adorned with ribbons, bows, ornaments, and lights.
The Modern Door
With an empty wire wreath form, you can “fill in the blanks” with ornaments, holiday tchotchkes, toys, and decorative lights.
The Free Form Door
By using damage free clips, you can outline the shape of your choice with lights and then fill in the shape with ornaments to transform your front door into something festive.
Holiday Décor – The Modern Door
Outside:
For a more modern look, use an empty wire wreath form and “fill in the blanks” with ornaments, holiday tchotchkes, toys, and decorative lights.
Using a vibrant color pallet will give your décor a modern look. Work backwards like an upside down cake and layer your ornaments first, follow it up by lights, and then garland for a filler. Add fun ornaments that spark conversation (glittered of course) as your finishing touches. The more eclectic, the better, and since the theme is everything holiday, you can include Santa’s sleigh!
Secret Weapon: Use mini white cable zip ties to hold everything in place.
Inside:
To continue the conversation…
Use festive wrapping paper and removable crafting tape, create an over-sized greeting card on the inside of your front door and invite house guests to leave holiday messages. Use damage-free clips, to showcase greeting cards you’ve received from your family, friends, and neighbors around the oversized greeting card to make your holiday decor more personal!
Secret Weapons: Use Scotch Expressions Tape to add vibrant colors to your door…they’re also easy to reposition and removable. Use Command Clear Damage-Free Fridge Clips for easy removal at the end of the holidays.
Holiday Décor – The Free Form Door
The free form door is your chance to “deck the halls” without ruining your walls (or front door in this case)! Use damage-free decorating clips, to form your shape of choice, holiday-related of course, and place holiday lights into the clips to make the outline. Fill in the shape by hanging ornaments on damage-free hooks.
I made a festive faux Christmas tree with lights and filled it in with ornaments. You can also make a menorah with white and blue lights.
Free form décor is great for small living spaces where you don’t have enough room for a Christmas tree. It also allows you to be more creative and doesn’t need to be on your front door. You can use free form on any empty wall in your house!
Secret Weapons: Use Command Clear Damage-Free Decorating Clips and Command Clear Damage-Free Mini Hooks for easy removal. They also blend into your walls and décor.
Holiday Décor – The Traditional Door
Outside:
If you’re interested in a more traditional door, adorn a pine wreath with holiday colored ribbons, bows, ornaments, and lights. Just like a Christmas tree, start with the lights first, follow it up with ornaments, and finish it off with a ribbon garland and bows.
You can create any theme you would like and for ornament collectors, it’s a great and easy way to decorate. The global theme I used was inspired by ornaments I’ve collected from my travels, with the most recent being the piñata and sombrero from Mexico. You can also use items that you have left over from trimming your tree and decorating the rest of your house.
Secret Weapon: Use ornament hooks to wire on the ornaments and ribbon.
Inside:
Cut the leftover ribbon from the wreath into varying lengths. Tie bells and ornaments onto the end of each piece of ribbon and make a bow out of the other end. Apply damage-free clear mini hooks across the top of your door and hang one ribbon from each one.
Secret Weapon: Use Command Clear Damage-Free Mini Hooks for easy application and removal.
Gold Gilded Fruit Decor
Gold gilded fruit is a great edible centerpiece, its a great interactive activity to do with your children and it is a great alternative to plastic fruit. After the party is over, you can repurpose the fruit to make a delicious Golden Apple Pie which is tres chic!
List of Materials Needed:
- Fresh or Plastic Fruit (apples, pears, pomegranates, walnuts in the shell)
- 24 Karat Edible Gold Leaf Sheets
- Sugar Glue
- Disposable foam paint brush
Recipe for Edible Sugar Glue:
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts Sugar
Heat the mixture in the microwave until smooth, there should be no grains of sugar visible in the heated mixture.
Clean and dry fruit. If you’re using fresh fruit, the firmer the better. (You can get the same look with fake fruit, if you want it to last)
With a disposable paintbrush, apply a thin, even coat of sugar glue solution. Let dry until tacky (about 15 minutes).
Press sheets of 24 caret gold leaf onto the fruit and roll over a clean cloth surface. Overlap sheets slightly, and remove any loose pieces.
Allow fruit to dry completely and arrange in a gold gilded glass bowl for a dramatic edible table decoration.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
