How to throw a colourful fiesta party

Set a festive tone with a wall of bright fringe. Pick up packages of different coloured tissue paper (a little goes a long way; we used pink, orange, light green and dark green). Cut each sheet into long 3-in. strips. Cut fringe three-quarters of the way up each strip. Start at the bottom of the wall and work your way up, affixing fringe with washi tape for painless removal. 

 

Tip: Make your fringe wall faster with a pair of fringe scissors—a worthy investment. They cut snipping time in half and are around $20 at most craft stores. 

Asking friends to la fiesta is a cinch with this printable invitation. To get started, grab 3-in. strips of variously coloured tissue paper (you’ll have some left over from the fringe wall). Using scissors, make thin vertical cuts to create the fringe. Print the template on card stock, fill out your party details and glue two pieces of fringe (overlapping one piece onto the other) to the invite.  

You’ll score big on excitement with this cactus bowling game, so start saving up green bottles now. (Ginger ale, aloe and sparkling water bottles work well.)

 

Gather an assortment of green plastic bottles (labels removed), squares of tissue paper, a glue gun and white puffy paint.

 

1. Scrunch up tissue paper to form mini flowers and hot-glue a couple to the lid of each bottle.

2. Using the pointed tip of the puffy paint bottle, make little dots and asterisk all over the sides of the bottles. Let dry overnight.

 

Set up pins in a V-shape and roll a foam or plastic ball to knock them down.  

Fool your guests with these sweet little tacos. While they look like the real deal, they’re desserts in disguise.

 

1. Cut homemade or store-bought sugar cookies in half with a serrated knife. Crumble brownies into small pieces. Stir a little chocolate icing into brownies just until they start sticking together.
2. Scoop some brownie mixture onto a cookie half. Top with remaining cookie half, making sure the cut edges are touching. Fill a zip-lock bag with white royal icing or frosting. Cut a small piece off the tip. Drizzle over brownie mixture.
3. Stir large-flake coconut with green food colouring to make iceberg lettuce. Cut red gummi candies into small cubes to make tomatoes. Stir medium desiccated coconut with yellow and red food colouring to make grated cheese. Sprinkle each over tacos.

To make frosty watermelon-lime slushies, combine 6 cups chopped watermelon, the juice of 2 limes and 3 cups ice in
a blender until ice is crushed and fully blended. Garnish with a lime or umbrella.   

For pin the tail, make your donkey as simple or elaborate as you like, or download an image and have kids colour it. For the tail, twist up a strip of paper fringe to make a tassel and affix with Sticky Tack.

For these mini piñatas, you’ll need: a toilet paper roll for each guest, tape, small squares of tissue paper, fringe, glue stick, string and goodies. Tape 1 tissue paper square to close up 1 end of roll. Add goodies to tube. Tape string across opening to form a loop, then close up with another square of tissue. Decorate with fringe. Poke the bottom to break.