How fun is a fiesta? There is something about throwing a party for Cinco de Mayo or for a birthday that makes this theme just so perfect! These party ideas that I am sharing today were made even easier by Party Hat Paper Company and the huge box of fiesta party supplies they sent me! It was such a welcome surprise to open this fiesta party box, and I loved how easy it made it to plan and decorate! Because I had so much to work with, I am going to share ideas for a kids’ party table (shown below) and show you how you can also use these ideas for a teen fiesta later this week. Then, I will share ideas for adults… and add in fiesta recipe ideas that are a hit with (most) everyone! So, check back often this week to see all of the fun happening over here! First up, a bursting-with-color tablescape for a fiesta!

With all of the color that was a part of party box, I added a white tablecloth to ground everything and let the decorations shine. The traditional Mexican serape made a bright cloth table runner – I loved how the colors looked so vivid on the white and then worked well with the brown Kraft lunchroom style trays that were included in the party box. I have never used those trays before, and so I had fun deciding how to dress them up!

luminary

The fiesta party plates were perfect to place under the mini pots that I used for the main dish. I also used the matching cupcake holders for salsa- totally testing the theory that they will hold liquid! Guess what? The cupcake holders were perfect for serving salsa! They really did hold up and they looked so cute on the tray.

sombrero-spoon

Something else I had never used before that was in the fiesta party kit box, was the colorful taco holders. They are designed to hold tacos while you add the filling and prevent the tacos from breaking- but I used them for napkin and utensil holders. I really like how they kept the wooden knives, forks, and spoons (that were included in the kit) bundled in the napkins (also provided)- and it added color to the serving tray. I could stand them up or lay them flat and they worked so well. I added a couple of decorative food picks just for fun. The food picks are perfect for holding soft tacos together, too! So many uses for so many of the party supplies.

Speaking of the wooden forks, I added the tiny sombreros to the tops of the forks that were in the burrito bowls. I think the sombreros are my favorite little detail from the party box kit! They are so cute and can be used in several ways. I think they were originally intended to be cupcake toppers, but I think they are perfect for the forks and for the straws!

cup-lime-sombrero-straw

The orange cups and the yellow striped paper straws were also a part of the fiesta party kit from Paper Hat Party Company. They thought of so many details and really considered what you would need and how you could use the supplies. I am impressed! And even if you decided to use the mini sombreros for cupcakes, the cups and straws look great with a simple slice of lime! Also, notice the confetti sprinkled on the table…it came with the party box, too! I love how something so simple can be so pretty and easy to use…

cups-with-limes

For the center of the table, I used the luminaries that came from Party Hat Paper Company and added vases of flowers to them. I bought flowers at Trader Joe’s and arranged them in a short container. I folded the luminary bag down so that the white showed which helped show off the colors of the flowers. I love luminaries at night, but for a party during daylight, the luminaries can be used in several ways…

flower-centerpiece

They would be perfect for

  1. holding chips
  2. party favor bags
  3. flower holders with a container dropped inside
pink-luminary-flower-centerpiece

I also never met a party that didn’t need some cute cookies to serve, and so Melissa of Dough & Batter came through with the absolute cutest cookie designs! Tacos and Pinatas – you can’t get more perfect than that for a fiesta! I displayed the taco cookies in the taco holders that were part of the party box kit and loved how they stood up! The cake stand of cookies looked so cute in the middle of the flower arrangements…

I could have taken a million more photos of them- the cookies were just so cute with their polka dot backgrounds and their icing transfer images. Dough and Batter is so fun to work with and so talented and creative! And, you guessed it- those cute cactus plates came as part of the party kit from Paper Hat Party Company! I loved having the plates to use for serving dessert!

taco-plate-with-cookies

Here’s a quick shot of the table as I was building it and before I added the plates, trays, food, etc. I enjoy the process of seeing what works well together and taking photos of it along the way as I am designing it. It helps me to see it better and from a different perspective. Anybody else do this?

tablescape

I can tell you the the key ingredients for making patterns and colors work well together is first, not to be afraid to mix them! Definitely remember to mix large scale with small scale rather than having the patterns all the same size. You can repeat patterns of different scale to bring a cohesive feel- such as the tiny polka dots on the cookies work really well with the polka dot effect that the strewn confetti gives. The same works with the smaller diamond pattern on the plates paired with the bold stripes of the serape. And- remember to add texture to the table top with flowers and even the cut out on the luminaries. I love the motion of both of those, too! The height is always a tougher one for me because I love to have taller centerpieces for the visual appeal, but mostly, I want guests to be able to see each other and to chat– so I keep it lower especially for a kids’ table. The cake stand of cookies was as tall as I let the table get but added visual height with the wall behind the table!

piñata-taco-cookies-on-platter
fiesta-letter-balloons

I will share more about the fabulous wall decorations that I used from Party Box Paper Company coming up! Let me know what your favorite part of the kids’ tablescape is and remember to check back all week for more fiesta fun!! You can also see another of my favorite fiestas here– a party for my daughter that was full of good times!

XO,

Lydia

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