Student Art Projects for Cinco De Mayo

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Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday celebrated during its namesake the fifth of May, celebrates the victory at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Although the origins of the holiday are serous, it has been the source of a festive celebration of the Mexican spirit. A student art project can be a fabulous way to celebrate this holiday.
Sombrero
Students can celebrate Cinco de Mayo by creating a traditional Mexican hat, or sombrero, which they can then keep and wear. This project can range in complexity from the simple to the much more complicated. For small children, start with a hat that is already made purchased from a store such as Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltrading.com). The students should decorate it with fabric markers or paints. The children can also glue on embellishments such as tassels, glitter, sequins, beads or feathers. You can purchase these from a craft store such as Michael’s Arts and Crafts or online at www.amazon.com. Make certain that all of the supplies match the fabric of the hat so that they stay on.
Piñata
Piñatas are used in a wide variety of Mexican festivals, thus this can make a fitting art project for Cinco de Mayo. Students can start with a cardboard box. You can recycle something such as an old cereal or mailing box. Make certain that it is strong enough to carry the contents of a piñata if they really want to use it. They will then get tissue paper in all different colors. Students should cut them into small strips. They will then glue the strips of tissue paper all around the box so that it is completely covered. At the top, they can make a trap door so that one can add candy or small toys. A random design can be used or they can try to make specific designs on it such as a picture of a bird or flower.
Shirt/Skirt
Female student can make themselves a colorful skirt for Cinco de Mayo. Shirts also work well for both students. Buy a plain skirt or shirt from an inexpensive store on www.amazon.com. Purchase fabric markers and fabric paints to draw colorful Mexican designs. A lot of Mexican artwork has pictures of vibrant flowers, so this can be the focus of the project. They can also add embellishments as listed above.
An art project is a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Make sure that any project is geared towards the age of the students.