Fiestas aren't just for Cinco de Mayo! A south-of-the-border party theme is a great choice any time you want to kick back with a pitcher of margaritas and good amigos. Snag our ideas for decorations, cocktails, appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

 

Decorate your fiesta with these festive tissue-paper streamers, bowl bands, and flags.

Invite guests to your party with these festive cards. Glue crepe-paper fringe to blank notecards for invitations; use rubber stamps to state the occasion.

What's a fiesta without a pinata? Liven up your party with a papier-mache pinata for all ages.

Try using wheat-paste powder, available at hardware and art-supply stores, instead of ordinary flour -- the resulting paste will be less prone to cracking.

Brighten up your fiesta with ribbon lanterns. For each, you'll need one paper box lantern and four lengths of ribbon, each measuring nine times the height of the lantern.

These traditional tissue-paper decorations are made by using craft punches. Attach the decoratively cut paper to a string and hang as a banner or table runner.

This Mexico-inspired arrangement of vibrant blooms is the ideal centerpiece for your fiesta.

Wow guests with these beautiful straw flowers for your fiesta. Inspired by vintage crafts of the 1960s, these brightly colored crafts make a cheery centerpiece.

With a few snips and folds, and a little imagination, you can turn humble paper bags into festive decorations -- perfect for an outdoor fiesta.

Set your Mexican-themed table with these eye-catching napkin rings made from a disposable aluminum tray. Inspired by traditional Mexican punched-tin work, these napkin rings use a similar technique.

Tequila, lime juice, and triple sec achieve perfect harmony in this large-batch margarita recipe. It's easy to multiply the recipe, so you'll be prepared no matter how big your party.

A refreshing alternative to margaritas, the lesser-known Paloma cocktail combines platinum tequila with Mexican grapefruit soda. Hollow out lime halves and fill with reposado tequila to garnish each glass.

Pureed watermelon brings a refreshing fruitiness to the classic margarita. Simple syrup infused with orange zest sweetens the mixture.

Pineapple juice and cream of coconut blend with rum and crushed ice to make this cool classic. Kids love this drink too -- just leave out the rum.

These grown-up fruit pops are soaked in a blend of tequila, Grand Marnier, and lime juice before freezing. These "cocktails on a stick" are a perfect way to greet party guests on a hot day.

Inspired by traditional Mexican fruit drinks, this thirst-quenching cooler combines honeydew juice (made by straining the pureed fruit), lime juice, and a little sugar. This recipe is also delicious when made with cantaloupe or any other melon.

These creamy coconut cocktails pack a punch, thanks to a generous measure of tequila. Freshly squeezed lime juice and orange liqueur balance the richness of the coconut cream and shredded coconut.

This cinnamon-vanilla rice drink is a frothy Mexican classic. Rice flour offers a shortcut, eliminating the customary need to soak grains of rice overnight and grind them. Condensed milk gives the blend sweetness. For a spiked version, stir in a little rum.

Everyone should have a good guacamole recipe up their sleeve! This one blends mashed avocado with lime juice and lots of chopped cilantro.

Start the fiesta with not one, but three salsas -- cruda, verde, and roasted tomato. All of these delicious dips can be made several days in advance.

You'll never go wrong with this layered taco dip. Refried beans, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, avocado, scallions, canned green chiles, sour cream, and shredded lettuce comprise the enticing layers.

Stuff halved, seeded jalapenos with cheddar and cream cheeses and roast until browned and bubbly. These will be a hit at any casual get-together.

To start this ceviche, poached shrimp, Serrano chiles, and scallions are marinated in a zesty mixture of lime juice, thyme, and oregano. Cilantro and diced avocado are mixed in just before serving.

To make this lavish appetizer, chef Sue Torres layers guacamole, caramelized pineapple, and poached shrimp atop mini tostadas.

Your blender makes quick work of the lime, soy, garlic, and jalapeno marinade for flavorful skirt steak. Sear the meat in a skillet or sizzle it on the grill and serve with tortillas, salsa, and grilled onions.

This Mexican-style grilled corn on the cob is slathered with reduced-fat mayonnaise and then sprinkled with finely grated feta cheese and chili powder. If you like, serve lime wedges on the side.

Dusky chili powder and a sprinkle of salt add a kick to mango wedges. Add variety to this traditional Mexican street snack with papaya, pineapple, jicama, and fresh coconut.

Simply add water to instant corn masa flour to create fresh, soft corn tortillas. Use a cast-iron griddle to give the tortillas a nicely browned and charred finish.

After a quick marinade in garlic and lime juice, bass or cod fillets are seared on a hot grill. Serve these tacos with fresh corn-tomato relish.

Tuck Monterey Jack cheese, yellow summer squash, and orange bell pepper between flour tortillas and toast them on the grill. Serve the quesadillas with fresh corn and scallion relish.

Combine store-bought green salsa with garlic and cream to make an easy sauce for these tasty enchiladas. This recipe can be made a day ahead: Simply put the dish in the oven an hour before you’re ready to serve dinner.

Set out a taco bar to let guests pick their favorite fillings and fixings, including chicken, pork, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, salsas, and lime wedges.

Hollowed pineapple halves are stuffed with a mixture of shrimp, halibut, chopped pineapple, and adobo sauce before roasting. The pineapples are then topped with Emmentaler (or Swiss) cheese and clams, and baked until browned and bubbling. This fiesta-worthy recipe is from Roberto Santibanez's cookbook "Rosa's New Mexican Table."

We took the traditional tres leches cake and topped it with whipped cream and a rainbow of seasonal fruit for a fresh and festive finish.

Lime zest and a few splashes of Grand Marnier and tequila give true margarita flavor to this crowd-pleasing cheesecake. The pretzel crust echoes the drink's salted rim.

Simmer bittersweet chocolate and ground cinnamon with heavy cream to make the Mexican chocolate sauce for these sundaes. Drizzle over dulce de leche or vanilla ice cream and top with peanuts and toasted coconut.