Paper Bag Serape Craft

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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this colorful Paper Bag Serape Craft for kids. This easy craft uses simple supplies and turns an ordinary paper grocery bag into a bright and festive costume piece. It is a fun choice for classroom activities, holiday crafts, or family crafting time at home.

Kids will enjoy picking bright colors, adding fringe, and creating their own festive serape to wear during a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Supplies

Large paper grocery bag
Scissors
Craft glue
Colored construction paper

Instructions

Cut open the sides of the paper bag so it can hang over the child’s shoulders like a poncho.
Cut a circle in the bottom of the bag large enough for your child’s head to fit through comfortably.
Cut bright strips of construction paper to fit across the front and back of the bag.
Glue the strips horizontally across the bag to create the colorful serape design.
Cut smaller strips of construction paper and glue them along the bottom edge to make fringe.
Let the glue dry completely before wearing.
Enjoy your fiesta!

Fun Facts

Cinco de Mayo remembers the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.
During this battle, the Mexican army defeated the French army even though they were outnumbered.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated most widely in the United States and in Puebla, Mexico.

Tips

Use a larger grocery bag for older children so the serape fits more comfortably.
Pre-cut some of the paper strips for younger kids to make the project easier.
Encourage kids to create their own color patterns to make each serape unique.

Teacher Friendly Educational Extension

This easy craft for kids can be a great addition to Cinco de Mayo classroom activities. Use the craft time to talk about the history of the Battle of Puebla and why the holiday is important. Children can also compare traditional clothing styles from different cultures and discuss how colors and patterns are used in celebrations.

For a simple writing extension, ask kids to write a few sentences about how they decorated their serape and what they learned about Cinco de Mayo. This works well for homeschool lessons, holiday crafts, and cultural learning activities.