Papel picado, meaning cut paper, is traditional folk art found throughout Mexico to decorate ofrendas, homes, streets and walkways. It is made of brightly colored tissue paper cut into patterns or images like animals.
Traditional papel picado was cut by hand. Today the paper can be cut up to 50 sheets at a time using a hammer and blades or chisels. Patterns include flowers, lettering, animals and intricate patterns. Once cut it is put on a string to make a banner and hung to add color to any festivity.
You can try your hand with papel picado at home. If you've ever made paper snowflakes then you have the general concept for making papel picado.
Materials:
Tissue paper (the kind you'd put in a gift bag)
Scissors
String
Glue
Instructions:
1. Cut the tissue into an 8 x 8 square
2. Fold this square several times
3. Cut your pattern. You can freehand a pattern or get a printable pattern to follow here
4. Repeat with different colors of paper
5. Cut the string to fit the area where your papel picado will hang
6. Glue each square to the string by putting it about half an inch below the top, apply glue, and fold top over to cover the string
7. Hang and enjoy!
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