Papel Picado Banners

If you think of authentic mexican decoration, what comes to your mind? Right, the Papel Picado banners! There’s no fiesta in Mexico without the traditional hand cut paper banners, which are available in countless designs and for all conceivable occasions.

To name just a few: there’s the mexican garland for birthdays and other anniversaries, the festive Papel Picado with its typical christmas patterns and the all white Papel Picado banners for the traditional mexican wedding. For the Day of the Dead party, all sorts of clattering skeletons gather on the Papel Picado (which is by the way representing the element wind, when used as main altar decoration for this occasion). Even the Virgin of Guadalupe has her own mexican garland design! On her annual honor day in December, paper banners with designs dedicated to her glories can be found on streets and in homes even in the remotest corners of Mexico. Some companies would regularly print their own Papel Picado banners for certain festivities, having their company logo incorporated in the design. If you are interested in this super individual and customized version of the Papel Picado garland, please contact us for further info. But keep in mind that this requires long-term planning, because...

The mexican garland is handmade!

Our Papel Picado banners come from a family-run business in a small town south of Mexico City, which produces the traditional mexican decor in its third generation.

Ultra-thin tissue paper in various colours serves as base material for Papel Picado, all processed by hand and in stacks of 50 to 100 sheets each. At first, the pattern is transferred by the use of a template and a simple pencil onto the uppermost sheet of the paper stack. In general, mexican garlands consist of at least five different designs, with the exception of some special designs only. The stencils of these designs have been handed down from generation to generation, thus making the Papel Picados highly recognizable with the particular manufactury.

Once the design is drawn onto the stack, the pattern is chiseled out of the paper. A wide arsenal of „Fierritos“ named chisels, driven by hammers, is used, in order to create the fine holes that form the design. The above-mentioned stack processing allows the production of many Papel Picado garlands in one operation. In the last step, the now artistically perforated sheets are glued to a string and the typical form of the mexican decor emerges. And did you know, that the whole manufacturing process is protected and supported by the state of Mexico as a national cultural heritage?

Papel Picado - a transient piece of art

Just as happiness often lasts only for a small moment, neither is Papel Picado made for eternity. What surely doesn’t mean, that we’re talking of a disposable product, more of one with a limited durabilty.

When used indoors, the mexican garland can be definitely used several times. 

However, a prerequisite is, that the material is handled extremely careful, especially when putting it up and taking it down again. In the latter case, the harder part is to fold the garland properly and trying to put it back in the bag, which requires a little practice indeed.

During outdoor use, it’s heavy rain, that is the biggest enemy of Papel Picado. The string itself is quite sturdy and even several connected garlands will defy normal European winds very well. The sound of the paper garland rustling in the wind is, without a doubt, very charming and creates a great atmosphere. If you take good care of your mexican garland, it will survive multiple garden parties for sure.

Whether rain or shine, indoor or outdoor, one thing is certain: due to its handmade charm, Papel Picado stands out from ordinary decorations and gives your party the special touch, give it a try!