Add Papel Picado to your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Papel Picado is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are cut from colored tissue papers stacked together and folded then cut using sharp scissors. Papel picados are often strung together to create flags that are hung across streets or displayed in the home. Today I’ll show you how to make the traditional folk art using fabric for your Cinco de Mayo party! It’s simple with these easy steps!
Supplies:
- One yard each of cotton fabric (red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, green and red)
- Sharp Fabric Scissors
- Double-wide Bias Tape
- Straight edge and rotary cutter
- Pins
- Brother Sewing Machine
Make it:
Using your straight edge and rotary cutter, start by cutting 9 inch x 9 inch squares of fabric. You’ll need one of each color per string of flags. Each flag will be folded and cut into a beautiful design.
First fold the 9 x 9 inch square in half.
Fold it half again.
And fold it in half one more time.
Clip the corner of one end of the folded piece of fabric to make a point.
Unfold the piece until it is just folded in half once.
Fold the top down to the tips of the angled cut-outs you just made on the fabric.
Take the right edge crossing it over to the left side to create a triangle.
Snip the tip with a chevron design.
And cut patterns into both side of the triangle. I made a heart shape on the inside and more triangles and rectangles on the outside.
Unfold the square of fabric and you have a beautiful design.
Do this with each color of fabric.
Open up the bias tape and lay the top edge of the square inside the folds. Pin in place. Leaving about 3 to 4 inches, add the next square. Continue adding and pinning in all the cutout squares.
Sew all the way down the edge of the bias tape to secure them in place.
And there you have it, your very own Papel Picado! Hang it on the wall and it’s time for the fiesta.
Now all you need is a margarita to sip on! Salud!
