Como hacer papel picado: Why your DIY banners don't look like the ones in Mexico

You’ve seen them. Those vibrant, delicate banners fluttering above cobblestone streets in Coyoacán or strung across a family altar for Día de Muertos. Most people think they're just laser-cut party favors from a big-box store. Actually, the real stuff—the authentic papel picado—is a brutal, beautiful craft that involves more heavy-duty hammers than delicate scrapbooking tools.

If you want to learn como hacer papel picado, you have to decide if you’re doing the "elementary school version" with scissors or the real-deal artisan method. Both are great. But one is art, and the other is just a Friday afternoon activity.

Honestly, it’s one of the most misunderstood crafts in the world. People think it’s just Mexican lace. It’s actually a descendant of amatl, a type of bark paper used by the Aztecs to appease gods like Mictlāntēcutli. When the Spanish brought over silk paper (china paper), the tradition evolved into the colorful tissue paper cutouts we see today.

The big mistake everyone makes with paper

Most beginners grab a single sheet of tissue paper and start cutting. Stop. That’s how you end up with a torn, soggy mess.

To really understand como hacer papel picado, you need to think in stacks. Real artisans, like the legendary families in San Salvador Huixcolotla, Puebla, work with dozens of sheets at once. They aren't using scissors. They’re using fierritos—small, hand-forged chisels.

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If you're at home, you’re probably using a craft knife or scissors. That’s fine. But you still need to stack. Put 5 to 10 sheets together. Staple them at the top. This weight prevents the paper from shifting. If the paper shifts even a millimeter, your skeleton’s face is going to look like a melting candle. It’s annoying. You’ve been warned.

Finding your tools (and why your kitchen scissors are lying to you)

You need sharp stuff. Really sharp.

• Tissue Paper (Papel de China): Get the thin stuff. If it’s too thick, it won’t flutter in the wind, which is basically the whole point of the "wind" element in Mexican altars.
• A Lead Block or Self-healing Mat: Artisans use lead because it’s soft and doesn’t dull the chisels. Since you probably don’t have a slab of lead in your garage, a thick self-healing cutting mat is your best friend.
• The Template: You can draw this yourself. Just remember: every single cut must be connected to the main frame. If you cut a circle in the middle of a square without a "bridge," the circle just falls out. Now you have a hole. Congrats.
• Hammer and Chisels: Only if you're going pro. For most of us, a fresh X-Acto blade is the way to go.

The scissor method for the impatient

If you don't want to mess with knives, use the "snowflake" method. Fold the paper. Fold it again. Cut triangles and semi-circles along the folds.

It’s fast.

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But it looks generic. If you want that iconic look of a skull (calavera) or a flower, you have to keep the paper flat. No folding.

Step-by-step: Como hacer papel picado like a pro

Let's get into the weeds of the process.

1. Design your master template. Draw your design on a piece of heavy cardstock or regular printer paper. Make sure your lines are thick. If you're doing a skull, the eyes, nose, and mouth need to be separated by "bridges" of paper at least 1/4 inch wide.
2. Stack and Staple. Take 10 sheets of colored tissue paper. Place your template on top. Staple all four corners through all 11 layers. This is your "book."
3. The Interior First. Never start with the edges. If you cut the border first, the center of the paper loses its tension and starts to bunch up. Start with the smallest, most intricate details in the middle.
4. The Punch. If you’re using a knife, use a "stabbing" motion rather than a long dragging cut. Tissue paper is notoriously "draggy." It likes to bunch up and rip if you pull the blade too fast.
5. The Border. Once the middle is done, cut the scalloped edges. This gives it that professional, festive look.
6. The Stringing. Unstaple your stack. Carefully peel the sheets apart. Be gentle—static electricity is going to make them stick together like glue. Fold the top 1/2 inch of each sheet over a long piece of twine and use a tiny bit of glue stick to secure it.

Why San Salvador Huixcolotla matters

You can't talk about como hacer papel picado without mentioning this town in Puebla. In the 1990s, the Mexican government officially declared this place the "cradle" of the craft.

The artisans there, like the Vivanco or Reynoso families, don't use patterns they found on Pinterest. They have hundreds of handmade chisels, each one a different shape—curves, straight lines, tiny dots. They can knock out a stack of 50 sheets in the time it takes you to find your scissors.

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The complexity is insane. They do portraits of celebrities, religious icons, and complex geometric patterns that look like they were made by a computer. But it's all muscle memory. It's a physical, loud, dusty process. It’s not "delicate" until it’s finished and hanging in the air.

Dealing with the "Why is mine ripping?" problem

Humidity.

Tissue paper is basically a sponge for moisture. If you’re working in a humid room, the paper gets soft. It loses its "crispness." If you find your blade is tearing the paper instead of slicing it, move to a room with an air conditioner or a dehumidifier. Or just wait for a drier day.

Also, change your blade. Like, every 15 minutes. A dull blade is the enemy of como hacer papel picado. You think it's still sharp? It's not. Switch it out.

Actionable Next Steps

• Start with a "Grid" Design: Before trying to cut a complex Diego Rivera-style mural, try a simple geometric pattern. Squares, diamonds, and circles are easier to keep symmetrical.
• Buy Bulk Tissue: You are going to mess up the first five sheets. It’s a guarantee. Buy a pack of 100 sheets so you don't feel precious about wasting a few.
• Use a Glue Stick, Not Liquid Glue: White school glue will soak through the paper and turn your beautiful banner into a purple and orange glob. Stick to the dry stuff.
• Experiment with "Papel Plastificado": If you’re hanging these outside and don't want them destroyed by a five-minute rain shower, look for plastic sheets. They are harder to cut (they're slippery), but they last for months instead of hours.

Mastering como hacer papel picado isn't about having a steady hand as much as it is about patience and the right tools. Once you get the rhythm of the "punch and lift" with your blade, you'll stop buying the plastic stuff from the store forever.

Grab a stack of paper. Staple it down. Start with the eyes. You’ll see the magic happen as soon as you peel that first layer off the stack.