Traditional Mexican Cut Paper Party Decorations
Tara A. Spears
Visitors to La Penita de Jaltemba are welcomed by the brightly colored paper cutouts that flutter in the breeze over the main street, the avenida. This is a wonderful example of the traditional Mexican art, papel picado. Literally translated as perforated paper, “papel picado” is believed to have originated in pre-Columbian time. Later the Mayans invented paper using bark from the Finca Tree. Indigenous people used handmade paper to create decorations for religious and healing rituals for centuries.
A dramatic change came when Filipino and Chinese traders arrived at the port of Acapulco. They introduced ‘papel chino’ made of tissue paper. Mexicans found ‘papel chino’ easier to cut and easy to dye into many colors. “papel chino” continues to be the paper of choice for “papel picado” art projects.
Rectangles of tissue paper are folded and snipped with scissors to create geometric patterns. These are glued side by side on a long piece of string measured to needed length. This basic process, familiar to Mexican people of all ages, is used to create quick and economical decorations that may be hung outside their homes for religious and civic festivities or used to brighten an interior room or patio for birthdays and other family celebrations.
In modern times, skilled craftsmen use awls, chisels and special cutting blades to render more intricate designs. Working over a basic pattern, they cut through as many as 50 sheets of tissue paper at a time. The design, often laid out over a delicate window pane background, may include figures such as flowers, foliage, birds, angels, crosses, skeletons and historic figures, as well as words or phrases associated with specific holidays. Borders may be straight, scalloped, zigzagged or fringed. Each design is a unique and complex work of art requiring the ability to envision the use of negative space. The single sheets of cut paper are then organized by color and design and laminated to a string- enramada. Enramada is the Spanish term for a chain of flags which comes from the word ‘rama’ or vine.
After the Spanish Conquest papel de china (tissue paper) was introduced and became the material of choice for holiday decorations. Because tissue paper’s delicate consistency tends to make it short lived, cut-outs made from plastic are replacing the tissue paper. Happily, the charming traditional designs help compensate for what the sturdier, more modern material lacks in aesthetic value. Cut plastic is used instead of paper because it allows the decorations to survive outdoors in the strong tropical sunlight, wind and rain.
Distinct color schemes selected
for papel picado are frequently linked with specific festivities. Sky blue or pink and white are commonly chosen for celebrations in honor of the Virgin Mary, yellow and white for patron saints. Vibrant pink, orange and purple are the key tones employed for ofrendas (offerings) associated with the Day of the Dead. Shades of purple are also widely used at Easter.
The colors of the Mexican flag–red, white and green–are set aside for venerating the nation’s patroness, La Virgen de Guadalupe, as well as for commemorating Independence Day, September 16. Rainbow hues are appropriate for Christmas and non-religious festivities.
Like so many traditional crafts, papel picado is now mass produced in factories and sold in stores, shops, craft centers and even online from ebay and Amazon. Using papel picada is a quick and inexpensive way to add the spirit and color of Mexico to an ordinary day or street.