Papel picado: what it is, how it is made and what it means

Papel picado is a Mexican folk art where artisans cut intricate patterns into stacks of colored tissue paper. These banners are strung up for holidays, festivals, and family celebrations, often featuring birds, flowers, or skeletons. Papel picado is especially known for decorating altars and streets during the Day of the Dead.

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Papel picado is made by cutting designs into stacks of tissue paper.
San Salvador Huixcolotla is known as the birthplace of this craft.
It is a key decoration for the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
Designs and colors change for different holidays and events.
Papel picado represents the element of air on Day of the Dead altars.

What is Papel picado?

Papel picado consists of sheets of tissue paper with detailed designs cut through them, often in bright colors. The patterns may show birds, flowers, skeletons, or symbols for special occasions. The sheets are strung together to make banners, which are hung across streets, in homes, or on altars. The effect is festive, with the light shining through the cutouts and colors.

Where does Papel picado come from?

The roots of papel picado go back to precolonial Mexico, when the Aztecs made spirit figures from amate, a rough paper made from bark. In the 1800s, Mexican artisans began using imported tissue paper, adapting old techniques to the new material. The town of San Salvador Huixcolotla in Puebla is recognized as the birthplace of the modern craft. The tradition has spread across Mexico and into the United States and Europe.

How Papel picado is made

To make papel picado, artisans stack 40 to 50 sheets of colored tissue paper and staple them together. A design is drawn on top, covered with plastic for protection, and then cut out using chisels and a small mallet, or sometimes scissors. Each sheet in the stack ends up with the same pattern. The finished sheets are separated and strung together with string or attached to dowels for display.

Interior of the municipal palace of Atlixco, Puebla with papel picado celebrating Independence Day. Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When and where Papel picado is used

Papel picado is displayed for many events: national holidays, weddings, baptisms, and especially the Day of the Dead, when it decorates altars and streets. At Christmas, red and green papel picado with holiday motifs is common. For weddings, white sheets with lace-like patterns are used. Some people also ask shamans to cut special figures for personal blessings or needs.

Forms of Papel picado

Designs vary by occasion: skulls and skeletons for Day of the Dead, doves and hearts for weddings, and religious figures for Christmas. Different regions and artists develop their own styles, with San Salvador Huixcolotla known for especially fine work. Papel picado can also be made from rice or silk paper, and tools range from scissors to specialized chisels.

What Papel picado means

Papel picado is officially recognized as part of the cultural heritage of Puebla. It is seen as a symbol of Mexican identity and is used to represent the element of air on Day of the Dead altars. The craft is passed down through families, and its patterns are believed to carry meaning for the events they mark. Notable artists have brought papel picado to museums and galleries worldwide.

Days and festivals

Day of the Dead Easter

Questions people ask about Papel picado

Where does papel picado come from?

Papel picado originated in Mexico, with roots in precolonial bark paper crafts. The modern form using tissue paper began in the 19th century, especially in San Salvador Huixcolotla, Puebla.

How is papel picado made?

Artisans stack sheets of colored tissue paper, draw a design, and cut it out using chisels or scissors. This creates multiple identical sheets, which are then separated and strung together as banners.

What is papel picado used for?

It decorates homes, streets, and altars during Mexican holidays and celebrations such as the Day of the Dead, Christmas, weddings, and national festivals.

What does papel picado symbolize?

On Day of the Dead altars, papel picado represents the element of air. Its patterns and colors are chosen to match the meaning of each celebration.

Are there different types of papel picado?

Yes, designs and colors vary for each occasion. For example, skulls for Day of the Dead, white lace-like patterns for weddings, and red or green motifs for Christmas.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Papel picado", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Vase: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, source

Corn dolly: Renata ( talk ), Public domain, source

Paisley: Unknown author, Public domain, source

Buta: Thomas Watier, Public domain, source

Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Floral design: Jmaxx37, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Flower carpet: Francisco Conde Sánchez, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Ofrenda: Eneas de Troya, CC BY 2.0, source

Papel picado