A craft for many celebrations
Papel picado is not only for Día de Muertos. A Mexican cultural magazine calls it the craft of all celebrations, and lists national holidays, Christmas, weddings and baptisms among its uses. Wikipedia’s entry mentions white tissue with doves, hearts and wedding cakes for weddings, and red or green paper for Christmas.
Weddings and showers
White or soft pastel paper with hearts, doves or flowers suits a wedding, shower or anniversary. Use the heart or butterfly motif and a scallop border, and hang the banner above a table or a doorway. The banner page can spell a name or a short word.
Fiestas and birthdays
Bright mixed colors work well for birthdays, graduations and neighborhood parties. Use the sun or star lattice for a daytime feel, and let guests pick colors. A banner needs only paper, string and glue, and is easy to make ahead.
Christmas and winter
Red and green tissue with a star lattice or sun motif makes a seasonal banner. The wording on a letter banner can be a greeting in Spanish such as FELIZ NAVIDAD, which is 13 characters including the space and fits the 24-character limit.
Classroom ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, according to hispanicheritagemonth.gov. Papel picado fits well into that time. Students can read about San Salvador Huixcolotla, choose colors, cut a flag, and write a note about what they learned. Keep the project respectful: teach that papel picado is a living Mexican craft, and avoid stereotypes such as sombreros and cartoon accents. If students are cutting, use blunt-tip scissors and an adult for any craft knife work.
Sources and further reading
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