Papel Picado Fiesta Flags

I'm a big believer in flags, bunting, and/or signage to really liven a space at a party. For my lovely friend Anja's Mexican inspired birthday brunch I made Papel Picado. The term Papel Picado translates to "punched paper" and Papel picado also describes the traditional folk art used in Mexico to decorate altars, tables, ceilings and plazas during festivals. Papel picado artists use hammer and chisel to punch designs out of stacks of up to forty layers of tissue at a time. 

For a much simpler version, I created the flag design in Illustrator on my computer and printed the flags out in different colors. I cut the border out with scissors - still quite meticulous! - and then folded the top of the paper over and secured it with tape to some twine to hang. I think the end result gives the look and feel, without all the hard work!

Here is a link to download the birthday Papel Picado flag (pictured above) I created to print out for your next fiesta!

https://www.yousendit.com/download/T2pIYURKMGt6RSt4dnc9PQ