Make Your Own Colorful Papel Picado BY JESSICA MARTINEZ
In “Rosie’s Rules,” when Rosie Fuentes and her family get together for a party, you might notice bright, colorful banners hanging around their home. These banners are made with papel picado, a traditional Mexican folk art in which images or patterns are cut out of tissue paper. You and your child can make papel picado at home using just a few materials. Folding and cutting squares of tissue paper will reveal beautiful and unique patterns — and the possibilities are endless!
2. Fold the tissue paper in half from side-to-side, then fold it in half from top-to-bottom, just to the top of the bottom border you’ve created. 3. Cut out shapes from the sides of your folded paper. Try making triangles, semi-circles, snip off corners, or cut out half-heart shapes. Use a pen to draw shape guides if your child could use them. 4. Open the tissue paper to reveal the pattern. As you look it over with your child, try to figure out which snips resulted in each shape! Next, grab another square of tissue paper and do it all again. For one banner, you’ll need about 6 pieces of papel picado, but can have more if you like! 5. Once you’ve cut about six sheets of papel picado, you’re ready to assemble the banner. Lay out a length of string or yarn long enough to fit all your sheets. Working with one sheet at a time, spread glue across the very top half inch of the papel picado. Lay the string on top of the glue, then carefully fold the tissue paper just over the string. Repeat with each sheet of papel picado, spacing them about an inch or two apart. Hang your papel picado banner wherever you need a pop of color, or at your next family get together!
Materials Tissue paper squares in at least 2 or more colors (10” x 10”, or smaller) Pen Scissors Glue String Directions 1. Start with a square of tissue paper. Create a bottom border by folding the square in half, then in half again in the same direction. Make small cutouts along the bottom of the long rectangle in any shape you and your child like, trying not to cut deeper than 1 inch. For younger children just getting the hang of scissors, use a pen to draw guides for your child to follow.
Explore further at pbs.org/parents/crafts-and- experiments/make-your-own-colorful-papel- picado for step-by-step visuals and more ideas for papel picado!
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SEPTEMBER 2024
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