A lace edge: a fringe with a row of holes above itFolds, 2. Snip a fringe up from the bottom. Above it cut small half circles from both folded sides.
A candle with a flameFolds, 1. On the fold cut half a tall candle and, above a strip of paper, half a teardrop flame.
A skull between two candlesFolds, 2. Half a candle and flame on the last fold; half a nose and a pinch-snip eye on the other side. Half skulls land at the edges.
A column of chevrons pointing up the sheetFolds, 1. Cut three slanted slots from the fold, each sloping downward. They open into chevrons.
A fringed banner: straight snips up from the lower edgeFolds, 2. Cut a row of slits a finger long up from the bottom. Leave everything above them whole.
A ladder of short bars down the middleFolds, 1. Cut five thin rectangles from the fold, one under another, with a strip of paper between.
A pennant that ends in one point, with a diamond above the tipFolds, 1. Slice the bottom at a slant, low at the fold. Snip one triangle from the fold higher up.
A sheet dotted with round holes of two sizesFolds, 2. Snip half circles, big and small, from both folded sides. Keep paper between each pair.
A zigzag lower edge with a row of round holes above itFolds, 2. Cut the bottom of the packet to a point. Snip a half circle from each folded side, level.
Four scallops along the bottom and nothing elseFolds, 2. Round the bottom of the packet into one curve, like a thumbnail. Four scallops open.
Notched sides and one round hole in the middleFolds, 1. Snip a half circle from the fold and three triangles from the open side.
One big diamond window in the middle of the sheetFolds, 1. Cut one large triangle from the fold, a hand wide. It opens into a single diamond.
Square holes set like the dark squares of a checkerboardFolds, 3. Cut two small rectangles from each folded side, at different heights so they never meet.
Three rows of diamonds made from plain triangle snipsFolds, 2. Snip three triangles from each folded side. Every snip on a fold opens into a diamond.
Two tall slots like windows, side by sideFolds, 2. Cut one long, thin rectangle from the last fold. It opens into two slots.
Flowers and birds 12
A daisy: a round middle with petal holes around itFolds, 1. Half circle on the fold, a petal on the fold above and below it, pinch snips for the side petals.
A dove with spread wings, seen from the frontFolds, 1. Cut half a dove on the fold: half a body, half a fan tail and one whole wing reaching out.
A peacock with its tail fanned outFolds, 1. Half a small body on the fold. Pinch and snip teardrops in an arc above it, like tail feathers.
A row of four tulips along the bottomFolds, 3. Cut half a small tulip from the last fold, low down. Four tulips open in a row.
A stem up the middle with leaves slanting off both sidesFolds, 1. Cut a thin half stem along part of the fold. Pinch and snip leaf shapes beside it.
A sunflower: one big round hole ringed with small petal snipsFolds, 1. Cut a wide half circle from the fold. Pinch and snip a ring of small triangles around it.
A tulip standing in the middle of the sheetFolds, 1. Cut half a tulip on the fold: a cup with one point, and a thin half stem under it.
An owl face: two round eyes and a beakFolds, 1. A small triangle on the fold for the beak. Pinch and snip one round eye beside it.
Four small birds in a row, facing each other in pairsFolds, 2. Cut one small bird in profile with its beak touching the last fold.
Two birds beak to beakFolds, 1. Cut one bird in profile with only the tip of its beak touching the fold. Its twin faces it.
Two four-petal flowers side by sideFolds, 2. On the last fold cut half a petal up, half a petal down and one whole petal out to the side.
Two hummingbirds drinking from one flowerFolds, 1. Half a flower on the fold. Beside it, a bird whose long beak runs into the edge of the flower.
Suns, stars and hearts 12
A big heart ringed by small diamondsFolds, 1. Half a large heart on the fold. Pinch and snip small triangles in a ring around it.
A five-point starFolds, 1. Half a star on the fold. Its top point and the notch between its two legs both sit on the fold.
A four-point star in the middleFolds, 1. On the fold cut half a star: a long point up, a long point down and one point out to the side.
A round sun between two heartsFolds, 2. Half a heart on the last fold, half a circle on the other folded side. Each outer edge gets half a sun.
A row of four hearts along the bottomFolds, 3. Cut half a small heart from the last fold, low down, with its point toward the bottom edge.
A row of small stars across the topFolds, 3. Cut half a small four-point star from the last fold, high up. Four stars open in a row.
A sun with a faceFolds, 1. Leave a round middle uncut. Pinch and snip rays around it and an eye inside. Smile on the fold.
A sun: a round middle with ray slots all aroundFolds, 1. Half circle on the fold, a thin ray on the fold above and below, pinch snips for the other rays.
A sunrise on the lower edge with rays fanning upFolds, 1. Cut a quarter circle from the bottom corner at the fold. Pinch and snip rays fanning above it.
Hearts stacked down the middle, large to smallFolds, 1. Cut three half hearts on the fold, the biggest at the top, with paper left between them.
Hearts that carry on from one sheet to the nextFolds, 2. Cut half a heart from each folded side, level. Hung in a row, the half hearts at the edges meet.
One heart in the middle of the sheetFolds, 1. Draw half a heart against the fold, as tall as your hand, and cut along the line.
Day of the Dead skulls and candles 12
A candle flame with rays around itFolds, 1. Half a teardrop flame on the fold, half a candle below it. Pinch and snip short rays around.
A candle with a flameFolds, 1. On the fold cut half a tall candle and, above a strip of paper, half a teardrop flame.
A row of four candles along the bottomFolds, 3. Cut half a candle slot up from the bottom at the last fold, and half a flame on that fold above it.
A simple skull face: two round eyes, a heart nose and a row of teethFolds, 1. Upside-down half heart on the fold for the nose. Pinch snips for an eye and for the teeth.
A skull between two candlesFolds, 2. Half a candle and flame on the last fold; half a nose and a pinch-snip eye on the other side. Half skulls land at the edges.
A skull outlined in dashesFolds, 1. Cut the face first. Then pinch and snip short dashes in a half circle around it.
A skull wearing a crown of flowersFolds, 1. Cut the face. Above it pinch and snip two small flowers: a round hole with notches around it.
A skull whose eyes are heartsFolds, 1. Pinch the paper where an eye goes and snip half a heart from the pinch. Nose on the fold.
A skull with a heart on its foreheadFolds, 1. Small half heart high on the fold, an upside-down half heart lower down, one pinch-snip eye.
A skull with flower eyesFolds, 1. Pinch and snip a small round eye, then four tiny notches around it as petals. Nose on the fold.
Three candles: a tall one between two short onesFolds, 1. Cut half a tall slot up from the bottom at the fold and one short slot beside it.
Two skulls side by sideFolds, 2. Do the whole face at the last fold: half a nose on it, a pinch-snip eye beside it, teeth below.
Borders and scallops 12
A border of tiny hearts above a scalloped edgeFolds, 3. Round the bottom of the packet. Just above, cut half a small heart from each folded side.
A column of triangles down each side edgeFolds, 1. Snip six triangles down the open side. Leave the fold alone so the middle stays plain.
A double border: a line of dashes over a line of dotsFolds, 2. Pinch along a line near the bottom and snip half circles. Pinch a second line above it and snip thin notches.
A frame of cuts on three sides round a plain middleFolds, 1. Triangles down the open side, then pinch snips in a line along the bottom.
A lace edge: a fringe with a row of holes above itFolds, 2. Snip a fringe up from the bottom. Above it cut small half circles from both folded sides.
A lower edge like an upside-down picket fenceFolds, 3. Cut the bottom of the packet to a point, then a thin slot up from the bottom at each folded side.
A lower edge that rolls like a waveFolds, 2. Cut the bottom of the packet in one S-shaped curve from side to side.
A row of arches along the bottom, like a bridgeFolds, 2. Cut a quarter-circle bite out of each bottom corner of the packet. Arches open between the feet.
A scalloped lower edge with a round hole in each scallopFolds, 2. Round the bottom of the packet. Pinch just above the curve and snip one half circle.
A stepped lower edge like the top of a castle wallFolds, 2. Cut a square notch from the bottom corner at the last fold. Two wide gaps open in the edge.
A zigzag lower edge with a diamond in each pointFolds, 2. Cut the bottom to a point. Pinch above the point and snip a triangle: it opens as a diamond.
Eight narrow scallops like a row of tonguesFolds, 3. Round the bottom of the packet into one long curve. Eight scallops open.
How it works
Papel picado is Mexican cut tissue paper, strung in rows for celebrations. Workshops cut it with chisels. These papel picado design ideas use the other way, folded tissue and small scissors, so every design is one a fold can make.
Read the full guide
How the folds work in simple papel picado
Every fold runs side to side. With one fold, half a shape cut on the fold opens into one whole shape. With two folds, a cut on the last fold opens twice; with three, four times. A cut on the other folded side lands between those and leaves a half at each outer edge. A pinch snip makes a hole away from any fold: pinch the paper into a small crease and snip a notch from it.
Papel picado designs by occasion
For the Day of the Dead the sheets are often cut with skulls and strung around the altar. Wedding sheets are usually white, cut with doves and hearts to look like lace. Christmas ones are traditionally red or green.
Fold the top finger-width of the sheet down first and never cut into it. The string runs under that flap.
Leave paper between cuts. Two cuts that meet drop a whole piece out of the banner.
Questions and answers
What are easy papel picado designs?
The ones made from plain snips on a fold: triangles that open into diamonds, half circles, a half heart. First banners holds twelve, starting with three rows of diamonds.
How do you make papel picado with scissors?
Fold a sheet of tissue paper in half side to side once, twice or three times, snip shapes from the folded sides and the bottom edge, and unfold. Glue the top flap over a string.
Do you need a template for papel picado?
Not for these. Each design is half a shape cut on a fold, so both sides come out even. Draw the half in pencil first if it helps. This page has no template to download.
What does papel picado mean?
Perforated paper, or pecked paper. It is a Mexican folk art, hung for the Day of the Dead, Easter, Christmas, weddings, baptisms and feast days. On a Day of the Dead altar it stands for air.