Mini Papel Picado

A garland of three flags: pink with a heart, orange with a flower, and purple with a calavera. Each one is folded in half and half-windows are cut from the fold, so the pattern comes out symmetrical.

• Easy
• 3 flags
• 3 colored sheets
• 10 windows

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 4513

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• 3 Letter sheets — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Scissors — small
• Tape — clear, wide
• Thread or string
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Sheet 1

1. Sheet 1: pink sheet. The pink sheet should be under the camera now. The template has 3 sheets. The sheet is white — the pieces get their color in the coloring step.
2. Heart flag: outline. Trace the edge of the flag with a solid line: the notches on the sides and the points at the bottom. The flag is lying on its side — that way it fits in the frame.
3. Heart flag: windows. Trace the windows — a diamond, a heart and a little circle. You’ll cut them out later, with the flag folded in half.
4. Pink. The paper is white, but these parts should be this color: color them in completely, up to the outline. Move the marker in one direction.

Sheet 2

5. Sheet 2: orange sheet. Remove the previous sheet and put the orange sheet in its place, lined up edge to edge. Don’t move the phone — the scale stays the same. The sheet is white — the parts get their color at the coloring step.
6. Flower flag: outline. Trace the edge of the flag with a solid line: the notches on the sides and the scallops at the bottom. The flag is lying on its side — that way it fits in the frame.
7. Flower flag: windows. Trace the windows — a diamond, a flower and a little circle. You’ll cut them out later, with the flag folded in half.
8. Orange. The paper is white, but these parts should be this color: color them in completely, up to the outline. Move the marker in one direction.

Sheet 3

9. Sheet 3: purple sheet. Remove the previous sheet and put the purple sheet in its place, lined up edge to edge. Don’t move the phone — the scale stays the same. The sheet is white — the parts get their color at the coloring step.
10. Calavera flag: outline. Trace the edge of the flag with a solid line: the notches on the sides and the points at the bottom. The flag is lying on its side — that way it fits in the frame.
11. Calavera flag: windows. Trace the windows — the flower on the forehead, the eyes, the nose and the mouth. You’ll cut them out later, with the flag folded in half.
12. Purple. The paper is white, but these parts should be this color: color them in completely, up to the outline. Move the marker in one direction.

Cut

13. Cut out: heart flag. Cut out the flag along the outer line, including the notches on the sides and the bottom. Don’t touch the little windows yet: they’re cut on the folded flag.
14. Cut out: flower flag. Cut out the flag along the outer line, including the notches on the sides and the bottom. Don’t touch the little windows yet: they’re cut on the folded flag.
15. Cut out: calavera flag. Cut out the flag along the outer line, including the notches on the sides and the bottom. Don’t touch the little windows yet: they’re cut on the folded flag.
16. Fold in half. Turn the flag design side down and fold it in half lengthwise: left edge onto right edge, corner to corner. The fold passes through the middle of the windows, with the design on the outside.
17. Cut out the little windows. Without unfolding, cut from the fold along the line of each half-window and back to the fold — through both layers at once. The cut-out bits will fall out by themselves.
18. Unfold. Unfold the flag and smooth the fold with your palm: the windows should be whole and identical on both sides.

Garland

19. Tape the thread on. Lay the flags in a row, design side down, with gaps of ⅜–¾ in. Run the thread along the top edges and tape it to each flag with two pieces of tape, near the corners.
20. Hang the garland. Lift the garland by the ends of the thread: the flags will turn their designs toward you. Tie the ends or tape them to a shelf, wall or window.

Done. The garland is done. Hang it over a table or in a window: the windows in the flags show up best in the light.

Make it with your phone camera

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