Mexican Folk Art: Tissue Flowers

Mexican Folk Art: Tissue Flowers

Mexican paper flowers:

These are distinguished among other paper flowers because of their meticulous craftsmanship and the vivid colors used to make them. Flowers are made out of tissue or crepe paper.

Mexican Paper Flowers History

• The Mayans, who had developed a bark-paper in the 5th century A.D., already had a well-established tradition of paper-like decorations by the time the Spanish introduced true paper.

Origins of Mexican Paper Crafting

Paper crafting made its way from Asia to Mexico via the Manila galleons that regularly crossed the Pacific Ocean from the Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico. A common name for tissue paper is “papel de China" (paper from China) or "papel de seda" (paper of silk). Paper crafting was one of the imports from the Spanish ships when they arrived in Mexico. Since then, paper crafting has taken on many forms, such as cascarones (hollowed out eggs decorated with tissue paper and filled with confetti), pinatas (animal figures made of paper and filled with treats), papel de picado (punched paper artwork) and paper flowers.

The History of Mexican Tissue Flowers

The first Mexican paper flowers were used to decorate churches and home altars, and were made in muted colors, the edges often accented with gold or silver. The flowers go beyond the utilitarian craft and become pieces of folk art.

Tissue Flower's popularity

Paper flowers were used to decorate the church in times of the year were natural flowers were not available.

Talented artisans made different types of flowers in a great variety of shades accomplishing realistic, bright and colorful paper flowers. demand for the paper flowers (and in brighter hues) grew, and are very popular today.

Special Flowers in Mexican Culture

• The Dahlia is native to Mexico. The Aztecs named it Acocoxochitl meaning "hollow stems flower" and was used for ceremonial, medicinal, ornamental and alimentary purposes.

• Cempasuchil 

  Also known as Mexican marigold and flower of the dead, the cempasuchil is a plant that grows in central Mexico blooming in autumn yellow or orange flowers.

Symbol of beauty

The Dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. President Adolfo López Mateos decreed that the dahlia, one of Mexico’s numerous “gifts to the world”, should be the nation’s national flower. And so it remains today – a perfect symbol of the beauty and diversity found throughout the country.

Day of the Dead flower

Day of the Dead flowers is the name given in Mexico to the flowers used to decorate tombstones and altars during the Day of the Dead celebrations.

It is believed that the scent of the flowers will make the returning souls feel welcomed and happy.

How to make your own flower.

There’s been a long tradition in Mexico of constructing things, such as flowers, out of colored tissue paper. It’s a tradition that started more than 200 years ago in Mexico and it’s still growing today.