Papel Picado Sugar Skull Panel Coloring Page

Papel picado is the perforated tissue paper strung above streets and altars for Dia de los Muertos, cut in stacks with a chisel so every sheet comes out identical. This page draws a single large panel hanging from a twisted cord. A calavera fills the center with open circular sockets, a heart nose and a full row of teeth, crowned by a band of pointed petals. Around all four sides runs a deep lace border of punched teardrops, circles and curved slits, and a second band of drops hangs below the skull. This panel will swallow an evening. There are well over a hundred separate openings in the border and each is its own closed shape. Real papel picado comes in strong flat colors, one per sheet, so an authentic result means picking a single shade and letting the white cutouts do the work. If you would rather have variety, color the border in rings that step through a palette from the outside in. Either route gives a good sheet.