Pics: Wedding of M and M and Dress My Party

Papel picado is a beautiful Mexican folk art tradition of cutting elaborate designs into colourful tissue paper, it basically means 'perforated paper'. Using a small hammer and chisel an artist can create as many as 50 banners at a time but there are plenty of ideas for a DIY bride armed with a pair of scissors.

You will need:
scissors (normal and decorative edged)
coloured tissue paper
string
sticky tape
an iron

DIY project:
Step 1. Cut your tissue paper into rectangles roughly the size of a normal sheet of paper (about 21 x 30cm)
Step 2. Fold the first piece of paper like an accordion four to size times
Step 3. Cut small shapes and patterns into the folded paper, its just like making a snow flake when you were a kid! Use some decorative edge scissors to cut along the ends of the folded paper to finish.
Step 4. Unfold your design and repeat with the rest of the tissue paper sheets.
Step 5. When you have cut out all your panels, smooth out the creases with a cool iron and stick each one to a long piece of string with a little sticky tape.

For very simple versions there is also a cute tutorial on Green Wedding Shoes.

And here is a great cheat version - just use rectangular doilies! Cut them in half, fold a little flap over the top of some string and fix with sticky tape.