Papel Picado Style Decoration With Balloons DIY

If you're looking for a cute papel picado style decoration for your next party, this one is easy to recreate at home! With a simple banner and party sign held up with tasseled balloons, this party decor idea is festive and fun.

Balloons in a variety of pink colors holding up a papel picado style banner and a party sign that says "fiesta forever". — Let's make an easy party decoration with balloons.

This papel picado decoration idea was sponsored by Balloon Time Helium Tanks.

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Make a Papel Picado Inspired Balloon Banner
Supplies
How to Make a Papel Picado Style Balloon Banner
Troubleshooting
Easy Balloon Weight Idea
More easy balloon decorations

Balloons make for really fun and colorful party decorations! This papel picado-inspired banner is great for all kinds of parties and Cinco de Mayo if you celebrate (please read this article: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day).

I wanted to create a fun decoration in bright pinks and pops of complementary colors but you can make this with whatever color palette you want.

This is not a great representation of papel picado. Papel picado is a true art form and I do not want to take away from that. Here, I was trying to get the look and create a decoration that is inspired by this gorgeous Mexican folk art.

Supplies

A helium tank to blow up balloons on a table next to yarn tassels, pink balloons and white doilies. — Here's what you need for this papel picado idea.

Balloon Time Helium Tank
A variety of balloons in whatever colors you like
Yarn tassels, if using
Light string, curling ribbon works well or really thin twine
Doilies that are reminiscent of papel picado
A sign that says "Fiests Forever" if desired

Hot pink balloon that says 'fiesta like there's no tomorrow" on a string with a white yarn tassel and other pink balloons.

I fell in love with the Fiesta Like There's No Tomorrow balloons and then picked other colors to compliment them.

You can see from the first image that I used 4 balloons on each side. Be sure to have extra as you may need to add more to hold the signs up.

I found the doilies at Target but you can also find tons of options on Etsy.

You can also sometimes find ready-made papel picado banners at your local party store although they may not be the colors that you want. You can use something that resembles it like I did.

Or try to make your own! There are a bunch of tutorials online for that. I suggest using tissue paper, if you make them yourself, as it will be the lightest weight material you can use.

For the yarn tassels, I used yarn that I already had. I simply wrapped the yarn into a few long-ish loops then secured a small loop at the top. These need to be really light because they will pull the balloons down if you aren't careful.

White doilies and a party sign on a white table with a pair of scissors and hot pink string.

I made the "Fiesta Forever" sign but wasn't sure it would be light enough to hang from the balloons. It worked out in the end.

White doilies laying on a white table being strung on a bright pink string.

Step 1

String the doilies if needed. Just punch holes in the top two corners and string the yarn or ribbon through the holes.

If you've bought a banner that is already on a string, you're all set.

You can see from the first image in the post that I only used 4 doilies, but you may use more depending on how long you want your sign to be.

W bright green chair with a plant on it next to a Balloon Time Helium tank and a floating string with 4 pink balloons.

Step 2

Blow up the balloons and tie 4 (a simple knot of the string around the balloon not should do the trick) at various heights to one long string. Repeat for the other side.

I knew that I wanted to use just one string for all the balloons on each side. This ensured they would float at different heights and provide more helium for the sign to hang from.

Step 3

Add a tassel under each balloon for extra color, if desired.

Pink balloons holding a white papel picado style banner and a sign on the wall that says "fiesta forever" floating above a bright green chair.

Step 4

Tie one side of the papel picado style banner to a knot of one of the balloons midway down on the string.

Repeat with the other side.

The four balloons held it up pretty nicely. I knew there was a chance that I may have to add more balloons to support the weight but although it ended up pulling the bunches towards the center a little bit, each side was fine with just four balloons.

Close up of a balloon decoration idea with a papel picado style banner.

Step 5

Add the second sign, if using.

NOTE: I initially thought I might hang it from another area on the balloon bunches but that was too much for these poor little balloons to hold. So I taped it to the all instead.

I also could have added more balloons to each side but I thought it might be too much especially since my room is so small. This is something you'll have to work out on the fly while you're making it since you maybe using different supplies than I am.

Close up of a banner made from white doilies hanging from pink balloons with tassels and a sign on the wall above it.

Troubleshooting

If the sign is pulling the balloons down too much here are a few things you can try

Add more balloons to each side
Try using a few larger balloons on each side
Remove the tassels
Try lighter string or ribbon

These doilies were fairly light so it wasn't a crazy idea to try to hang them from the balloons. The card stock, on the other hand, was a little too much.

Latex balloons tend to lose their helium sooner when something is hanging off of them. I left this decoration up for the rest of the day after I took these photos and by the evening, it was floating near the floor.

A latex balloon on its own will usually last until the next day when blown up with helium. So just take care if you are going to party hard and want to keep your decorations up for hours. The party may outlast the balloons.

Easy Balloon Weight Idea

A bottle of tequila on the ground with strings of balloons tied to it and a large pink flower next to it.

And, by the way, tequila bottles make great balloon weights. Just make sure you have a bottle free for shots, if that's what you're into...or at the very least, make your margaritas before you decorate with your balloons.

A Balloon Time Helium Tank on the ground with a potted plant, some bright flower and a small bottle of tequila next to it.

Balloon Time makes it super easy to decorate with balloons. And I love decorating with balloons! And tequila. Kidding. That doesn't usually happen. Usually. You should totally make this papel picado-inspired balloon banner this year!

This post was sponsored by Balloon Time Helium Tanks. Thank you for supporting brands, like Balloon Time, that let me create fun stuff and share it with you!