Straw Art, known as Popotillo (“thin straw” in Spanish), is created with a type of sacaton grass (genus: Sporobolus) that has been used since pre-Columbia times in various forms of folk art. This kind of straw is commonly used to make brooms and is also known in Spanish as popote de cambray.  In pre-Hispanic times, natural dyes such as cochineal were used to color the straw. Today, a combination of natural and artificial dye is used instead.

Popotillo straw (popote de cambray) is commonly grown and harvested in the states of Mexico, Morelos, Hidalgo, and Puebla. These areas are also where the best popotillo artists come from. To make these paintings, the artist must first hand-dye the raw popotillo several different colors.

Then, they draw out a design. Next, the artist places a very thin layer of a special bee’s wax known as cera de Campeche over the design.  Cera de Campeche is also used by the Huichol Indians for their bead and yarn designs.  The straw must be cut and organized according the needs of the artist and the painting. The pieces of popotillo can be as small as 1 milimeter in length. The tiny pieces of straw are then pressed carefully into the wax. After completing the painting, a fixative is applied so that the delicate pieces of straw will stay in place. As a final touch, the artisans frame all their pieces with hand-made frames.  

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