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Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions.
Day of the Dead art is alive with smiling skulls in kaleidoscope colors, doused in a deluge of decorative and detailed designs. It is a vibrant art of colors and chaos. Look at the skull art on this page. What do you see: evil skull drawings or benelovent beings? Sweet or sinister smiles? The answer may depend on how you interpret death.
Day of the Dead artwork is not meant to be scary. Just the opposite – this artwork is meant to celebrate the spirit and honor the memory of those who have passed. Day of the Dead is known as ” Dia de los Muertos ” in Spanish. It is a Latin American holiday falling on November 1 and 2 of every year (similar to the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day). On these two special days, Latin American families and friends gather to celebrate, honor, remember and pray for their departed loved ones. November 1 honors departed children and November 2 honors adults.
To celebrate the deceased is to accept that death is an inevitable part of life. Life and death are two sides of the same coin — life cannot exist without death, and vice versa. As Day of the Dead approaches, in Mexico and other Latin American countries they build altars in their homes and in public places to honor their loved ones. These altars are decorated using sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, Christian crosses, images or statues of the Virgin Mary, and photos of the departed, as well as their favorite foods and beverages.
Skulls (known as calaveras) are ubiquitous in Day of the Dead celebrations. They are the ultimate symbol of mortality. Underneath our fleshy exterior, our very earthly existence depends upon this skeletal foundation. Therefore Day of the Dead art revolves around imagery of skulls and skeletons in many states and forms: dancing, cooking, smiling, and playing banjo, for example. The belief is that our personalities and identities carry on into the afterlife. So when a person buys an image or statue of a skeleton baking bread and places it on an altar in honor of their aunt who was a baker, the image is said to help the dead soul find her way back to the altar where she can commune with her relatives. This is why there are numerous depictions of skeletons engaged in various specific activities.
In Latin America, there is the belief that on the Day of the Dead, the portals between this world and the world of the dead are more open, allowing for easier contact between the living and the dead. This makes it the opportune time to try to communicate with those who have passed. As such, Day of the Dead is also a reflective time.
Death can be a touchy subject. To many people it’s a scary prospect, because no one knows what happens after death. We all have our own personal beliefs, based on our culture, society, and family upbringings, as well as our own personal intellectual, emotional and spiritual inclinations. Some schools of thought invoke a fear of death, while other cultures and philosophies accept death as an inevitable part of the cycle of life. Nothing and no one is free from the fingers of death. It will, throughout our lives, affect us all in intimate ways. until we ultimately meet our own end.
Day of the Dead art counteracts any feelings of doom and gloom relating to mortality. Such artwork is often colorful and lively, sometimes whimsically macabre. Day of the Dead art is ironically full of life. To those of us who did not grow up in Latin American culture, Day of the Dead art rejuvenates our common Western perception of death by presenting a view of the afterlife that is full of energy and spirit, one worthy of joy and celebration. It brings with it the hope that after death, there will still be another tomorrow.
Paper Plate Sugar Skull Craft for the Day of the Dead
Looking for a fun and easy paper plate sugar skull craft for kids to make this Halloween or Day of the Dead?
Look no further! This simple project is perfect for little ones, and can be easily adapted to suit children of any age. Best of all, it’s super quick and easy to put together – perfect for those last-minute Halloween parties!
The day of the dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of those who have passed away. One way that people celebrate this holiday is by making and decorating sugar skulls.
This simple craft not only promotes creativity and fun, but also offers an opportunity to discuss different cultural beliefs and celebrations.
- Day of the Dead Mask
- Fun Paper Halloween Crafts for Kids
How to Make a Paper Plate Sugar Skull for the Day of the Dead Celebrations
- Paper Plate
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Colored Marker Pens
- Thick Popsicle Stick
- Take
- Glue Stick
Watch the Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Use a Pencil to Draw a Skull Shape and a Sugar Skull Design
The skull shape will consist if two large circular eye holes and two small arches on both sides of the paper plate – starting just below the eyes.
Cut the the circles out and remove the arches. This will complete the sugar skull shape; forming two eyes, defined cheek bones and predominant chin.
Step 2: Draw “Frida Kahlo” Styled Flowers – Begin with the Skull Center
Now this is where the fun begins! Arty Crafty Kids may decorate their skulls with various drawings, lines, patterns and anything else that emerges from the creative process.
Traditionally, sugar skulls are brightly colored and designed to be happy, this is why many are decorated with flowers to symbolize life and beauty.
The Flowers
Frida Kahlo is one of Mexico’s most famous artists and used flowers to express her identity. She wore flowers within her hair and painted flowers in bunches from bud to full blossom.
To begin decorating the sugar skull with a flower design, use a fine tipped black marker pen to draw three tear drop shapes positioned around a small dot within the center of the skulls forehead.
Step 3: Draw an Upside Down Heart for the Nose and Flowers Around the Eyes
Next, draw a circle around each eye hole and draw a series arches around the newly drawn circles to create a pair of flowers.
From the edges of the skull, draw a pair of flowers and had some swirly decorative lines.
Draw an upside heart beneath eyes to create a nose.
Step 4: Decorate the Skull with Small Flowers and Draw Teeth within the Chin Area
Draw a collection of side-by-side ovals within the chin area and draw a line through the middle to form the teeth.
Fill any remaining white space with dots, fanciful lines, flowers etc.
Step 5: Select an Array of Brightly Colored Marker Pens
Color the flowers and shapes with an array of bright colors.
Step 6: Color in the Sugar Skull Design
Step 7: Glue a Collection of Artificial Flowers to the Top of the Skull
Complete the sugar skull with a crown of artificial flowers glued its forehead.
Step 8: Turn the Mask Over and Tape a Popsicle Stick to its Back
To transform the skull into a mask affix a popsicle stick to its back.
Once the sugar skull is complete, it’s time to play!
As always, we love to Arty Crafty Kids’ creativity in action and if you happen to share their completed makes on social media, please do give us a tag or/and use the #artycraftykids – happy crafting!
