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Mexican "Sugar" Skulls
In Mexico, sugar skulls (and skulls of all kinds!) are a staple of Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead, a national holiday that is celebrated on November 1 and 2. Traditionally sugar skulls are a sweet treat made of sugar and meringue; our easy craft version is non edible and uses homemade or store-bought clay. (we give you the traditional Sugar Skull recipe here too, see below)
What you'll need:
- bake-able clay - homemade (see recipe below) or storebought (Fimo™)
- Glue
- Q-tip
- Paint & paintbrush
- Paper clips (optional)
- White glitter
- Other decorations – sequins, feathers, buttons, you name it!
Preparation
- Get a chunk of clay soft and pliable by rolling into an oval ball with your hands
- Mold into a skull by softly pinching the bottom half to show the cheek bones. Flatten the top of the head a bit and flatten the bottom slightly so it can sit on a table or shelf.
- If you want to hang your skull poke a small hole in the top with a paper clip before baking.
- Bake your clay following the instructions below or on your Fimo™ box
- Allow to cool completely
- Decorate with glitter, paint, sequins and whatever you wish! See below for tips and ideas for decorating your Day of the Dead skulls.
- If desired, glue a paper clip in the hole at the top of the skull and thread a string through for hanging.
Decorating ideas:
- To make your skull look like it’s covered in sugar, paint it white, lightly spread around some glue with a q-tip and cover in white glitter.
- Glue on sequins for the eyes
- Paint on multiple colors of flowers & other designs
- Use black paint to make the mouth. Paint a straight line across where the mouth should be and paint multiple straight lines down crossing it.
learn more about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
learn more about traditional Mayan Pottery
learn more about Talavera (majolica) Pottery
Traditional Sugar Skull Recipe
What you'll need:
- bake-able clay - homemade (see recipe below) or storebought (Fimo™)
- Glue
- Q-tip
- Paint & paintbrush
- Paper clips (optional)
- White glitter
- Other decorations – sequins, feathers, buttons, you name it!
Preparation
- Get a chunk of clay soft and pliable by rolling into an oval ball with your hands
- Mold into a skull by softly pinching the bottom half to show the cheek bones. Flatten the top of the head a bit and flatten the bottom slightly so it can sit on a table or shelf.
- If you want to hang your skull poke a small hole in the top with a paper clip before baking.
- Bake your clay following the instructions below or on your Fimo™ box
- Allow to cool completely
- Decorate with glitter, paint, sequins and whatever you wish! See below for tips and ideas for decorating your Day of the Dead skulls.
- If desired, glue a paper clip in the hole at the top of the skull and thread a string through for hanging.
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