Create Your Own Sugar Skull Paper Garland: A Fun and Easy Day of the Dead Craft for Kid

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If you’re looking for a Day of the Dead craft for kids that’s meaningful, colorful, and fun to make, this DIY sugar skull paper garland is just what you need. It’s one of the most engaging Dia de los Muertos crafts for kids and can easily be included in your Day of the Dead activities.

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a vibrant celebration that honors family members and friends who have passed away. This holiday is full of color, music, and joy as people gather to remember their loved ones and celebrate their lives. For families who want to involve their kids in the festivities, making an easy DIY sugar skull paper garland is the perfect project. This fun and simple craft allows children to get creative while learning about the traditions behind this important cultural holiday. And it’s the perfect Day of the Dead decoration for a Dia de los Muertos party.

What Is the Day of the Dead?

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd every year. It’s a time when families honor the spirits of their deceased loved ones by creating beautiful altars (called ofrendas) and filling them with photos, flowers, candles, and traditional Day of the Dead food like pan de muerto. These altars are often set up in homes or at cemeteries where families gather to share stories, play music, and enjoy a festive atmosphere.

This holiday is a blend of ancient Aztec customs and Catholic traditions. Instead of fearing death, the Day of the Dead focuses on celebrating life and remembering the happy moments shared with those who have passed away. It teaches that death is a natural part of life and should be embraced with positivity, not sadness. People celebrate this holiday by dressing up in colorful clothing, painting their faces to look like skulls, and decorating with bright marigold flowers, papel picado (cut-out paper banners), and sugar skulls.

If you’re introducing your children or your classroom to the Day of the Dead traditions watching the Disney Pixar movie Coco is a great way to start. The movie not only gives a heartwarming look into the Dia de los Muertos traditions but it does so while promoting positive Latino role models.

The Symbolism Behind Sugar Skulls

One of the most recognizable symbols of the Day of the Dead is the sugar skull (calavera). These skulls are often made from sugar and brightly decorated with icing, beads, and flowers. The sugar skull represents the spirit of a departed loved one, and it’s a way to honor them during the celebration. These skulls are placed on the altars as offerings, often with the name of the person written across the forehead.

While the sugar skull is a symbol of death, it’s not a scary or sad image. Instead, sugar skulls are joyful and colorful, reflecting the idea that death is part of the beautiful cycle of life. By creating your own sugar skull paper garland, you can share this tradition with your kids, helping them understand the deeper meaning behind the holiday. Plus, it’s a fun and creative way to decorate your home for the festivities!

Why Crafting Is a Great Way to Celebrate

Celebrating the Day of the Dead through crafting is not only fun but also educational. When kids make something with their hands, they learn more about the holiday and its traditions. By working on this DIY sugar skull paper garland, children can engage with the cultural elements of the celebration in a hands-on way. It’s also a great opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about their family’s heritage, share stories about relatives, and explain why it’s important to remember and honor the people we’ve lost.

Creating crafts like this one can also strengthen family bonds. Working together to make the garland gives everyone a chance to collaborate and have fun while preparing for the celebration. Plus, it’s easy to customize each sugar skull with different colors and designs, so every child can express their own creativity and make the garland truly unique.

How to Make a Sugar Skull Paper Garland

Now that you know the meaning behind sugar skulls and why crafting is such a fun way to celebrate, let’s dive into making your very own sugar skull paper garland! Here’s what you’ll need and how to create it.

Materials:

Cardstock in various bright colors (for skulls, sugar skull details, and rosettes)
Scissors
Glue stick or craft glue
Hole punch (optional)
String or Cardstock
Pencil (for tracing)
Ruler (optional for measuring)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a Day of the Dead Paper Garland:

Step 1: Cut Out the Skull Shapes

Start by choosing several bright colors of cardstock for your sugar skulls. Using a pencil, trace the shape of a skull onto the cardstock. If you want, you can find printable templates online to make this part easier. A good size for each skull is about 4 to 6 inches tall. Once you have enough skull shapes traced (depending on how long you want your garland to be), carefully cut them out with scissors.

Step 2: Create the Sugar Skull Decorations

Next, cut out the decorative elements for your sugar skulls. These can include eyes, noses, mouths, and patterns like flowers, hearts, or other shapes. Use contrasting colors of cardstock to make sure the details stand out. For example, if your skull is orange, try using purple or yellow for the details. Get creative! Traditional sugar skulls are full of intricate designs, so feel free to experiment with different shapes and patterns.

Step 3: Glue the Details

Once you’ve cut out all the pieces, it’s time to assemble the sugar skulls. Glue the eyes, nose, mouth, and any other decorative elements onto each skull. Make sure the pieces are evenly spaced and secure. If you want to add extra sparkle, you can also use sequins, beads, or glitter.

Step 4: Punch Holes and String Your Garland

After your skulls are fully decorated and the glue has dried, punch two small holes at the top of each skull. Then, thread a piece of string or twine through the holes to create your garland. Be sure to space the skulls evenly along the string. Tie knots at the ends of the string to keep everything in place.

Step 5: Make Half Rosettes for Added Flair

To make your garland even more festive, you can add half rosettes between the sugar skulls. To do this, follow these steps:

Cut a strip of cardstock about 2-3 inches wide and 10-12 inches long.
Fold the strip accordion-style, making folds about ½ inch wide.
Once folded, bend the accordion strip in half and glue the ends together to form a half-circle shape.
Attach the half rosette to the garland between the sugar skulls using glue.

Step 6: Display Your Sugar Skull Garland

Now your sugar skull paper garland is ready to be displayed! Hang it in a place where everyone can admire it, like over a doorway, across a wall, or above your Day of the Dead altar. The combination of colorful skulls and festive rosettes will add the perfect touch to your celebration.

This fun and easy Day of the Dead craft for kids is not only a great way to decorate for the holiday but also a meaningful activity that teaches children about the importance of celebrating and remembering loved ones. By making a DIY sugar skull paper garland, you’re incorporating tradition, art, and creativity into your celebration, all while sharing the joy of Dia de los Muertos with your family.

More Day of the Day Party Ideas and Dia de los Muertos Crafts

Easy Day of the Dead Party Activities, Food and Crafts

Whether you’re hosting a Day of the Dead party for the first time or looking to make it more memorable, these easy and colorful ideas will help you plan an authentic celebration. Honor loved ones with sugar skull-inspired recipes like a sugar skull pizza, vibrant decorations, and fun kid-friendly activities. These tips will bring the whimsical spirit of Día de Los Muertos to life for everyone to enjoy! You can also check out my free Day of the Dead party printables for more Dia de los Muertos party ideas.

Traditional Day Of The Dead Recipes For Celebrating Día De Los Muertos

If you’re looking for Dia de Los Muertos traditional recipes to serve during the Day of the Dead, you’ve come to the right place. These traditional Day of the dead recipes include everything from Pan de Muerto and decorated sugar skulls to traditional Mexican dishes.

Best Day of the Dead Crafts for Kids

Here you will find lots Day of the Dead DIY crafts you can do with your kids. Some of these are so easy they will only take a few minutes! From glow in the dark sugar skull lanterns and a fun Sugar Skull quilling project to a colorful Day of the Dead noisemaker and even a Many of these DIY crafts would make incredible decorations for your altar or party decorations.

Traditional Day Of The Dead Recipes For Celebrating Día De Los Muertos

If you’re looking for Dia de Los Muertos’ traditional recipes to serve during the Day of the Dead, you’ve come to the right place. These traditional Day of the dead recipes include everything from Pan de Muerto and decorated sugar skulls to traditional Mexican dishes.

Best Day of the Dead Recipes for Kids

These are some of the best Day of the Dead recipes for kids I have found and we’ve made many of these at home. Creating Dia de los Muertos recipes with the kids has been a great way for me to start conversations of the significance of the Dia de Muertos tradition and how it’s different from Halloween celebrations. Our favorite is the Sugar Skull fruit pizza, which we make at home every single year and it’s always a huge hit at parties. And you can find even more Dia de los Muertos recipes here.

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Piñata Garland

For a completely different and unique Day of the Dead decoration this fun and colorful sugar skull piñata garland is sure to be a hit with kids. Not only does it make for a fun craft to make and can be used as a Dia de los Muertos decoration but you can fill these mini pull piñatas with treats of small trinkets for the kids.

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Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula moved from her native Guatemala to SW Florida with her husband and two children and together they are discovering what it means to live life between two languages.

Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .

When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.

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