DIY Day of the Dead Catrina Craft For Kids

This easy and cute Catrina Day of the Dead craft is a fun craft to make with the kids. It’s the ideal Day of the Dead craft for decorating an altar.

As the Day of the Dead approaches, our family is getting ready to celebrate el Dia de los Muertos by creating an altar where we will be putting the photos of family members that have passed away, like my grandparents and uncle. The Day of the Dead is all about celebrating their lives and bringing ancestors “to life” by remembering and telling their stories. We’re planning to put this Catrina next to my grandma’s photo to show her the cute crafts my kids loved making. This DIY Day of the Dead sugar skull catrina would also make a great decoration anywhere in your home and the kids had a lot of fun making it using materials we already had at home.

Supplies:

Toilet paper tube
Tootsie Roll pop
Scissors
Glue gun
At least 5 different colors of tissue paper
White tissue paper
Pencil
Markers
White drawing paper
A tiny fabric rose accent for scrapbooking

Instructions:

Step 1. Make one cut down the vertical side of a toilet paper tube. Twist the cardboard so that there is a small hole on top big enough to stick a tootsie roll pop stick down inside. The bottom should be wide. (This will be the “dress” of the Catrina.) Use a glue gun to secure the cardboard and trim the excess parts on the bottom so that it has an even edge.

Step 2. Cut about 3 squares of white glitter tissue paper that are 4” x 4”.

Step 3. Place the lollipop in the center of the tissue paper and wrap it down the stick so it is wrapped tightly (similar to the candy wrapper already on the Tootsie Pop.)

Step 4. Place the wrapped lollipop back in the hole in the top of the “dress”.

Step 5. Use the extra cardboard that you trimmed from the toilet tube (or get more from the recycle bin) to make a rectangle piece that is about 4 – 5 inches long and ¼ inch wide. This will be the dolls arms.

Step 6. Glue the arms onto the body.

Step 7. Cut some strips of colored tissue paper that are about 2 inches wide and 12 – 16 inches long.

Step 8. Beginning at the top of the doll, begin wrapping and gluing the tissue paper around the doll and it’s arms to make the top of the dress.

Step 9. Choose another color to wrap around the center of the doll and use the glue gun to secure the tissue paper. (You could use two pieces folded in half at this point.)

Step 10. Choose your last color of tissue paper. When applying it to the bottom of the dress, squeeze it close together to make the illusion of a ruffle.

Step 11. Sketch out a little sugar skull that is no bigger than 1 ½” and about 1“ wide. Color it in and cut it out.

Step 12. Glue the sugar skull to the face of the figurine.

Step 13. Use a strip of tissue paper to cover the head of the figurine (as shown).

Step 14. Add the fabric flower embellishment to the head/hair.

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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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