Easy Skull for Day of the Dead
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If you've been looking for a method to make a sugar skull with the kids—this is it! These simplified, super easy Sugar Skulls are basically foolproof and are perfect for little ones to decorate for Día de Muertos! {Last updated September 23, 2021}
Happy Day of the Dead friends!
Today I've got a really fun, not to mention, super easy sugar skulls project.
A Mexican sugar skull is made to honor a departed soul, typically with that person's name written on their forehead. We place them on our altar or ofrenda for the Day of the Dead {Dia de los Muertos} holiday.
Make them with your children to celebrate the lives of our loved ones who have passed away.
what is a sugar skull?
Sugar skulls are one of the many ways we remember our dead relatives and are an important part of the Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico.
They are important because the more we celebrate and include our deceased loved ones in our lives, the stronger their spirits will stay with us.
Sugar art dates back to the 17th century when the Catholic friars introduced gravestone art to the indigenous people of Mexico. The indigenous people used what they had to create their own sculptures and something they had plenty of was sugar.
Even the colors that decorate the skulls have meaning. Yellow represents death, purple represents grief, and white represents purity and hope.
how to make a super easy sugar skull
With Day of the Dead just around the corner I thought I'd share how to make these super easy sugar skulls or calaveras.
I know a lot of blogs toss around terms like easy or simple and then you look at the list of ingredients and it includes things you'd have to drive to Cambodia for, "But once you get that home this recipe only takes 5 seconds!!!"
I swear to you that this little project is legitimately easy.
You can trust me because I do not have a crafty bone in my body and I actually enjoyed this activity. All you need to do is drive to Mexico and pick up a skull mold….just kidding.
You can buy them at a Latin market if you live in any largish-sized city. Or check out Mexican Sugar Skull. It is dedicated to all things sugar skull.
The molds I used were large molds, about the size of a softball with a flat back.
1 cup of sugar was enough to fill 1 of these molds. You can use this recipe to make a large sugar skull or adjust the size of the batch depending on the size of your mold and how many you want to make.
step 1:
Combine a cup of granulated sugar with a couple teaspoons of water in a large bowl.
step 2:
Rub the water into the sugar really good with your hands then pack it super tight into the mold.
step 3:
Flip the mold over onto a baking sheet and let dry in a low oven (like 200°F) for 10 minutes.
step 4:
Let cool completely and decorate.
how to decorate a sugar skull
As with any decorating project you can get as fancy as you please. If you love cake decorating or cookie decorating, this is your time to shine.
I wanted to stick to things the kids could easily use on their own, while simultaneously keeping the mess to a minimum. Therefore we used markers, glitter glue, and gems to decorate ours.
If you have older kids they may enjoy using sequins, paint, royal icing, or even colored foil to decorate the skulls. The important part is to use vibrant hues. You want them to be brightly colored.
how long does a sugar skull last?
A lot of recipes for the skulls call for meringue powder which I've never used but I assume makes for a harder, more durable finished product.
The skulls we made with just sugar and water worked beautifully and have now survived a long time with a very passionate two-year-old which is more than I can say about most things.
In fact, we tried these last year as well and the ones we made are still as solid as ever, even after being stored for a year. If they've held up this well, I'm completely sold on making them this much easier way.
what do skulls represent?
Sugar skulls are a type of folk art made for Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead celebrations. They represent a deceased loved one and are placed on the home Ofrenda or altar on All Saints Day.
Sculpted sugar forms, like sugar skulls, are called alfeñique and are popular in Italy, Spain, and Mexico.
when is día de los muertos celebrated?
Similar to the Catholic holiday of All Souls Day, Day of the Dead is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd day in November.
The tradition is a combination of native Aztec rituals and Spanish Catholic influences. November 1 is All Saints Day in the Catholic religion and Dia de los Innocentes in the Mesoamerican tradition.
On this day deceased children may visit their families. November 2nd is All Souls Day in the Catholic religion as well as Dia de los Muertos. On this day adults are allowed a visit.
These very special days are a celebration of life! We honor those lives who have come before us and our own special time here on Earth.
In Mexico City and around the country on these days, small sugar skulls are placed in people's homes on their Ofrendas or in cemeteries on loved ones gravesites.
more fun ways to celebrate day of the dead
- Marigold Smudge Sticks
- How to Make Paper Flowers
- Throw A Día de los Muertos Fiesta
- 10 Essentials for Your Day of the Dead Altar
- Pumpkin Spice Pan de Muerto
- Marigold Mezcal Margaritas
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Strawberry Calaveras
share your creations!
When you give this sugar skull method a try, I want to see how you decorated it and what you thought. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don't forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Instructions
- Heat oven.Heat oven to 200°F.
- Mix sugar and water.Mix sugar and water together until sugar is damp throughout (this is easiest with your hands so you can really tell if all the granules have gotten wet).
- Press into molds.Press mixture into the mold taking time to press really well into all the crevices. Firmly pack it in as hard as you can.
- Flip out skulls.Very carefully invert the mold onto a parchment lined baking sheet, letting the sugar skull slip out.
- Bake until firm.Bake skull to harden the sugar for 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then decorate.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 0g
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