Make Your Own Sugar Skull for Festive Halloween Decor

In the south Texas city where I live, Dia de los Muertos is a big celebration. Observed on November 1st, it’s a day to remember those who have passed. Part of the celebration involves decorating with calaveras, also often called a sugar skull. I’ve always enjoyed visiting the local Mercado (Market Square) in October and admiring local artist’s renditions of the calaveras. Colorful and whimsical, these dancing skeletons and grinning skulls are delightful and not scary to me.
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at decorating my own sugar skull, and it was easier than I thought it would be! I used a plastic skull from the dollar store as my base, and lots of fun products from Consumer Crafts to embellish the calavera with. The glitter gems made it easy to add color and sparkle to my project, and I love that the Petaloo flowers are a blank canvas that I could easily dye to match my project.
Supplies needed to make your own DIY sugar skull:


Plastic Skull


Chalky Finish Paint in Everlast


Sparkle Mod Podge


Sharpie Marker


Paint


Glitter Gems


Petaloo Color Me Flowers


Alcohol Ink
I like how happy the sugar skull looks with these bright colors and pretty flowers! It’s a fun, sparkly addition to my Halloween decor. It makes a fun centerpiece, surrounded by candles, or would be a great addition to a bookcase as decor.
Morena Hockley
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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