This post is courtesy of our contributor Dawn…Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a two day festival that celebrates the lives of deceased loved ones. The traditional colorful skull decorations, called calaveras, are used to symbolize death and rebirth and honor the dead.
With the recent release of 20th Century Fox’s The Book Of Life, this movie is going to be hot on the party circuit. If you’re looking for a fun way to decorate your Día de los Muertos party or a craft idea for the kids to do before or after watching the movie, these DIY calaveras are right up your alley.
Besides being bright and colorful, calaveras are unique to the artist, so there are no rules to follow when decorating them. And since they are so easy to make, you will have a batch of them done in no time.
Calaveras – What You’ll Need:
- papier-mâché skull (I found mine at Michaels; you can find them in the Halloween section of any craft store)
- acrylic paint
If you need a little design inspiration for your calavera, Brit + Co’s Día de los Muertos Pinterest board is a great place to start. Remember, it’s not about elaborate designs but lots of color and fun.
Need more party inspiration? Check out my Dia De Los Muertos post from last year, with a great roundup of ideas.
We’d like to send a big THANK YOU to Dawn of Not Just A Mommy for sharing this fun tutorial with us. Over on her blog you’ll find plenty of party inspiration. She always has the most clever ideas with easy tips on how to recreate them for your own celebrations. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for even more creative ideas.