Sugar skull crafts are a fun and meaningful way to celebrate culture, memory, and creativity, especially around Día de los Muertos. Whether you're preparing for a school event, decorating a space, or guiding kids through an art activity, these ideas combine vibrant visuals with heartfelt intention.
In this article, Michelle’s aDOORable Creations shares six creative sugar skull crafts that are engaging, festive, and DIY-friendly for an accessible, seasonal decor.
1. Sugar Skull Tabletop Memorial Displays
Sugar skull décor is deeply rooted in honoring the memory of loved ones, and tabletop memorials are a thoughtful way to bring tradition into classrooms, homes, or event spaces. These displays often include candles, pictures, and colorful motifs that reflect joy and remembrance rather than mourning, especially during the Day of the Dead.
Adding a decorative metal sugar skull sign with embossed details can help anchor the space visually and serve as a respectful focal point in your arrangement.
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12" Metal Embossed Sign: Sugar Skull |
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How to make it:
- Choose a small table, shelf, or corner space as your display area.
- Layer with a vibrant cloth or printed runner as a base.
- Add framed photos, faux flowers, LED candles, or papel picado paper cutouts.
- Place a decorative sugar skull sign as a focal point.
- Add meaningful written notes or memory cards created by students.
- Display for the duration of your event or study unit.
2. Sugar Skull Painted Pots or Jars
Painting jars or mini pots with sugar skull motifs turns ordinary containers into functional art that’s usable beyond the Day of the Dead. These sugar skull-themed pieces are perfect for holding LED candles, flowers, pencils, or offering tokens, and they’re an approachable way for students to build expressive, decorative keepsakes.
Painting on curved surfaces encourages planning, spatial awareness, and fine motor control, making it developmentally appropriate for a range of elementary grade levels.
“Visual arts help students with the development of motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making, and inventiveness. Art activities can serve as a bridge to understanding for students; in addition, art has the potential to act as therapy for students with emotional issues.”— Conway, California State University, 2019
This kind of open-ended painting activity isn’t just fun for kids. It gives students the opportunity to express emotions, experiment with symbolism, and make personal meaning from tradition.
How to make it:
- Select a clean jar, tin, or small terra cotta pot as your base.
- Prime with white paint if needed, then apply acrylic paint for colorful backgrounds and sugar skull patterning.
- Use black markers or fine brushes for details like eyes, flowers, and linework.
- Glue on embellishments (rhinestones, faux flowers, stickers) once dry.
- Coat with a clear sealant like Mod Podge or leave matte.
- Fill with faux marigolds, markers, or LED candles to display.
3. Sugar Skull Wreaths
Sugar skull wreaths are a vibrant and welcoming way to decorate classroom doors, hallways, or home entryways for Day of the Dead. Layered with mesh, florals, ribbons, and colorful accents, these wreaths are a creative way to honor tradition while showcasing bold seasonal style. From spooky chic to cheerful and whimsical, they offer flexibility for any setting.
To give your wreath a strong focal point, consider incorporating a decorative sign featuring a sugar skull design. A square plaque with bright colors, floral details, or a fun seasonal phrase can bring personality to the center of your wreath, helping tie all the design elements together while making the display feel polished and intentional for the Day of the Dead.
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10" Wooden Sign: Sweet As A Sugar Skull |
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How to make it:
- Start with a foam or grapevine wreath base.
- Wrap the base with mesh or colorful ribbon to create a full background.
- Add bright faux florals or foliage in evenly spaced bunches.
- Use hot glue or florist wire to secure pieces in place.
- Place a sugar skull sign in the center or off to the side for emphasis.
- Fluff and shape your arrangement to ensure balance on all sides.
4. Sugar Skull-Themed Door or Bulletin Board Borders
Transforming a classroom door or bulletin board into a sugar skull-themed display is a festive and interactive way to celebrate Día de los Muertos. This project is perfect for brightening your learning space with color, symbolism, and student creativity.
Michelle’s aDOORable Creations has decorative ribbons that can be layered to create borders that pop with personality. Incorporating other elements such as pom-poms, glitter, or fringe can add texture and movement, bringing the display to life.
These borders can be more than just November decorations. They can become part of a larger cultural learning experience. Use them to frame student work, highlight themed vocabulary, or display collaborative writing assignments related to other traditions of remembrance, not just Day of the Dead.
How to make it:
- Choose a bold, colorful ribbon or border paper to frame your board or door area.
- Add visual accents like sugar skull cutouts, paper flowers, pom-poms, or foil embellishments.
- Layer elements for depth, starting with flat base items and then adding dimensional pieces.
- Include printed labels, student names, or thematic words to make it educational.
- (Optional) Create interactive elements like pockets, mini garlands, or flaps for student contributions.
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Celebrate Day of the Dead: Your sugar skull-themed doors or boards can be interactive Day of the Dead crafts for kids. Let students add one drawing, short poem, or note of remembrance to the border each day leading up to Día de los Muertos. |
5. Sugar Skull Craft Kits or DIY Keepsakes
Sugar skull craft kits are a versatile way to bring hands-on creativity to your classroom, after-school program, or community event. Whether assembled as individual packs or organized into a shared activity station, these kits allow students to celebrate their loved one’s memory and explore the tradition of Día de los Muertos through personal expression.
With a variety of materials, students can build colorful keepsakes that reflect their own stories, emotions, or tributes, making space for both artistic freedom and cultural learning. To help you get started, here’s a simple chart of material ideas you can mix and match when preparing take-home kits or classroom centers:
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Material Type |
Examples |
Purpose |
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Decorating Supplies |
Stickers, glitter glue, rhinestones, pom-poms |
Adds color, texture, and playful details |
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Base Templates |
Sugar skull printouts, foam shapes, cardstock |
Starting point for creative decoration |
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Craft Tools & Accessories |
Glue sticks, safety scissors, mini paper flowers |
Facilitates hands-on building and layering |
How to make it:
- Prepare kits with a sugar skull shape (printed, foam, or cardstock) as the main base.
- Add a variety of self-adhesive craft materials such as gemstones, stickers, and cut paper pieces.
- Include markers or crayons for students to color in their own designs and put their personal spin on them.
- Provide an optional ribbon or hole punch to turn creations into hanging art.
- Encourage students to name their skull, write a short message about someone they want to honor, or display it in a class exhibit.
6. Día de los Muertos Sugar Skull Masks
Sugar skull mask decorating is a lively and expressive craft that brings both color and personality into your classroom. It’s an iconic project often used to introduce students to the visual language of Día de los Muertos, from the symbolic floral patterns to the ornate face designs.
These sugar skull masks give kids a fun way to explore symmetry, shapes, and storytelling through their own creative lens. They're also versatile. You can make them into wearable masks, wall displays beyond November celebrations, or even turn them into stick puppets for a short play or group project.
How to make it:
- Print or cut sugar skull mask templates using heavy paper or cardstock.
- Provide a mix of coloring tools (markers, crayons, colored pencils) for students to start their base design.
- Set up a station or trays with optional decorations like paper flowers, pom-poms, sequins, or feathers.
- Use hole punches and yarn for wearable masks, or tape craft sticks to turn them into puppets.
- Allow students to write titles or short explanations about their design to accompany the final display.
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Showcase the Rich Culture with Interactions: Host a “Mask Gallery Walk” by taping sugar skull masks to desks or the wall. Let students walk around to appreciate and discuss their peers' designs. You can extend the experience by giving the kids sticky notes to leave short compliments or questions about each other's artwork. |
Celebrate Day of the Dead with Meaningful Creativity
From heartfelt memorial displays to whimsical masks, sugar skull crafts offer a rich, meaningful way to celebrate Day of the Dead in your classroom or creative space. These projects invite color, culture, and creativity into your season, whether you're decorating a door, building wreaths, or guiding students in crafting something that reflects memory and celebration.
Explore Michelle’s aDOORable Creations’s Halloween collection to find fun sugar skull crafts, vibrant ribbons, festive signs, and other unique décor pieces that reflect the spirit and beauty of Día de los Muertos. Start crafting your own colored tribute today!
