When Monsoon asked me to create a Halloween craft post for them, I wanted to create something to do with the Day of The Dead. After watching the movie Coco with my kids (over and over again!), I have realised just how important it is to keep talking about those who have left us, remembering them, and celebrating our love for them.
In the last few years, Day Of the Dead (Día de Muertos) masks, make-up and skeletons have become very popular for Halloween, even though the actual Día de Muertos is celebrated on November 2nd. This year, we will be celebrating both Halloween and Dia de Muertos to remember those we have lost recently, so I thought we could teach the kids about the festival and make our own skull masks decorated with flowers to celebrate the vibrancy of life.
There are a few steps here that need to be done by a grown up, but it’s a fun activity to all do together. You could make it look pretty, or very gruesome depending on how you colour it in!
For the skull:
Paper plates
Coloured pens
Masking tape
Ribbon
Scissors
For the flowers:
Tissue paper, ideally in three different colours
A stapler
1. Mark out where you will cut the paper plate to make the face. First make sure you are marking on the front of the plate (the side you would eat from) as the back will become the face of the mask.
2. Imagine the plate is a clock face. Make marks at 11, 12 and 1 o’clock. These will form slits to make the curve of the skull’s forehead.
3. Make marks at 3 and 9 o’clock. Then use the roll of masking tape (or something with a similar diameter) to mark out two circles on each side. The bottom half of these circles will form the cheek shapes.
4. Draw lines straight down to form the edge of the mouth, and around the teeth.
5. Fold the mask in half down the centre line, then draw two smaller circles for the eyes (trace around a smaller roll of tape, or an egg cup to make them), and an upside down heart for the nose.
6. Cut out the face shape including the eyes and nose. Cut slits along the marks at 11, 12 and one o’clock, about 4cm long. This is a task for grown-ups only!
7. Now draw on some fancy patterns. I drew flower shapes around the eyes and a heart on the forehead, then filled the rest with swirls and dots. Don’t forget the teeth!
8. Colour in the patterns.
9. Take small pieces of masking tape and tape the slits at the top of the mask to form a curved skull shape.
10. Staple on some ribbons at the side to tie it on.
1. Take eight layers of tissue paper and cut them into a square.
2. Staple them together in the centre.
3. Cut around the edges to form a circle
4. Make small cuts towards the centre of the flower to form lots of petals.
5. Now scrunch it up to make it look a bit like a pom-pom.
6. I also made a few leaves by folding a few layers of tissue paper, then cut a leaf shape. The fold will become the centre of the leaf and help give it some structure.
7. Now staple these to the top of the mask.
Now you have a lovely mask which you can wear or hang up as a decoration!
