Dia de los Muertos: Niche/Shrine

How to make a Day of the Dead shrine.

You will need: patterned papers, craft paint, 3D paint, 
shadow box, and plastic flowers bought at the dollar store.

I experimented with papers first, cutting them to fit the interior of the box.

I used cardboard to cut out a banner for the top of my niche.
Then I painted it in linen white along with the box. 

I added doodles with paints and markers.

I glued down all the pieces with matte medium.

I literally stapled these plastic flowers to make sure they would stay put. 
Then I decided it need something extra, so...

I added some 3D fabric paint.

I've been wanting to try this ever since I started teaching third grade,
 and I'm quite pleased at how it turned out :)

Skulls, paper flowers and shrine.

Dia de los Muertos: Papel Picado

Papel picado is a Mexican folk art that literally means cut paper. Beautiful papel picado banners are used for many Mexican holidays and celebrations and they are used during Day of the Dead to adorn altars.

Papel Picado is traditionally made out of tissue paper (stacks of it and cut with a chisel), but in the last few years I've used colorful copy paper to make banners in the classroom. You can get wonderful bright colors and the copy paper won't tear the way tissue paper and even construction paper can. I only had white copy paper at home so that is what I used to demonstrate.

Easy Papel Picado

Take one sheet of paper. 

Fold it hamburger style (the long way is hot dog style :).

Then fold it a second time.

Draw a lowercase w at the bottom. Mine is a little wonky, but no worries. 

Cut along the w.

Next draw a line about one inch below the top edge.

Do not cut above the line. 

Draw shapes along the folded edge. (This may be a good opportunity to talk about symmetry!)

Cut out the shapes.

Unfold once and draw shapes on the original fold.

Cut out the shapes.

Unfold and you have papel picado!
Use them to decorate your classroom, kid's room or family room.

Dia de los Muertos: Paper Flowers

Paper flowers are very popular during Dia de los Muertos as they mimic the marigolds that decorate many homes and cemeteries.

How to Make Paper Flowers: 

You will need tissue paper, pipe cleaners and scissors.

Stack 6-8 sheets of tissue paper and cut them into a 10x12 rectangle.

Fold the paper (on the short side) back and forth, accordion style.

Cut off excess paper.

Cut a round edge at each end.

Tie the pipe cleaner at the center.

Open one side...

and carefully separate the tissue paper.
If it tears slightly, no worries. No one will know once it's all fluffed up :)

Open the opposite side and separate the tissue paper.

And you have a paper flower!

Dia de los Muertos: Calaveras

Decorating Skulls

Calaveras or skulls are made in a variety of ways during Day of the Dead. I used inexpensive paper mache skulls from Michaels and decorated them with paints, markers, and plastic flowers bought at the dollar store. 

Two coats of white craft acrylic paint. Let each coat dry completely. 

I added some flower designs using acrylic paint (let dry).
Then doodled over them with sharpie markers and micron pens. 

I used an awl to punch holes at the top of the skulls. (I would not do this step with my 3rd graders.) 

Sugar skulls

Sugar skulls are a very popular tradition dating back to the 17th century when Italian missionaries brought the art of sugar sculpting to Mexico. It was an inexpensive alternative for creating scultptures used in their religious festivals. Go here and here for kits and videos on how to make sugar skulls.

One of our wonderful parents made sugar skulls and frosting for the whole class last year!
The kiddos had a ball decorating their skulls. I wonder if they kept them?

Dia de Los Muertos

Day of the Dead is less than four weeks away. So, I thought I'd dedicate this week to some Day of the Dead information, projects and activities, that may be especially interesting for all of you 3rd grade teachers studying/teaching Mexico.

Visit to a Mercado Artesanal/Craft Market in Cancun, Mexico this past August. 
I wanted to take this whole display table back to the classroom!

Day of the Dead
Though celebrated in many cultures, Day of the Dead is a national holiday in Mexico. It is celebrated from October 31-November 2 and it's history dates back to the Aztecs (Christian beliefs brought by the Spanish were later incorporated). It is a special time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed on. The traditions of this holiday vary from town to town in Mexico and even from city to city in the US where Mexican communities celebrate.

Spanish Vocabulary
Dia de los Muertos- Day of the Dead. For more info go here.
altares- altars set up to commemorate the dead
ofrendas- offerings (normally food and objects for the deceased). For more info go here.
calaveras- skulls (these can be made from a variety of materials including sugar)
cempasuchil- marigolds
catrina- female skeleton of an upper class made popular by Jose Guadalupe Posada who was inspired by Diego Rivera's Sueno de Una Tarde Dominical en la Almeda Central
antepasados- ancestors
calacas- skeletons

Life Size Catrina Dolls from the same market.

This week on a.l.o.e. i love: 

• how to make paper flowers
• how to make papel picado
• painting and decorating skulls
• a dia de los muertos niche   

Fall Flowers

My photographs do not do these flowers justice, but I had to share. I love flowers... 

and I love, love fall.

Doodling with Joanne Sharpe

Doodles, doodles and more doodles..

To take an online class with Joanne Sharpe go here.