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Rockwell Paper Scissors: Sugar Skull Scratch Art

 

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an annual celebration in Mexico and throughout Latin America. People who celebrate believe that the spirits of their deceased loved ones return to visit on November 1 and 2. To encourage spirits to visit, families build ofrendas—tables covered with colorful decorations, photos, and the deceased’s favorite food, toys, and clothing. 

One of the most popular items on an ofrenda is a sugar skull, or calavera. Sugar skulls are made of sugar and egg white that has been pressed into a mold. They are intricately decorated with brightly colored icing, foil, sequins, and candies. Sugar skulls are not considered morbid or scary. They are bright and colorful and are meant to celebrate life. 

People also use pictures of sugar skulls to make decorations for Day of the Dead. You may have seen images like this on clothing or greeting cards. You can create a colorful sugar skull decoration using scratch paper. You can decorate it with different patterns and designs. Add embellishments like gems, feathers or sequins to make a fun decoration for this time of year! 

Materials: 

  • Scratch paper (see DIY paper instructions below) 
  • Wooden stylus (eg. toothpick, chopstick, dull pencil, or a pointy stick!) 
  • Skull Template >>
  • Optional: gems, feathers, sequins or other colorful embellishments 
  • Glue (glue sticks are good for flat objects, while liquid glue works better for 3D objects) 

DIY Scratch art paper: 

If you don’t have scratch paper, you can make your own! This process takes a couple of hours, so be sure to plan ahead. 

Materials: 

      • Heavy paper (watercolor, drawing paper, or cardstock work well) 
      • Crayons or oil pastels 
      • Acrylic paint – we used black, but any color will work 
      • Liquid dish soap 
      • Paintbrush 

Instructions:

      1. Use crayons or oil pastels to completely color a piece of paper. You can do any design, pattern, or image you would like. Be sure all of the paper is covered. You don’t want to see any blank paper through your drawing! 
      2. In a small dish, mix equal parts acrylic paint and dish soap. Stir until it is completely mixed together. 
      3. Use a paint brush to completely cover your drawing with the paint and soap mixture. 
      4. Wait for your paint to dry. This can take a couple of hours. 
      5. Once your paint is dry, use a toothpick, chopstick, or other wooden stylus to create your drawing following the instructions below. 

 

Sugar Skull Scratch Art Instructions: 

  1. Print and cut the skull template >>
  2. Place the skull template on your scratch paper. Use a toothpick, chopstick or other stylus to trace around the skull. Press firmly to remove the black coating from the paper and reveal the colors underneath.
  3. Decorate your skull!  
    • Draw patterns and designs in and around your skull with your stylus.  
    • Experiment with different styluses (toothpicks or chopsticks) to see what different types of lines you can make.  
    • Use the folk art motifs here and here for inspiration, or create your own. 
  4. Finish your skull by gluing gems, sequins, or feathers around it. Make your skull bright and colorful!