How to make Day of the Dead
paper mache skulls

By Kara Rasmussen
Break Studios Contributing Writer

Learning how to make a paper mache Day of the Dead skull complements this very sentimental holiday in Mexico, as it is held to honor those who have passed on every year. To get in the festive spirit, just follow thie instructions below to make your own beautiful Day of the Dead paper mache skull.

What you will need

• Newspaper
• Balloon (size is your choice)
• Warm water
• Flour
• Colorful paint
• Plastic flowers
• Metal wire

Steps to make skull

1. Take your balloon and blow it up to desired size. The balloon is going to act as the skull itself, so you may make it as large or as small as you like.


2. Next, you will want to prepare the glue. Take one cup of water with one cup of flour, and stir until you get a smooth consistency. Add this mixture to four more cups of boiling water and let simmer for about three minutes.


3. While you let the glue mixture you just made cool, take your newspaper and tear it into one-inch strips. You will want to use a fairly large amount of newspaper. Try using two entire newspapers to start.


4. Once you have completed tearing your newspaper and your glue has cooled, take one strip at a time and dip it in the glue, making sure the entire strip is saturated. Begin placing strips over balloon. You will want about three layers of strips total.


5. Once you have made three layers of strips, you will want to create eye sockets with your newspaper and glue strips. The eye sockets will be holding flowers so be sure to make them about one to two inches deep.


6. Allow your balloon to dry completely before doing any other steps. The drying process should only take three to four hours. When your skull is completely dry, the balloon will pop, and will not cause any trouble for further steps.


7. Now that your skull is dry you can paint it! You can paint it however you like, just make sure to get creative! Allow to dry for about an hour or so.


8. Now take your selected flowers and gently wrap a thin piece of metal wire around them; this is used to insert into your skull's eye sockets. If they already have wire stems, you do not need to use metal wire. Very gently insert your flower into both eye sockets; you can use one flower per socket, or more. Once you have done this, place your skull where you like and enjoy its beauty!

Download Instructions (1-page pdf)