Sugar skulls or calaveras are a representation of a human skull and are commonly made for the Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos celebrations in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2.
Similar festivals to honour people's memory and spirits are celebrated in other countries around the world.
People decorate their homes and offer food, toys, art and drinks as a way to honouring loved ones who have passed away. The most widely known calaveras are created with cane sugar and are decorated with items such as coloured foil, icing, beads, and feathers.
Pick up your take-home pack at Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub (available between 21 October and 1 November 2021) to begin creating your own Sugar Skull mask. Or if you aren't able to make it to a branch you can download the skull template and instructions here. Younger children may require assistance in making the mask (particularly using scissors).
1) Colour in parts of you mask i.e. around the eyes, the nose, the flowers etc.
2) Then start sticking other materials/jewels and glitter to the paper. Allow the glue to dry (approximately 15-minutes
3) Carefully cut around the shape of the mask. Then cut out other areas as required i.e. eye holes, around the teeth etc.
4) Place your cut out mask over the paper plate (bottom side up) and carefully trace around the eye holes, then use scissors to cut the eye holes on the plate.
5) With a glue stick or glue pot, stick the skull to the paper plate, being careful to line up the eyes.
6) Stick your paddlepop stick to the under side of the mask with glue and tape for extra reinforcement
7) Take a square of cellophane and tape the sides to the back of your mask so when you look through it will be coloured.
8) Add any extra decorations you might have such as flowers from your garden, paper flowers, a hat or even some paper facial hair. I made some flowers out of patty cake cases and a button.
9) You can add some personal items that remind you of someone. I added some native flowers that remind me of my nana. They were easy to tuck into the space between the mask and paper plate, I used a bit of masking tape to secure them.
Your mask is now ready! Test out the coloured lenses!