I love Halloween. But, one of my favorite celebrations every year is the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), honoring our ancestors, heritage and the renewal of life.

This gorgeous celebration is one that we had the honor of participating in for years when we lived in California – learning the meaning behind this folk tradition and experiencing the spectacle of art that comes with it.

We have spent a lot of time dealing with death in our house this year, with the loss of Linden and my grandmother. So, taking the time to honor them through craft seemed like a great way to talk a little about the people in our lives who have passed away without getting too weepy.

On the less serious side, the great skull masks that form the iconic imagery of Dia de los Muertos celebrations are a serious wow in the kid universe.

Finding ways to recreate the colors, textures and unique spookiness of them is way up there on the list for kiddos who dig bones.

This project was easy and fun. We ended up hanging the skulls all over the place here at OBE HQ. Plus, we got to talk about skulls, which was super cool.

Here’s what you need:

- Halloween-like craft paper (I like the more retro, old skool papers), construction paper or felt (for a seriously tactile, fun skull project)

- Glue stick

- Buttons

- Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out a series of large and small skulls,

2. Cut out some noses, mouths and eyes - all kinds of decoration,

3. Paste the little skull on top of the big skull,

4. Take the buttons and paste on the eyes, and

5. Then go for the mouth, the nose, etc.

Tape them up in random locales, make a collection for a Dia de los Muertos alter or hang these skeletal remains up with string.

They are super fun, very easy and awesome for talking about Mexican culture, folk art and family traditions.

Happy Halloween!