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Making Sugar Skulls
You can purchase these & other molds and supplies at our retail gallery or online at: www.zanzibar-trading.com
Making Sugar skulls is easy and fun for the whole family! All you need is a few basic items, a clean table and a little bit of imagination.
See our Making Chocolate Skullls page for other ideas.
The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or Día de Muertos in Spanish) is a traditional holiday in Mexico and many South American countries. Based on ancient Aztec mingled with Christian beliefs, this celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors is celebrated beginning at dusk on October 31st through November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day). While the dates overlap, it is not connected with Halloween, although it shares some historical origins. This holiday is quickly gaining popularity in America and could be considered "the new American Holiday".
These days and those leading up to them are marked by festive celebrations to honor the dead. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies cooked, and home altars are designed in homage to one's ancestors. Colorful sugar skulls, often with the names of family members or friends are decorated and placed on the altar. It is a day of joyous remembrance, not of sadness. The foods, toys, figures, decorations, poems, songs and other items created for El Dia de Los Muertos reflect this outlook.
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Sugar Skull Making Celebrate the Day(s) of the Dead These instructions are also available in a
printable PDF format, just click here (COMING SOON) |
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Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art
from Southern Mexico used to celebrate the Day(s) of the Dead.
Mounds of colorful sugar skulls are sold by Indian vendors in open air village markets during the week preceding the holiday. Spirits of the dead are welcomed back to their homes with beautifully decorated altars made by their loved ones. Sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, incense and special foods adorn home altars. Families take the flowers and sugar skulls to the cemetery to decorate the tombs on November 2. Sugar skulls are colorfully decorated with icing, pieces of bright foil, colored sugars and usually bear the name of the deceased loved one being honored. They are easy to make by children and adults, and if kept dry, they can last a year. While made of edible ingredients, they usually don't taste very good and we don't recommend you eat them. Make sugar skulls a part of your family tradition to remember your dear, departed loved ones. |
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What Supplies You Will Need (Mandatory) 1. A Sugar Skull Mold - There are several sizes of molds - some work better with sugar, while smaller ones are meant to be for chocolate, however you can use them for sugar skulls, too! Available at our retail gallery or online at Zanzibar's website: sugar skull molds 2. Meringue Power - A MUST! You cannot make sugar skulls without this. You cannot substitute eggs. Without this, your sugar skulls will not stick together and they will just crumble. You can buy it in our retail gallery, online at Merinque powder for Making Sugar Skulls or from specialty cake and baking stores (you usually won't find it in the grocery store). 3. Super Fine Granulated Sugar - You can use any brand, and you can use regular white granulated sugar but we recommend Super Fine because it shows more details in the molds. 4. Powdered or Confectioners Sugar - This will be used to make the royal icing you will use to glue two part sugar skull molds together and to decorate the sugar skulls with colored icing. You can also use it to "dust" the inside of fine molds to get more details. 5. Measuring Spoons - You will need to accurately measure teaspoons and tablespoons. 6. Measuring / Mixing Bowl & Mixing Spoon - to mix your ingredients in. 7. Measuring Cup - Use a 1 cup measuring cup to measure dry ingredients. A 1/4 cup measuring cup is also handy if you're making larger batches. 9. Paper Towels - to clean up messes 10. Plastic knives or popsicle sticks - used to mix the royal icing colors. |
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Optional Supplies 11. Putty Knife (optional) - you can use this to flatten the backs of the sugar skulls while they are in the molds. A spatula or large wooden spoon also works. Some people use an old playing card or stiff piece of cardboard. 12. Cookie Sheet (optional) - used to provide a flat surface for your skulls to dry or can be used to "bake" your skulls in the oven to shorten dry times. 13. Pastry Bags for icing - (you can also use ziplock bags - just cut a tiny hole in one corner). 14. Plastic Spray Bottle (optional) - handy to use to add just a little bit of water to dry mix. 15. Gel or paste food coloring (optional) - the regular liquid food coloring you can buy in the grocery store won't work - it's too watery and won't make bright colors. You can buy the paste colors from us online at www.zanzibar-trading.com or at specialty cake or baking stores. Gel or powdered food coloring also works but we like the paste the best. 16. Colored Foil (optional) - Traditionally in Mexico, brightly colored foil is used to decorate the sugar skulls - remember this isn't edible! 17. Cake Decorating Sprinkles (optional) - You can find many different items in your grocery stores' cake decorating isle - I like to use small sugar sprinkles, stars and other shapes to decorated the skulls. Sugar candies, licorice and other goodies also make good decorations. 18. Sandpaper (optional) - Okay, I know it sounds weird - but you can use course sandpaper to refine the shape of skulls and to get rid of extra icing that has dried. 19. Hand or Stand Electric Mixer (optional) - for making the Royal icing. You CAN mix it by hand but its sooo much easier with an electric mixer. Not for use in mixing the ingredients for the sugar skulls - just the icing! |
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Before you get started... 1. Making sugar skulls is really a 2 or 3 part (two-three day) process THIS IS NOT A ONE DAY ACTIVITY! There are multiple steps in making a sugar skull. You'll need one day to actually MAKE the sugar skulls and allow plenty of time to let them dry (you can also cheat and "bake them" to quicken the drying time...more on that later) and another day to decorate your sugar skulls. Large skulls or two part skulls may take 2-3 days to make - one day to make them, 12-14 hours to dry so you can scoop them out, let them dry another day (or two) and then assembling them. Making a large two part skull and decorating it the same day just isn't possible. Yes, you CAN do small or 1 part skulls all in one day (if you "bake" them) but better to spread it out over a couple of days. Practice! When you first are learning to make sugar skulls it takes a few practice times before you get it right. 2. Don't make sugar skulls on a rainy or high humidity day - they simply won't turn out! 3. Follow our directions, but remember this isn't an exact science. Everyone has a different formula and depending on the ingredients you use, your humidity level and other factors, you may have to adjust the ingredients. There aren't any right or wrong ways to make sugar skulls. Having fun is the most important part. We've given you hints along the way in case you make a wrong step... usually you can just add more water or sugar or meringue powder and keep going! 4. Use Meringue Powder and paste food colorings. Some recipes call for using egg whites and corn starch - but in our experience, Meringue powder is a must! Don't try and make them without it! As to the food colorings: the liquid food colors you get in the grocery store will probably disappoint you - spend a few dollars and buy the paste, gel or powdered food colors. 5. Practice before you make a fool of yourself! Making sugar skulls is pretty easy... even young kids can do it. But it does take a little practice to get it right and not forget any steps. So if you're a teacher, Den mother or someone else planning on having a sugar skull making party - do it at least once by yourself in advance so you can get the kinks out. Don't get frustrated... relax and just start from scratch if a mold sticks or a sugar skull gets dropped. 6. Make extras Sounds simple enough, huh? Just remember, accidents do happen - so plan on making a few extra skulls so you'll have backups! Plus it helps to have a few test ones to get the hang of decorating before you create your masterpiece.
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MAKING SUGAR SKULLS: REMEMBER: Do not make sugar skulls on a rainy or high humidity day. They will not turn out. Wash your hands before starting! Mix dry ingredients together well in large bowl: 1 teaspoon Meringue Powder for every cup of granulated sugar used. Step 1: Mix dry ingredients well. Sure, use your hands - you're not going to eat the sugar skulls anyway (are you - ick!)
Step 2: Sprinkle sugar mixture with 1 teaspoon water per cup of sugar
used. For a 5 pound bag of sugar, use 1/4 cup meringue powder and 10 teaspoons of water. Yields 5 large skulls or 20 medium skulls or 100 mini skulls or any combination. For a 10 pound bag of sugar, use 1/2 cup meringue powder and 7 Tablespoons water. Yield 10 large skulls or 40 medium skulls or 200 mini skulls or any combination. For chocolate Molds & Recipe, visit our Chocolate Mold Information page
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5 pounds of sugar = approx.10 cups |
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Meringue Powder is a "Must" and cannot be omitted. It is difficult to find, but may be purchased in 4 oz, 8 oz or 1 pound packages in our gallery or online. Meringue powder is what makes the sugar and the icing hard. Its main ingredient is powdered dry egg whites & starch, but it also includes vegetable gum, cream of tarter, calcium lactate, malic acid & sodium aluminum sulfate. It's totally edible. Just using eggs won't work! POWDERED SUGAR FOR ROYAL ICING 1 Pound Box - 3 1/2 cups: 2 Pound Bag - 7 cups (do not sift Powdered Sugar) Measurement: 3 teaspoons make a Tablespoon: 4 Tablespoons make 1/4 cup. But on this website, 7 Tablespoons (21 teaspoons) of Meringue Powder = 1/2 cup! Here's where the differences start! Sugar Skull making is not an exact science... we like easy measurements! Especially when measuring with kids.
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 Mix
well with hands until every bit of sugar is moistened. If your fingerprints
remain when you squeeze the sugar in your hand, it is ready to mold. (Right)
It should feel like cool "beach sand." If it doesn't hold together, mixture is
too dry. (Left) Remedy: add a LITTLE bit of water! The
beach sand analogy works well, because just like making a sand castle, the sugar
has to stick together and be firmly packed into the mold.
Remember, water sinks, so keep the sugar mixture mixed up frequently as you make your sugar skulls. |
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To Mold: Pack sugar mixture FIRMLY into mold with special attention to chins & edges. Use a straight edge to scrape the back of the mold flat (I like using a plastic or metal putty knife from the hardware store). Pack down some more until perfectly tight. Place a stiff cardboard square (approx. 5" x 6") (some people use laminated playing cards for smaller skulls, others use wax paper taped over cardboard) over mold and invert immediately. Lift mold off carefully. Throw any "mistakes" back into your bowl, stir up and try again. If mix is too dry, spritz with a water bottle. If your mix gets too wet, simply add a little more sugar and meringue powder! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Tip: If all the sugar mixture
does not fall out of mold easily, it is too wet. Re-mix with a bit more sugar.
Handwash and dry your mold after every 4-5 skulls to avoid sticking. Don't
use soap and be sure to dry it very carefully! Most Sugar
Skull makers will have a collection of molds to make the molding process more
enjoyable.
To get finer details when using small molds,
dust the inside of the mold with powdered sugar before pressing in the wet sugar
mixture. |
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2 Part Molds: Large skulls & two-part molds require a few more steps. They are a 2-piece mold, and must be "scooped out" after they dry for 8 hours. When the skulls feel dry enough to handle, hold skulls carefully and hollow both the back and the front out with a spoon, leaving the skull wall 1/2" thick. Do not scoop out the neck area. Set the hollowed skulls upside down to continue drying until totally dry. (Approx. 12 hours.) When completely dry, dust off and assemble the front and back of the skull with a 1/4" bead of thick royal icing, either applied with a knife or squeezed from an icing bag (one side only). Align points on the back of the skull with the sides of the neck, and press the two sides together until they are firmly connected. The icing will ooze out a little. Drag your finger over the seam to remove excess icing. Try to do this with just one pass--touching the skull too much will make the icing look bad. Drag your finger across the base of the neck crack to remove excess icing. Lay skull aside to dry. When seam is dry, about 2 hours minimum, it is ready to decorate. |
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To Dry: All sizes of the molded
sugar skulls need to air-dry on their card boards from 8 hours to overnight.
Medium and Mini skulls may be decorated after they are completely dry.
Alternately, you can place your sugar skulls (not on cardboard backs!) onto a
tinfoil lined cookie sheet and "bake" them. The idea is not to actually
"bake" them, just to dry them out (technically called candling them). To
do this, set the cookie sheet on your middle rack of your oven, set the oven to
its lowest setting (usually around 100-120 degrees (not higher!). Leave
the oven door open slightly (prop open about 1"). "baking" time will vary,
aim for 10-40 minutes depending on temp. and size of the skulls.
Tip: When assembling the Large skull, if the two pieces of the skull are sliding around, your royal icing is too wet. Add a Tablespoon of powdered sugar to your icing, to stiffen it up a bit. |
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Tip: The sugar "scoopings" from Large Skulls will net about 50%. Sugar will be soft and moist and may be made into smaller skulls. This moist sugar may be stored in plastic tightly-topped box for a day or two. When you're ready to use sugar, give it the hand-squeeze test. If too dry, spritz with the water bottle until it holds together again. Tip: When assembling the Large skull, if the two pieces of the skull are sliding around, your royal icing is too wet. Add a Tablespoon of powdered sugar to your icing, to stiffen it up a bit. |
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ROYAL ICING RECIPE MIX: 2/3 cup water, 1/2 cup Meringue Powder and 2 pounds Powdered Sugar with
an electric/stand mixer until icing peaks (about 9 minutes!) Don't mix up more
than 2# at a time. Keep in a tightly covered container. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.
Royal icing is a cement type icing used for gingerbread house construction. It
isn't very tasty, but it is strong, dries pretty and lasts. Use ONLY
concentrated paste food colorings (NOT liquid food coloring from the grocery
store!) Yes, we have 12 great colors on the Order Page of our website. Mix icing & paste colors
in disposable cups. Use pastry bags and metal decorating tips if you are a pro
or into cake decorating. Yes, we have great disposable pastry bags on the Order
Page! Or, substitute a Ziploc freezer bag for a pastry bag and make a very small
snip in the corner of the bag. Add 2-3 ounces of Royal Icing (no more than 1/4
full). Squeeze to decorate. Calculate each 5 pounds of sugar skulls will need 2
pounds of powdered sugar Royal Icing. Most skull makers prefer 5-6 paste colors
to decorate with, and at least one pack of colored tin foil. Yes, we have tin
foil in deep Purple, Magenta, Orange, Gold and Red, see Order Page. |
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ALL SKULL SIZES: Have fun decorating your skulls with colored Royal Icing, sequins, feathers, beads, even earrings made from soda pop tops. I also like using "sprinkles" and candy shapes from the grocery store cake decorating isle. Colored foil and icing are how Mexican sugar skulls are decorated. Foil is pasted down with icing, and is great for making crowns, crosses, hearts, shiny eyes or even pipes. Labels, wrappers, trinkets and shells can personalize a skull in memory of your dear, departed loved one. Be creative. Have fun. Kids down to kindergarten have fun decorating sugar skulls. If youngsters don't have the coordination to use a pastry bag, let them "Finger-paint" with the colorful icing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Can you eat the Sugar Skulls??? There is nothing that will make you sick in Sugar Skulls except for the tin foil and other decorations. However, after all the handling that is done to make them, they aren't very clean! So, NO, you shouldn't eat a sugar skull. They are for decorative purposes only. If keep cool and dry (and away from Ants) your sugar skull can last a year. In Mexico, however, they would never consider saving a skull from one year to the next (however Americans are notorious for this!) We think its fun to make new ones every year! You've got the mold and sugar is cheap, so why not? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MATERIALS NEEDED: Sugar Skull Molds |
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Tradition: The traditional
Mexican sugar skull is placed on the home altar or the tomb to honor a
deceased loved one. It decorates the altar and make it a happy place for the
spirit to visit. Names of the loved one is usually written on the skull with
icing in the market by the sugar skull maker. You can customize your skulls with
characteristics that you remember--like a tin foil pipe for Grampa Joe who
smoked a pipe on the porch after dinner.
Sugar Skull Decorating Party - If you're having a party, make up your skulls ahead of time. Prepare your icing and have it ready in bags... Cover your tables, lay out all the icings and decoration supplies, and play Mexican music! |
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TEACHER TIPS: What Size should my class make?
We recommend the medium skull for K-3, if you want the students to actually make the skulls. 3rd grade to adult can make the 2 piece, Large skull. All ages prefer to decorate the large skull to the smaller sizes. We do not recommend the mini skull for classroom use. The advantage to the medium skull is that you can make it today, and it's dry and ready to decorate tomorrow. The large skull requires scooping, assembly and more time for drying... which generally takes one extra day. Large skulls require more sugar than mediums, so consider this if cost is an issue. The charts below will help you determine the product necessary for your classroom project. Or, Email me with the details, and I will be happy to figure it up for you.
*DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE SUGAR SKULLS ON A HUMID DAY. That means Rain, Rain tomorrow, or yesterday. Sugar freaks out around damp air and the skulls won't dry right, stick right, or hold the icing on. Check your weather forecast.
If you were to have an unexpected rain storm in mid-project, the only tip I can give you is to pray. Then, see if you can "candle" the skulls in a low oven (150 or less degrees) for 15 minutes. Keep the door to the oven open slightly. Lay them on cookie sheets covered with thick newspapers (being careful that the newspapers don't come close to the flames/heating element) to wick the moisture from the skulls. If they don't scorch, you may have fooled Mother Nature. Turn the oven off, and let the skulls sit in the oven over night.
Tip #1 Make a batch of Sugar Skulls at home before trying it in the classroom
Tip#2 Kindergarten - 3rd graders generally cannot mold the sugar skulls without lots of one-on-one assistance from teacher/parents/aides. But it can be done successfully! Teachers may prefer to make the skull blanks at home (a great job for a teacher's aide or overzealous parent volunteer!) Then bring them into the classroom ready to decorate. If dexterity is an issue with the icing bags, the project can be lots of fun to decorate the skulls with white glue, feathers, sequins, foil, beads, glitter and other "found" objects.
Tip#3 3rd grade and above are able to do the entire sugar skull project... but the molding can get messy. If weather permits, take tables out to the grass and mix and mold the sugar outside. Take a large lined trash can, and plenty of paper towels.
Tip#4 A bucket of water serves as a nice hand washing set up if a sink is not available in the classroom.
Tip #5 Always make a few extra sugar skulls to cover for any accidents that might occur.
Tip#6 If making the Royal Icing in the classroom, use a stand Kitchen Aid type mixer for safely. Remember to beat the icing a full 9 minutes. Icing for Assembly of the skulls needs to be a little thicker than the colored icing for the pastry bags...
Tip#7 For younger kids who might have trouble handling the "squeeze" of the icing bags, they can get beautiful, colorful results by finger-painting the icing on with their fingers. Cut tin foil can be patted down on tip of wet icing.
Tip#8 Make sugar skulls as part of a Classroom Altar. Focus on the Multicultural aspects of the holiday.
Tip#9 Have a contest for the best decorated Sugar Skull.
Tip#10 Left over supplies can be used for making gingerbread houses or just decorated cookies during the Christmas holiday. Excess colored tin foils can be used for origami making!
Tip #11 Fundraisers: Students & clubs can make decorated sugar skulls and sell them for a Halloween fundraiser. Great project for Latin / Spanish / Chicano clubs on campus.
Tip#12 Sugar skull making is a good activity to do in conjunction with stories or readings about the holiday. Compare the Mexican tradition and feelings about their deceased with the American tradition. Explore the differences between Halloween and Day of the Dead. Let students research Day of the Dead on the Internet.
Tip#13 Make a classroom altar, and have each student explain why they chose their contribution. Writing exercises in English as well as Spanish can explore students feelings of death, or their thoughts about tradition and ritual.
Don't forget the traditional Mexican music and food!
Classroom Timing:
Medium and Mini skulls can be mixed and molded today, air-dried tonight, ready for icing tomorrow. 2 days, approx. 50 minute sessions for 1-2 skulls per student.
Large Skulls: Generally, take 3 days, unless creatively choreographed with after school helpers.
Day 1: Mix the sugar and mold the skulls early in the morning. Late in the day, if the skulls have hardened a little, scoop them out. Save the scoopings to mold smaller skulls. If you get a late start, the skulls may be scooped out early the next morning. If it is warm or very dry, cover with plastic wrap so skulls dry out slower. Let the skull halves dry, upside down, overnight.
12-14 hours is usually OK between molding and scooping.
Day Two: Large skulls are ready to be assembled. You need some white icing today for assembly. Let skulls dry until late in the day, or preferably, tomorrow. Have a small group mold medium and mini skulls from the saved "scoopings" from yesterday.
Day Three: Today, the large skulls and the smaller skulls made from scoopings will be well dried, and ready for Icing. This is the real fun day ... Make it a Friday... and hose the kids down with a hose before they go home!
Tip: Let the skulls dry at least 1 day in the classroom before the student tries to take it home. Skulls will be very hard and set up in about 24 hours . If kept dry, skulls will look good for up to 2 years or more!
Problems With Concerned Parents: Some schools have had parents who object to sugar skull making in the classroom for religious reasons. If you are in a school where you anticipate this type of problem, you may want to send home a Day of the Dead information sheet explaining the multicultural nature of the project. Assure the parents that this is not Satanic in any way. Invite the parents to the decoration day. Feel free to Email me if you want to discuss this further.... I've heard just about everything!!!
Zanzibar Offers FREE Sugar
Skull making classes during the month of October in their Sacramento, California
location. Check this website for the schedule.
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