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SAMPLE PICTURES OF DECORATED SUGAR SKULLS

Below, you'll see pictures of both traditional Mexican decorated sugar skulls as well as ones made by people in our classes and some found on the web. 

The first pictures are of TRADITIONAL MEXICAN SUGAR SKULLS as you might find them in the mercados and stalls around the days of the dead in Mexico.

Scroll down for examples of sugar skulls made mostly by our clients during our sugar skull making classes that we hold in September and October each year.  Zanzibar offers free kids sugar skull decorating classes as well as 2 1/2 hour adult classes that teach you all the steps of making sugar skulls. 

We provide these pictures as examples of the wide variety of craftsmanship that you can do with sugar skulls and we sincerely appreciate those artisans who crafted them.  If you would like credit for your work, just contact us and we'll be happy to give you credit or a link!  This site and these pictures are intended for education and examples only.  Some sugar skulls depicted contain or are decorated with non edible items.  Children should always be supervised when making or around sugar skulls and note that some decorations could be choking hazards to young children. 

Traditional Mexican Sugar Skulls as you'd find in the markets just before dia de los Muertos

This is a traditional clay mold - using HOT sugar then allowing the sugar to cool and the moisture to be absorbed by the low-fire clay.  Today, we use plastic molds. 

Modern Sugar Skulls decorated by both amateurs and professionals using the sugar skull molds that Zanzibar sells

on of our sugar skull classes - outdoors because it is very messy!

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Using a blow dryer to help quicken drying time of royal icing

using a food safe marker to decorate a sugar skull

Sometimes "less is more" - this skull has a lot of frosting!

proud makers of sugar skulls

Optimus Prime Autobot Sugar Skull

Royal Icing colors to decorate sugar skulls in piping bags

You can make the icing up several days in advance - simply seal the bag with a zip tie and keep the bag cool (not refrigerated).  When you're ready to decorate, simply cut the tip of the bag!  Note, while the frosting will last for a long time in this manner, since it is edible, don't keep it for more than a few days to prevent bacteria from growing in it!

Some ceramic and paper mache skulls, plus some drawings, tattoos and other pictures that are of sugar skulls