We’ve taken on the traditional art of Mexican Sugar Skulls by using dyed icing and gold foil to portray the beautiful and colorful designs. These vibrant decorations, are so fun to make too! Great For Halloween.
In Mexico, during the Day of the Dead celebrations, sugar skulls and sugar art has been a tradition since the 17th century. They’re created from homemade sugar paste, put into molds, then decorated and placed on real gravestones to honor the return of a spirit.
Day of The Dead is a beautiful and colorful celebration that starts at midnight on October 31st and ends November 2nd in Mexico. It’s also a tradition that families will give sugar skulls as gifts too.
In the US we’ve been inspired by the colorful design of sugar skulls and the decor of Day of the Dead for Halloween.
This year, I’ve noticed more sugar skull-inspired decor than ever before and since I’m not much of a spooky Halloween person, I like that these are colorful and have more of a happy meaning.
Where to Buy Sugar Skull Supplies
There is a wonderful site called Mexican Sugar Skull and they sell all of the supplies you need to make these from start to finish, including the original sugar skull molds!
I ordered everything from them and followed their recipes and videos. Below is a list and links to the supplies I used, as well as the recipe and videos on how to make Mexican sugar skulls.
How To Make Mexican Sugar Skulls
Mexican Sugar Skull Supplies:
- Oaxaca Medium Sugar Skull Mold (this is the 2 sided one, so they can stand)
- Original Medium Sugar Skull Mold
- 8oz jar of meringue powder. Needs to be good quality, so this one (W3504) worked great.
Assortment
- Food coloring paste (do not use food coloring drops, as you won’t get the right coloring). I used: Chartreuse, Royal Blue, Golden Egg Yellow, Purple, Teal, and Royal Red.
- Disposable icing bags for each frosting color.
- Decorating tips for each color. I went to a craft store and bought 6 of the smallest circles/holes I could find. I had a little variety, to make tiny lines and then some a little bigger for the flower elements.
- Small pieces of cut cardboard for the sugar skulls to dry on.
- You’ll also need…. a bag of granulated sugar and 2 lb bag of powdered sugar.
Sugar Skull Ingredients
Full recipe in recipe card below.
- Sugar
- Meringue powder
- Water
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon at first, then use your hands to thoroughly remove all of the clumps and to create a mixture that holds in your hand when you squeeze it. You will most likely need to mix for about 5 minutes, if not more.
- Once the mixture can hold a shape, pack it down into the mold tightly. Then place the cardboard behind and gently flip it over to remove the sugar skull onto the cardboard.
- Let the sugar skulls dry for 12 hours. If you’re making the 2 part skulls, after about 4 hours you can scrape a hole in the back of each piece to remove some of the sugar inside. This way they won’t be too heavy when you glue the back and front together with icing. Otherwise, they might slide apart.
Royal Icing for Sugar Skulls
- Powdered sugar
- Meringue powder
- Water
Directions
- In a stand-alone mixer, beat the ingredients for about 5 minutes until it appears to have a fluffy texture. This paste is extremely thick and dries quickly.
- Have 6 bowls set out to divide the royal icing into equally. While you’re adding food coloring paste to each of them, cover the others with plastic wrap to ensure they stay moist.
- Add a good amount of gel coloring to each bowl, then mix until incorporated.
- Cut the tip of the frosting bag and choose a tip you want to use to place inside before you add the frosting.
- Once the frosting is added, roll down the opening of the bag to close it so the frosting doesn’t dry.
- While you’re decorating, the frosting in the tips might dry, just use a small needle to unclog them.
Once you have all of the icings prepared and the sugar skulls are dried, you’re ready to decorate!
Just like carving pumpkins or making gingerbread houses for Christmas, making sugar skulls is also a form of traditional art. It’s a fun activity for the holidays that lets your mind rest and be creative and it’s a great DIY project for kids too.
I personally had a blast making these from start to finish. It took me two days, since the sugar skulls have to dry for 12 hours before decorating, but the time and effort that goes into them is well worth it. They make me smile when I walk past them, haha!
How to Decorate Sugar Skulls
Have fun decorating your skulls with colored Royal Icing, sequins, feathers, beads, even earrings made from soda pop tops. 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.
Be creative and 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.
Why not have a sugar skull decorating party, get friends involved and have fun!
Icing Your Mexican Sugar Skulls
Piping icing is fun, the more you do it, the easier it gets, like with most things! Here are some tips on getting your piping skills on point!
- Insert your chosen tip (but don’t cut the bag just yet!) into a disposable piping bag (or plastic bag) and roll the top half of the bag down around your hand. Use your free hand to scoop the icing into the bag with a spatula, filling it up to 1/3 to 1/2 full (filling it more makes it more difficult to maintain control while piping).
- Scrape the spatula against the side of the bag to remove all icing then uncuff the bag, push out the air bubbles and twist the top closed directly above the icing.
- The most comfortable way to hold a piping bag is between your thumb and your first two fingers of your dominant hand. Then use your other hand to steady the bag as you pipe.
- Practice your designs on a piece of parchment paper or directly on your (clean)
counter top – then simply scoop back up and use to pipe on your cookies. To pipe, lower the tip to the surface of the cookie and squeeze gently and steadily on the bag.
- As the icing begins to flow, lift up the tip one inch away from your cookie’s surface so your icing just falls onto the cookie.
- Continue to apply pressure and guide your icing into your chosen design. If your hand feels shaky, rest your arm on the edge of your work surface to steady while piping.
How Did Sugar Skulls Originate?
Within Western culture, skulls usually depict the dark, macabre, and gruesome death. However, sugar skulls’ origin (or calaveras de azucar) springs from Mexico.
Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday, celebrated on the 1st and 2nd November in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saint’s Day and All Hollow’s Day.
Sugar skulls are often used to decorate the gravestones of the deceased. The reason they are called “sugar skulls” is because the authentic sugar skulls were made out of clay molded sugar, decorated with feathers, colored beads, foils, and icing.
These sugar skulls are very colorful and whimsical, not scary at all.
The name of the deceased relative could be written on the skull’s forehead and then put on the altar, accompanied by marigolds (the marigold is perceived as the flower of the dead), candles and maybe even the deceased’s favorite food and beverage in order to encourage and guide him back to earth.
Tips For Mexican Sugar Skulls
- For the right consistency, make sure your sugar mixture holds in your hand when you squeeze it.
- Cover the royal icing you’re not yet using in plastic wrap, so they stay moist.
- If your piping tips get clogged, use a small needle to unclog them.
- Decorate your sugar skulls with marigolds.
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Mexican Sugar Skulls
Ingredients
Mexican Sugar Skull Recipe
- 8 cups sugar
- 8 teaspoons meringue powder
- 8 teaspoons water
Royal Icing Recipe
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup meringue powder
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
Mexican Sugar Skulls
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon at first, then use your hands to thoroughly remove all of the clumps and to create a mixture that holds in your hand when you squeeze it. You will most likely need to mix for about 5 minutes, if not more.
- Once the mixture can hold a shape, pack it down into the mold tightly. Then place the cardboard behind and gently flip it over to remove the sugar skull onto the cardboard.
- Let the sugar skulls dry for 12 hours. If you’re making the 2 part skulls, after about 4 hours you can scrape a hole in the back of each piece to remove some of the sugar inside. This way they won’t be too heavy when you glue the back and front together with icing. Otherwise, they might slide apart.
Royal icing
- In a stand-alone mixer, beat the ingredients for about 5 minutes until it appears to have a fluffy texture. This paste is extremely thick and dries quickly.
- Have 6 bowls set out to divide the royal icing into equally. While you’re adding food coloring paste to each of them, cover the others with plastic wrap to ensure they stay moist.
- Add a good amount of gel coloring to each bowl, then mix until incorporated.
- Cut the tip of the frosting bag and choose a tip you want to use to place inside before you add the frosting.
- Once the frosting is added, roll down the opening of the bag to close it so the frosting doesn’t dry.
- While you’re decorating, the frosting in the tips might dry, just use a small needle to unclog them.
IT’S LOVELY!
thanks so much for sharing this! :))
Thanks for a beautiful rendition of this process! Nice work!
You did a beautiful job! Wow…..very detailed. I have seen these around and had no idea what they symbolized. Thanks!