Veiled Sugar Skull

$15 - $20 (based on 2016 prices)

Makes one skull

To begin the prop-building process for 2017’s haunt, I transformed two old skulls used in 2015’s voodoo theme into sugar skulls. Although they were not used in the final haunt (they were given to a friend as a birthday present), they did help prepare me for the season.

• One ceramic skull
• One 8 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying latex paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat pink*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat purple*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat turquoise*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• An assortment of flowers is multiple colors and sizes (e.g. baby’s breath, pink and red roses, white daises)
• A square of black lace at least 12” x 12”
  

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the skull three even coats of white paint. I used three to cover the voodoo pattern from 2015’s haunt, but you can apply fewer coats if the skull is new.

2. Detail the skull with polychromatic paints (you, of course, are free to use whatever colors you choose). If you struggle with drawing, buy a ceramic skull with the design already etched in its surface. Also, use black paint to outline and enhance the colors.

3. Once the paint has dried, glue flowers along the top of the skull to create the crown. For a tapered appearance, graduate the floral arrangement, ensuring that the larger flowers are in the center.

4. Create the veil by cutting a square of lace large enough to cover the back of the skull. I used a medium-sized prop, which required a piece of fabric roughly 12” x 12”. To make the veil resemble a mantilla, bunch the fabric near the crown, glue it in place, and fan it outward.

5. You could enhance the skull with additional details, including adhesive gems, glittered accents, or strands of multi-colored beads.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.