Sugar Skull Wreath

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one wreath

The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths and flowers for an intricate funeral scene. To prevent myself from using the same design for each prop, I did variations on the sugar skull motif. For this version, I chose to contrast bright flowers with a black-and-gray skull. To help unify the haunt’s overall theme, I also incorporated leftover ribbon from the day of the dead ribbon wreath into this item.

• One six-inch grapevine wreath
• One three-inch wooden skull cutout
• One sheet of decorative paper (8 ½” x 11”)
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Sixty artificial carnations in various colors
• One yard of Halloween-themed ribbon
  

1. Trace the outline of the skull onto the decorative paper and cut it out. For aesthetic purposes, make the outline slightly larger than the skull to allow for excess to cover the edges. Once the outline is sized to your liking, glue it to the cutout. You may need to use the edge of a card or ruler to smooth the surface and remove any bubbles. To streamline this process, consider using shelving paper with an adhesive backing.

2. Cover a large portion of the wreath in a dense arrangement of carnations. You want the covering to be thick enough to blanket the entire area. You can use a random placement like the one pictured to create an arresting asymmetry or an alternating pattern for balance. Also, you can achieve varying levels of visual interest by either selecting multiple colors or one single color.

3. To create the bow, cut the ribbon into two fourteen-inch sections, one twelve-inch section, and one four-inch section. Use one fourteen-inch section and the twelve-inch section to fashion the loops, the second fourteen-inch section to fabricate the tails, and the four-inch section to bind the bow together. For the time-pressed haunter, it might be easier to purchase a premade item for this project.

4. Glue the bow and the skull to the open portion of the wreath. Although I used hot glue, you can utilize superglue for a sturdier hold, especially if you plan to display this item in windy outdoor conditions for an extended period.

5. If the wreath did not come with hanging loops, you can fashion one with steel wire.

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