A Family-Friendly Craft Project for Día de Muertos
"San Miguel de Allende is one of the most beautiful places in Mexico to experience Día de Muertos," says Lorenzo, a Guanajuato-based artist and ceramist for whom the annual celebration is of special significance. "I was born on Day of the Dead, so every year on my birthday, my grandfather would wake me up early in the morning, and we would go the cemetery together to clean the graves of our relatives. It probably sounds like a strange birthday tradition, but I loved it."
For Lorenzo and millions of other observers, Day of the Dead, which is celebrated the first two days of November, is an opportunity to remember—joyously—the lives of family and friends who have gone before them. As an adult, and also as an artist, Lorenzo looks forward to the annual ritual of decorating altars to honor his grandparents and even favorite pets who have passed. Traditionally, these ofrendas include candles, photographs, candy calaveras, and flowers, especially the Mexican marigold or cempasúchil, which is believed to help guide the spirits of the departed on their homeward journey. Known as flores de muertos ("flowers of the dead"), these fragrant orange blooms are among the fiesta's most visible symbols, used to adorn altars and tombstones and prominently featured in the flower crowns worn by participants.
This year, Lorenzo, who has always enjoyed using crepe paper to create festive (wither-proof!) cempasúchil-inspired flower crowns at home, has generously adapted the project with an eye toward kid-friendly crafting. If the chiquitos could use a break from online learning in the form of a creative hands-on activity, this one doubles as an introduction to one of the most sacred and inspiring celebrations on Mexico's cultural calendar.
"And if you haven't seen it and you want to learn even more about Día de Muertos," says Lorenzo, "an excellent way to enjoy the flower crown project would be to accompany it with a screening of Coco!" We couldn't agree more.
Cempasúchil flower crowns for Día de Muertos
What you’ll need:
Thin-gauge wire
Scissors
Thin masking tape (ideally in both green and black)
Wax paper (optional)
Pen or pencil
Tacky glue
Simple headband
The steps:
Cut wire into six pieces, each about five inches long.
Wrap one segment of cut wire in green tape until it is completely covered.
Fold the tip of the wire segment into a letter "M" shape as shown; it does not have to be perfect (this is simply to increase surface area for the base of your flower, which will make it easier to attach its petals).
Create the petals. Fold a large rectangular piece of crepe paper in half, bringing the short sides to meet. Crease, then fold in half again—and again once more. At one of the short ends of your folded rectangle, draw the petal pattern in a 'bunny ears' shape, taking care to leave a bit of space at the base as shown. (If you prefer, you can first create a cut-out petal mold using wax paper: place a sheet of wax paper over the surface of your folded crepe paper, trace the petal pattern to fit, and cut; use your cut-out to assist in creating additional petal series). Cut crepe paper along the drawn line, then unfold to reveal your first series of petals. Depending on how large you want your flower to be, you will likely need 3-4 petal series per flower.
Build a flower. Apply tacky glue to the base of a petal series and slowly roll it onto the M-shaped wire. This part may require a little bit of patience, so take your time. Repeat with all additional petal series until your flower is the desired size. Wrap tape around the base several times to secure.
Repeat steps 2-5 using the remaining five pieces of cut wire.
Once you have created six paper flowers, use the wire stem to wrap each flower around your headband, spacing evenly.
Wrap your headband in black tape until completely covered.
Apply glossy finishing spray to preserve your flower crown's shape and color.
Before the finishing spray dries, dust your crown with gold powder for a shiny finish!
