What is Día de Los Muertos?

Día de Los Muertos is a cultural holiday that celebrates the lives of our loved ones who have passed away. It is held in Mexico and parts of Central America on November first and second. This lovely, handmade Calavera tote bag would be the perfect addition to your Día de Los Muertos festivities!

The sugar skulls used during Día de Los Muertos celebrations are called calaveras (the Spanish word for skulls). These bright, beautiful pieces of art are created by molding sugar into a skull shape and decorating it with frosting and glitter. During Día de Los Muertos celebrations, you can see the depiction of these sugar skulls in many different art forms, including papel picado (tissue paper flags), ceramic, paper, and more.

I love making projects for Día de Los Muertos, here are some of my favorite:

• Día de Muertos Free Calavera Stickers
• Dia De Los Muertos Free Printables
• Dia de los Muertos Mix & Match Calavera Art
• Dia de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath
• Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin

How to celebrate Día de Los Muertos

During Día de Los Muertos, families will often cook dishes with their loved ones in mind. Pan de muerto (bread of the dead), calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls), and other sweet treats are made for sharing with family members both living and deceased during this particular time of year. This calavera tote bag would be the perfect addition for Día de Los Muertos celebrations, especially if you are looking for a way to carry pan de muerto during your festivities!

Traditionally, Día de Los Muertos includes ofrendas (alters) set up in homes, public spaces, or cemeteries to remember and welcome back the souls of departed loved ones. They are a lovely way to remember all the special memories!

How to make a Handmade Calavera Tote Bag

Making this Handmade Día de Los Muertos Calavera Tote Bag is a simple process. The felt flowers and sugar skull can be attached to the bag with fabric glue, or you could sew them on instead!  I recommend using an Infusible Ink transfer sheet and Infusible Ink blank tote, which will withstand wear and tear over time and not fade in the wash.

You’ll also need a few sheets of different colored felt to make the flowers. I’m partial to the Cricut Felt because it cuts better in my Maker 3. Keep in mind, you may need to run it through the machine a few times for a clean cut.

We’re going to start with deciding on a calavera image to use for this bag. I went with a file I found in Design Space but you can use one you already own or find one online you like better. Resize to fit in the center of the bag and then send to your Maker 3 to cut from a black Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet. Don’t forget to mirror!

Follow the instructions to transfer the Infusible Ink calavera to the tote with an EasyPress.

Find flower shapes in Design Space and cut them from different colors of felt. You’re going to want a few different flower sizes and types to make it look interesting. I also cut a few leaves for a pop of green! Assemble flowers with fabric hot glue.

Use the fabric hot glue to add the flowers over the Infusible Ink calavera on the tote bag. Finish by inserting leaves in between the flowers.

Your Día de Los Muertos Calavera Tote Bag is ready to go!

More crafts for celebrating Día de Los Muertos

Looking for more Día de Los Muertos crafts? I’ve loved making Day of the Dead projects for years. These Día de Los Muertos-inspired projects are the perfect way to celebrate and remember your loved ones!

Dia de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath

Celebrate with this Día de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath! Easy to make and customize and totally fun to make with kids! Includes free SVG.

Get it here!

Día de Muertos Free Calavera Stickers

Use these free Dia de Muertos Free Calavera Stickers to celebrate the day! Includes printable and SVG files.

Get it here!

Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace

Make this Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace that is perfect for Day of the Dead and beyond. Super easy to make and enjoy!

Get it here!

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Cupcake Toppers

Grab these FREE Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Cupcake Toppers for your next celebration! Four different designs to choose from!

Get it here!

Dia de Los Muertos Coasters DIY

Make these easy Dia De Los Muertos Coasters with only a few supplies! Easy to make and enjoy with kids of all ages. Perfect for gifts!

Get it here!

Printable Instructions for Calavera Tote

Want to print out the instructions to save for future use? Here you go! Just click on the print button below and a new window will open with a print-friendly version. You can also share via Pinterest or Facebook too!

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Día de Los Muertos Calavera Tote Bag

This lovely, handmade Día de Los Muertos Calavera tote bag is the perfect accessory for any festival or occasion!

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 1 Tote Bag

Author Vanessa Brady

Cost $8

Equipment

• Cricut Maker (or any other cutting machine)
• Cricut EasyPress

Ingredients

• 1 Cricut Medium Tote Bag
• 1 Cricut Felt Bundle
• 1 Cricut infusible Ink Transfer Sheet

Instructions

• We're going to start with deciding on a calavera image to use for this bag. I went with a file I found in Design Space but you can use one you already own or find one online you like better. Resize to fit in the center of the bag and then send to your Maker 3 to cut from a black Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet. Don't forget to mirror!
• Follow the instructions to transfer the Infusible Ink calavera to the tote with an EasyPress.
• Find flower shapes in Design Space and cut them from different colors of felt. You’re going to want a few different flower sizes and types to make it look interesting. I also cut a few leaves for a pop of green! Assemble flowers with fabric hot glue.
• Use the fabric hot glue to add the flowers over the Infusible Ink calavera on the tote bag. Finish by inserting leaves in between the flowers.

The colorful and joyful imagery is one of my favorite parts of Día de Muertos. From bottle openers to underwear, ornate calaveras can be easily found on tons of merchandise. It’s important to remember that Día de Muertos is a culturally important day for many in the Latinx community.

Of course, you are more than welcome to celebrate this beautiful holiday but, please, give it the respect it deserves. And definitely don’t use it as a Halloween costume!

I’m super excited to be celebrating Fairfield Worlds Poly-Fil’s 80th birthday with 80 Days of Poly-Fil! You can check out tons of other fun projects on their social media channels as well as many other bloggers!

Dia Muertos Calaveras Wreath Tutorial

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Día de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath

Make and customize this easy Día de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath!

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 1 wreath

Author Vanessa Brady

Cost $15

Ingredients

• 3 sheets White Oly*fun
• Poly-fil Stuffing
• scraps Iron-on Vinyl
• Cricut Digital Cutting Machine
• Rotary Blade
• EasyPress Mini
• Decorative Ribbon
• 10" Wire Wreath Form
• Free Calavera Skull Free SVG File (download below)
• Beacon Fabri-Tac

Instructions

• Use the Cricut Rotary Blade to cut the skull shapes from the Oly*fun material. You can substitute felt for Oly*fun if needed.
  
• Use your Cricut to cut the decorative details from the Heat Transfer Vinyl. I used five different colors but the choice is up to you! Apply decorations to fabric calavera with Easy Press Mini. HINT: You're going to want to use the very lowest setting and a protective sheet to iron the vinyl onto the Oly*fun. Only apply the iron for a few seconds to prevent the material from melting.
  
• Apply a thin line of the Fabri-Tac around the edge of skull cut-out and glue the front and back together. Make sure to leave a small section open to stuff with Poly-fil and then seal shut with Fabri-Tac.
  
• Wrap the wreath form with decorative ribbon. Use Fabri-Tac or hot glue to adhere the stuffed calaveras in place.
  
• Make a large bow to attach to the bottom of the wreath. Enjoy!
  

Download the free svg file

Celebrating Día de Muertos

The way my family celebrates Día de Muertos has changed over the years but always includes bright decorations, calaveras (skulls), and an ofrenda (alter). The kids usually help me put up the ofrenda while we watch Book of Life or Coco. We drink Mexican Hot Chocolate and tell stories of loved ones that have passed.

It’s such a sweet holiday that reminds us of who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going. There may be a few tears remembering those we miss but there are also tons of laughs and smiles. And so many wonderful stories!

Hope you enjoy making this Dia Muertos Calaveras Wreath!

More Ideas for Day of the Dead

As I mentioned above, Día de Muertos is one of my favorite holidays to decorate and craft for. I’ve got tons of fun tutorials that are great for kids and adults alike! Here are some of my favorites:

1. Calavera Masks
2. Dia de los Muertos Tree
3. Catrin Figurine DIY
4. Dia de Los Muertos Tee & Blog Hop
5. Calavera Coasters DIY
6. Muertos Calavera Wreath
7. Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin
8. Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace
9. Calavera Dia de los Muertos Stickers

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience and to assist in the maintenance of this site.

I love that this project mixes together two of my favorite things: Cricut and Día de Muertos. Add a sheet of matte sticker paper and we’re really getting this party going!

There are so many great ways to put this fun sticker to use! I customized a cup with mine but you could also add it to a journal, kids crafts, and so much more!

Free Calavera SVG File

I have a free SVG file available if you’d like to use your Cricut digital cutting machine to do the work for you! Just enter your info below and you’ll get access to the T&T Creative Library. Once you log into the library, you’ll be able to download the free svg to pull into Design Space where you can use the Print & Cut option.

I hope you enjoy these Día de Muertos Free Calavera Stickers! Día de Muertos is such an important holiday for my family. It warms my heart thinking these stickers might bring extra joy to your celebration!

More Día de Muertos Projects

• Dia de Muertos Stuffed Calaveras Wreath
• Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin
• Dia de los Muertos Mix & Match Calavera Art
• Dia De Los Muertos Free Printables

Papel picado is one of my favorite traditional Mexican crafts! It’s basically tissue paper flags that are intricately cut with gorgeous designs and hung during celebrations. You can find out more information about the origin and examples of papel picado on the Mexican Folk Art website.

Papel Picados History

This Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace takes inspiration from the traditionally fragile flags and turns them into a jewelry piece that can withstand the test of time. You may remember playing with shrink plastics as a kid. If so, be prepared to be amazed with this awesome material again. So much fun to watch it shrink!

Papel Picado Necklace Tutorial

You can find the full tutorial on how to make a Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace below. Grab the free SVG files either on Cricut Design Space or through the link below.

Print

Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace

Use shrink plastic to make this Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace that can be enjoyed on Day of the Dead and beyond!

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 1 Necklace

Author Vanessa Brady

Cost $15

Ingredients

• Shrink Plastic
• Cricut Explore Air 2
• Permanent Markers
• Embossing Tool or Oven
• Necklace Supplies (chain, eye hooks, pliers)
• Free "Papel Picado" SVG File (download below)

Instructions

• Download the free "Papel Picado" SVG files below and pull into your cutting machine program. You can also find these files in Design Space.
  
• Cut shrink plastic material with the Poster Board settings using a Deep Cut Blade. Weed excess plastic.
  
• add color to the coarse side of the plastic with different colors of permanent markers.
  
• Use the heat tool to shrink the plastic down. You may need to hold the cutout in place with an awl (or something similar) to prevent it from being blown away.
  
• Once all the flags have been shrunk, use jewelry supplies to finish necklace.
  

Grab the FREE Papel Picado SVG Files!

Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos

I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead! It’s a very special time for my culture and family where we celebrate our ancestors with festivities. We always put up ofrendas (offerings) which is an alter filled with pictures and favorite items of deceased family or friends.

A holiday that centers around death may seem like it would be sad or depressing but it’s actually quite the contrary. Dia de los Muertos is festive day that celebrates the memories of our loved one with stories, good food, and drinks!

Celebrate Love!

I hope you enjoy making this Dia de los Muertos Papel Picado Necklace either for yourself or as a gift! There are tons of papel picado free printable files on the internet if you’d like to make different flags. Hope you have a great day with your family and friends!

Want more Day of the Dead projects?

• Easy Calavera Wall Art
• Dia de Los Muertos Tee & Blog Hop
• Day of the Dead Coasters DIY
• Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Wreath
• Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin

I’m kind of crazy about cupcake toppers because they’re a super easy way to add a theme to any party! Whether the cupcakes are store-bought or made at home, everything looks better with a super cute little sugar skull face sticking out the top, right?

This post is sponsored by OnlineLabels.com and may contains affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of your purchase (at no cost to you!) through these links which helps me continue to offer original tutorials and free printables!

Making these Day of the Dead Cupcake Toppers doesn’t get easier. Seriously, so easy! You have two options when it comes to downloading the file. You can either enter the Tried & True Creative Library to get immediate access or jump over to the template library at OnlineLabels.com.

Assemble the Cupcake Toppers

To assemble these toppers, all you have to do is print off the file on either regular cardstock or sticker paper. I love the full page of sticker paper from OnlineLabels.com so I highly suggest that!

Keep in mind that you’ll also need double sided tape if you’re planning on just printing these out on normal paper. Once all supplies are ready, just sandwich a toothpick between two of the cut toppers and press to secure.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE ADHESIVE OPTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT:

• Xyron Creative Station Lite
• Scotch Double Sided Tape
• Spray Adhesive

Look how cute they look on these pretty Day of the Dead cupcakes!

Dia de los Muertos

I really hope these Day of the Dead Cupcake Toppers come in handy while celebrating the lives of your family and friends that have passed on. Dia de los Muertos really is one of my favorite holidays to enjoy with my family!

Want more Day of the Dead projects?

• “Always” Free Coloring Print
• Dia de los Muertos Essential Oil Diffuser
• Dia De Los Muertos Free Printable Calavera
• Day of the Dead Coasters
• Day of the Dead Shrink Plastic Jewelry

I’m in love with this Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Essential Oil Diffuser! If you’ve read my blog over the past few years, you know just how much I love the traditional Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”). Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just “Mexican Halloween” and is, instead, a day to remember loved ones that have passed away. A couple years after my oldest son was born, we had close family members pass away. Participating in Dia de los Muertos has given us the opportunity to share their memories and discuss death with our kids in a healthy, natural way.

So, now that you know the background of Dia de los Muertos, you may be wondering what it has to do with this project? One of the objects used to celebrate the day is a calavera or sugar skull. Like so much in the Mexican culture, the imagery of these brightly decorated skulls is just gorgeous. That’s why when I needed an new essential oil car diffuser, it made perfect sense to try and recreate one of my favorite objects. Of course, there are tons of different crafts you can use this tutorial with. I’m thinking a necklace or earring would be awesome. Whatever you choose to make with this calavera, hope you enjoy the process!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience and to assist in the maintenance of this site.

Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Essential Oil Diffuser

Materials:

• Roving Wool
• Feltworks Felting Needle
• 2″ Eye Pin
• Ivory Wool Beads
• Metal Badge Clips
• Essential Oil

Step 1. Making a Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Essential Oil Diffuser is super easy but I’m going to break it down is super basic step-by-step pictures just in case you’re new to felting. Since we’re starting with a wool ball, you’re going to first need to make the skull shape. Just grab a section of the white wool roving and roll in your hand until it’s compressed enough to add to the bottom of the ball. Use the felting needle to repeatedly puncture the shape until the two pieces are combined in the shape of a skull.

Step 2. Grab a small amount of black wool and roll in the palm of your hand until a small ball is created. Place black circle on the front of the white skull shape and use felting tool to connect. Repeat with the second eye. Notice how you can manipulate the size and shape of the wool roving by changing the position of the needle and by increasing/decreasing the number of punches.

Step 3. Take an even small piece of black wool roving and roll into a small line. Attach to the center of the skull in the shape of an upside down heart.

Step 4. Take another black wool line and attach toward the bottom for the mouth.

Step 5. Now that the face is in place, we can start decorating our calavera with some fun accents. You can either follow my design or make something new! I began by adding a bright red heart to the forehead of my calavera diffuser. I found it easier to work with attach one half of the heart at a time .

Step 6. Continue adding colorful accents to the wool calavera.

Step 7. Once you’re happy with the look, just thread the calavera bead and any additional beads you want onto an eye pin. Depending on the weight of your pin, you may need to use a large needle to create a passageway for the pin to slide through.

Step 8. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to finish with the final loop.

Step 9. Slide the bead on the metal badge clip end.

Step 10. If you want to use it as a diffuser for your car or work station, just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy using this Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Essential Oil Diffuser as much as I do!

Check out more Dia de los Muertos projects from Tried & True:

Day of the Dead Shrink Plastic Jewelry

Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Wreath

Calavera Hot Glue Pin

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience and to assist in the maintenance of this site.

Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin

Supplies:

• Glue Gun
• White Hot Glue Sticks
• Skeleton or Skull Ice Cube Tray (you can find this at Dollar Tree too!)
• Paints / Paintbrush
• Spray Sealer

Step 1. Heat up the white glue stick in your glue gun and when ready, squeeze a good amount of hot glue into the silicon ice cube tray. I suggest using a high temp large glue gun so that you have plenty of time to fill the entire skull before the glue starts to settle. Don’t worry if you get some fly-away strands of glue, we’ll be able to cut them away when the glue has completely hardened.

Step 2. Give the glue a couple minutes to harden up a bit.

Step 3. Add the pin back to the slightly cooled glue. You want to make sure that the glue is hard enough that the pin back won’t sink all the way into the glue.

Step 4. Once the silicon tray is cool to the touch, remove the glue gun skull. You can trim away any messy glue gun strands now.

Step 5. Now the fun part! Begin adding colorful embellishments to your skull. If you’re pressed for time and want to keep this project under 15 minutes, I suggest painting the eyes and nose black and adding the teeth detail.

Step 6. Then just add a few basic shapes to finish the look! As with all projects, you can go as simple or as complicated as you want with this step.

Step 7. Once you’re happy with the look, add a couple coats of spray sealant to protect your artwork!

I loved being able to add my own touch to this Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin and will be wearing it for many years to come!

Don’t forget to pin this 
Hot Glue Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Pin project for later!

Want more Dia de Los Muertos projects?

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience and to assist in the maintenance of this site.

Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Wreath

Supplies:

• 3D Paper Mache Skulls 5.5″
• Puffy Paint Set (Basic & Neon)
• 12″ Wire Wreath Form
• White Spray Paint
• Hot Pink Tulle

Step 1. Before gluing and painting, you’re going to need to layout the skulls on the wreath to see how they’ll fit best. Make sure you have the wreath hallow side up so that the heads can rest in the curved space. There’s going to be a bit of space in between each skull so that we can wrap the tulle around the wire frame.

Step 2. Now that you know where each head basically has to be placed. Begin gluing each skull in place with an ample amount of hot glue. Seriously. Go to town with the hot glue. I applied glue like in the picture below and then flipped the entire wreath over and squeezed even more hot glue from the back.

Step 3. Ok, so remember how I said that finishing this wreath took over a year because I started it and then never finished. Well, I’m sorry to say that some of the process pictures got lost during that time. #bloggerproblems Luckily, the next couple steps aren’t hard to explain! Once you have the wreath assembles, apply a few coats of white spray paint until the paper mache is covered completely. After the spray paint has dried completely, you can begin to add colorful details to the fronts with the 3D puff paint. You can go as detailed or as simple as you want on this step. Feel free to copy some of my designs or look up “sugar skulls” on Google for more decoration ideas. Allow puff paint to dry completely.

Step 4. Fold an 18″ strip of tulle over 6 times on itself and then cut.

Step 5. Take tulle and wrap around the wire frame in between each skull. Trim the excess to just below the skull. Fluff the tulle to cover more blank space.

Step 6. Oops! Forgot to add the black detail around the teeth. Grab a paintbrush and some black paint to paint black borders around the mouth.

Whew, take some time to admire your colorful creation for a bit. Especially if it took 2 years to complete this Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Wreath! No mater the effort, I absolutely LOVE how this wreath came out and can’t wait to hang it in our house to celebrate Day of the Dead!

Pin this
Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Wreath for later!

Want more Dia de Los Muertos Projects?

This tutorial for Dia De Los Muertos Coasters contains affiliate links. The small percentage I may earn off your purchase comes at no extra cost to you and helps T&T continue to offer free printables and tutorials!

Dia De Los Muertos Coasters

Materials:

• Day of the Dead Suncatchers
• Suncatcher Paint Pens
• Clear Casting Epoxy

Step 1. Use the Suncatcher Paint Pens to fill in the calavera (skull) suncatchers. Try not to over fill them but don’t worry too much if accidents happen. You can try and soak up any accidental bleeds with a paper towel. My 5 year old was able to do the majority by himself, needing only the slightest bit of assistance with the smaller details. My 7 year old was able to complete the entire suncatcher by himself.

Step 2. Allpw the paint to dry completely for at least 24 hours.

Step 3. Once the paint is dry, mix a small amount of the casting epoxy and pour on the opposite, unpainted side of the suncatcher. Epoxy will be hard to the touch after about 24 hours but make sure to harden for the full 72 hours before placing any beverages on the surface.

Step 4. Your Dia De Los Muertos Coasters are ready to use! You can either leave the plastic loops on the tops if you want to store them on a hook or use a pair of craft scissor to carefully cut it away. Make sure to always place your beverage on the epoxy side since the suncatcher paint will react with the condensation. I’m not sure what would happen if I filled the painted side with epoxy. Might be worth a try!

I absolutely love my new Dia De Los Muertos Coasters and will definitely be using them today and all year long! I love that they will remind me of the sweet days spent crafting with my kids for years to come. Hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Dia De Los Muertos with your family and friends!

Click on image below for more T&T Dia De Los Muertos projects!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience and to assist in the maintenance of this site.

Dia de Los Muertos Calavera Tee

Materials:

• Expressions Vinyl Glow In The Dark Heat Transfer Vinyl
  
• T-Shirt
• Silhouette Digital Cutting Machine
• Fabric Markers
• Free Calavera Studio File

Step One. Use the Free Calavera Studio File to cut the design out of any HTV you desire. This glow-in-the-dark vinyl is super fun for kids but I’m totally making one with gold glitter for myself!

Step Two. You can leave it just like this or allow your kid to color in the sugar skull with some bright fabric markers. My six year old loved this step and can’t wait to wear his creation to school!

All Good Things

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the final day of Dia de los Muertos Week and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! I know all the bright colors and sugar skulls are fun to look at and make but I think it’s important to remember the true importance of the day, celebrating and remembering the lives of our loved ones who have passed before us. All of the projects I posted this week were created to remind my family (and hopefully your family too!) that, indeed, love never dies.

Dia de Los Muertos Blog Hop & Giveaway

This post is part of the Dia de los Muertos Crafty Blog Hop sponsored by Tried & True and Crafty Chica! Make sure to check out all the other meaningful Day of the Dead projects that celebrate history, tradition, and culture!

To celebrate the Dia de Los Muertos Blog Hop, we’ve partnered with some amazing companies to bring you an awesome giveaway worth $200! Enter below for a chance to win fun products from DohVinci, Crafty Chica, and Consumer Crafts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway