DIY Day of The Dead Bracelet

The more I learn about the celebration of the day of the dead, the more beautiful I find it.  So we are joing in the fun by creating a new DIY Day of the Dead Bracelet.  I am excited about it.  The meaning and its significance and not only heart warming, but also a fantastic way to be with love ones and keep those gone in our hearts.  The Day of the Dead fashion accessory is a great complement to our ofrenda altar making and sugar skull cookie making!

About The Day of the Dead

El Dia de Muertos or Dia de los Muertos is a rich and beautiful celebration.  It is a time to celebrate the life of family and friends no longer among us.  It is also mostly a Mexican one, and it is not widely practiced in Latin America. You can read more details about in my article about Alebrijes, the spiritual leaders in the Day of the Dead Coco story.  But quickly, the Day of the Dead is an annual celebration that honors those who have gone before us.  As we reminisce about them, tell the kids stories about their great grandparents, we keep their memory alive.  In doing so, we reconnect with family, deepen our roots and definitively eat and drink well. 

DIY Day of the Dead Bracelet 

So, as I decorate my home with easy DIY marigold paper flowers, papel picado and sugar skull, I like to also have a fashion detail or two to add to the food and traditions of the celebration.  Hence, the Day of the Dead bracelet.  Of course, this Day of the Dead bracelet can be used year-round.  It is easy and quick to make like most everything around Cool Moms Cool Tips.  Here is how we did ours:

Materials:

• Colorful beads
• Skull beads
• Stretch jewelry cord

Procedure:

1. Cut an 8 cms long jewelry cord and make a knot in one end with one centimeter to space.
2. Insert the color and skull beads in the order you prefer until you have one centimeter left to fill.
3. Make a knot
4. Tie both knots together
5. Use scissors to cut off the excess cord.

Cool mom tip: you can also add a clasp if you prefer.  To do so, after step #3 se the remaining cord after the knots on each end to attach your clasp.

Alebrijes, Calacas, Catrinas, and Pan de Muerto

While I love creating DIY projects, I need to take a moment to list some of the iconic items that are part of the Day of the Dead celebrations:

Alebrijes:

Painted paper mache or wood carved imaginary creatures that mix elements of different animals as desired by the artist. They are said to be the spiritual guide of the departed in the Pixar film Coco.

Calacas:

Actually, this is the word used in Mexico for the sugar skull decoration.

Marigold flowers:

The cempasuchil flowers and its golden petals sure make the celebration a vibrant happy one!  From the times of the Aztecs, these flowers have been used in celebrations to commemorate the dead.

Catrinas:

It is a dressed female skeleton.  She represents the departed ladies in the family and is fashioned with them in mind.  For example, if your abuela loved red, most likely a Catrina in her honor will wear a red dress.  The male version of this is called a Catrin.

Pan de Muerto:  

Soft, loafy sweet bread with the sign on the cross on it (to signify sorrow or the bones of a sugar skull).  Orange and anise covered in vanilla sugar have to be my favorite version of it!  

Ofrenda Altar:

Ofrenda altars are made to showcase photos and mementos of our departed family members.  If you are making one this year, be sure to make decorate it with this easy DIY Day of the Dead Photo Frame.  

The symbolism and the sentiment of the Dia de los Muertos celebration is a rich tradition that hopefully more of us can embrace and appreciate.  I hope one day I can experience the Day of the Dead in Mexico.  In the meantime, I will indulge in the Pixar Coco Animated Film one more time.

Have you been to Mexico for the Day of the Dead?  Have you adopted the celebration?  What do you like best about the Dia de Muertos?

 

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