Proyectos para el Día de los Muertos
30 points
Pick a Project. Follow the directions to complete project and bring project to class on
__________________________________. For projects that require a picture or video, be sure that you are present in
the photos/video unless specifically noted in project description. . For photos, please have a “hard copy”
available unless specifically noted in project description. Pictures sent through email or shown on
phones will not be accepted for credit. Videos should be no longer than 5 minutes and may be submitted
in either DVD format or posted to YouTube (email the link to teacher). Videos must work*, so please
preview before turning in.
Ofrenda (an altar to honor a deceased family member):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your project.
Set up an ofrenda in your home to honor someone who has passed away and take a
picture. Be sure to include the 4 essential elements (earth, water, wind, and fire), a
picture of the deceased, and at least 5 more items that they enjoyed during life.
Include a short paragraph that explains who your ofrenda is for, names all items you
included, and the significance of each item.
Cara de Calavera (traditional skull face paint):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your transformation from
everyday student to calavera.
Visit these websites for video tutorials teaching how to apply makeup:
Female: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUnol-y0mfU&noredirect=1
Male: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaMCSEePVxQ
Sugar skulls (small decorated skulls made out of sugar):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your project.
Ingredients for sugar skulls / calavera:
Ingredients for royal icing:
Other supplies:
 granulated sugar
4 C. powdered sugar
colored foil paper
 meringue powder
3 Tbs. meringue powder
sequins
 water
6 Tbs. warm water
beads, etc.
(Using 6 C. of granulated sugar, 6 Tsp. of meringue powder, and 6 tsp. of water makes 5 large skulls total,
slightly bigger than a fist.)
Directions:
1. For every cup of granulated sugar use 1 teaspoon of meringue powder and 1 teaspoon water.
(Using 6 C. of granulated sugar, 6 Tsp. of meringue powder, and 6 tsp. of water makes 5 large skulls total, slightly
bigger than a fist.)
2. First mix dry ingredients together…. granulated sugar and meringue powder.
3. Then sprinkle with water. The mixture should feel like beach sand.
4. Firmly pack sugar into mold. Using a knife scrape the back of the sugar mold
for an even back. Then add in a few more pinches with your finger tips.
5. Invert the mold onto a hard surface. Use a paper plate or cardboard piece.
6. Let the skulls dry for 6 to 7 hours.
7. Once the skulls are hard enough to touch, use a spoon and scoop out the middle. Leaving a 1/2
inch thick wall around the edge. (make more calaveras with extra sugar)
8. Let the hollowed skulls dry for an additional 12 hours.
9. Then make royal icing by mixing powdered sugar, meringue powder, and warm water together.
It will form a thick paste. Divide the icing into separate bowls and color with concentrated paste
food coloring of your choice. I made six different colors. Then place the colors in disposable piping
bags fitted with a decorative metal tip.
10. Then using a white royal icing trace along the lines of the
two
pieces of skull that come together. Avoid piping the neck
with
royal icing.
11. Align the two pieces together and allow to dry before
decorating.
12. Decorate the face any way you like.
Pan de Muerto (traditional bread):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your project.
This delicious traditional Mexican sweet bread, known in Spanish as pan de muerto ("bread of the dead"),
is eaten during the Day of the Dead.
DOUGH INGREDIENTS
5 cups of all purpose flour (add more if
needed)
 1/2 Cup of Sugar
 1/2 Cup of Milk
 1/2 Cup of Butter
 1/2 Cup of Water
 4 Eggs
 2 packets of yeast
 1 tsp of salt
Optional Ingredients
 You can customize this bread to your liking.
You can add one of the following: Anise
seed (1 tbsp), Orange Zest (1 tbsp),
Cinnamon (1 tsp)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
These ingredients are boiled in a saucepan for 2
mins and then brushed on the loaves when they
are fresh out of the oven. After glazing, sprinkle
the loaves with some sugar.
 1/2 cup sugar
 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
 2 tablespoons grated orange peel for zest
Alternative Glazes
If you don't like citrus there are other glazes you
can try:
 After baking brush the loaves with about
1/2 stick of melted butter and then dust
with sugar.
 Before baking brush the loaves with 1
beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Put the following ingredients into a large bowl: 1 1/2 cups of flour (put the rest aside), 1/2 cup of
sugar, 2 packets of yeast, 1 tsp of salt, and any extras like anise seed or cinnamon. I added 1 tsp of
cinnamon. Mix and put aside.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, and water on medium heat until the butter is melted.
Pour the contents of the saucepan into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Add the 4 eggs and mix them in thoroughly.
Keep mixing while you slowly add the rest of the flour. It's quite hard work once the dough thickens
(unless you have an electric mixer), but you should keep adding flour until it's soft and just slightly
sticky.
Transfer dough to a floured board and knead for 10 minutes until it is smooth and stretchy.
7.
Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise and double in size. This
should take about 90 min. If you put the bowl in a warm location it will help the dough rise.
Shaping and Decoration
8. Take the dough back to the board and punch it down to size. You can now slice it into portions
according to what shapes you're going to make.
9. Make your shapes. In the photos, the “bones” for a traditional loaf are being made. There is also a
larger traditional loaf and a plain loaf to decorate with icing.
10. When you’ve finished shaping, allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
11. Now it's finally time for baking. Put the loaves on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
for 20 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your dough shapes and the type of oven you have.
Small shapes may only need 20 minutes, while large shapes will need well over 30 minutes. Don't
worry too much about baking time. Unlike other breads, pan de muerto is easy to get right. Just
supervise your bread closely and check it at regular intervals. Once it's a nice golden brown color
it's ready.
12. While your loaves are baking you can prepare the glaze. I like the citrus glaze, but you can also try
one of the alternative glazes listed above. Simply the boil 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of orange juice
and 2 tablespoons of orange zest in a saucepan for two minutes.
13. Now it's time to apply the glaze while the bread is still warm. I decided to apply glaze to the
traditional loaves. After you brush on the glaze sprinkle the bread with sugar. And if you're not
doing any extra decorating, you're done!
Papel Picado (tissue paper flags):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your creation of two small (roughly 8.5 x 11”) or one
large (roughly 11 x 17) papeles picados.
Papel picado is a popular Mexican art form that is widely displayed during the Day of the Dead to
decorate altars that honor the deceased. Papel picado is the Spanish phrase for “perforated paper,
referring to the detailed designs that are traditionally hand-cut onto brightly-colored tissue paper.
The traditional way to do these requires chisels, but you can do this with a really good pair of scissors or
an exacto knife. Use stencils to help with details.
Supplies:
Colored tissue paper cut to desired size
Craft knife
Self-healing mat (cutting board)
Design drawn on to paper
Pencil
Blue painter’s tape
Directions: Draw your design on the paper, and slide it under the tissue. Carefully trace the design.
Remove paper from underneath and tape tissue (taut) to self-healing mat. Cut out the designs.
If you feel brave, you can stack a few layers of tissue. Cut the bottoms to be festive!
Have fun and spell out words!
Figuras de Barro (wire and clay sculpture of a famous “dead” person):
Create a poster with photos or a video documenting your project.
Created in a comical tone, bursting with personality and color, these skeletons
remind us that the holiday is always about fun and love!
Supplies:
1 wood base
A palm-sized amount of polymer, air-dry or bread dough clay
18-gauge wire, needle nose plier, wire nippers
Assorted fabric scraps, trims
Hot glue
Paint
Directions:
1. Using the needle nose pliers, create a body frame (one strip of with with two arms and two legs)
from the wire.
2. Take a pinch of clay and form in an oval and apply as a foot by inserting into the wire. Repeat for
other foot and hands.
3. Take a larger piece and form it around the center area of the center wire.
4. Take another chunk of clay and form a skull head, slide it on the top portion of the wire. Bake or
air-dry, depending on the type of clay you are using.
5. Glue the sculpture to the wood base by the feet.
6. Pain the body and clay portions.
7. Add fabric scraps for clothing.
Tips and variations: Create objects by using cardboard and other found objects.
Video Musical (music video):
Create a music video of the song “Ofrenda” by Pedro Guerra that we learned in class. Must include the
full-length song. You may star in the video or use a computer to help animate the video. The video must
be centered around the central idea of the ofrenda. Bring the video to class to leave with Losoya, post to
you tube and send Losoya the link, or email the video to Losoya.
Ensayo (Essay):
Write an essay in English comparing el Día de los Muertos to Halloween. Be sure to address how the two
holidays are similar and how they are different. Discuss the background of both holidays as well as how
both are celebrated today. This needs to be at least 500 words in length and must be written in ink (or
typed). This must be free of errors and use good English grammar and conventions. Be sure to site any
sources that you use other than class notes.
Other:
If you have another idea that you think would be applicable, please talk to Sra. Losoya (in person) and get
it approved (initialed rubric). Projects that are not approved prior to completion will not be accepted.
(In most cases you will still need to create a poster with photos or a video documenting your project.)
Resources:
Text is copyright protected © Thaneeya LLC: http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/papelpicado.html#ixzz3HT5j2uKY
Text is copyright protected © Thaneeya LLC:http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/day-of-thedead-bread.html#ixzz3HT7Hyv3a
http://www.craftychica.com/
Name ____________________________________________________________________ Día ________________ Hora ________________
Proyectos para el Día de los Muertos
_________________
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Select Project Type: (check one)
Ofrenda
Cara de Calavara
Sugar Skulls
Pan de Muerto
Papel Picado
Figuras de Barro
Video Musical
Ensayo
Other (Pre-arranged)**
**Detailed description of “OTHER” assignment with pre-arranged teacher approval:
DOCUMENTATION OF
PROJECT
QUALITY OF
PRODUCT
**Teacher Initials: _________________
 Product is made according
to given directions
 Product is clean/organized
(not messy)
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 Poster/video documents
entire process of project
 Student is regularly visible
in poster/video
 Poster is clean (not messy)
and well organized
 Video is well organized
 Video is viewable at school
15
 Product seems to follow
some directions
 Product is fairly
clean/organized(not messy)
10
9
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 Poster/video documents
most of the process of project
 Student is regularly visible in
poster/video
 Poster is fairly clean and well
organized
 Video is fairly well organized
 Video is viewable at school
 Product is not made
according to directions
 Product is
messy/disorganized (not
clean)
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 Poster/video documents
little of the project process
 Student is rarely or not
visible in poster/video
 Poster is messy and
disorganized
 Video is disorganized
 Video is viewable at school
10
9
8
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5
4
3
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12
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* Videos that do not play at school cannot be scored and will not earn a grade.
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