A Musical Day of the Dead Art Project
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday, typically at the beginning of November, that is designed to honor and celebrate one’s ancestors through a huge celebration. This is done through offrendas, beautiful flowers such as marigolds, sugar skulls, papel picados (hanging paper banners), and more. Instead of feeling the grief of those who have passed before, it is instead designed to be a reunion, and one to be celebrated!
Music is a huge part of these celebrations, and one such instrument that often plays a part, is the guitar. Not only is the music that comes from these guitars beautiful, but also the intricate and vibrant decorations on the guitars themselves.
After a Hispanic-American friend of mine painted her own work on a guitar recently, I felt inspired to create something for kids.
This Day of the Dead art project is simple and only takes a few supplies – best of all, it comes with a page on the parts of a guitar AND a page full of motifs to inspire you to create your own unique guitar!
Scroll all the way down and click the banner to download the FREE Pdf.
What you'll need:
- 2 pieces of 9×12 black sulphite paper
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Metallic Sharpies, markers, or colored pencils (construction paper crayons or gel pens that show up on dark paper can also be used)
What to do:
First, fold both pieces in half lengthwise.
Next, draw the body, and the neck.
Next, cut them out and glue the neck onto the body. Trim as needed.
Use any color metallic marker to draw the sound hole, strings, bridge, and capstan (if you need a page with the parts, remember to download the pdf by clicking on the banner).
Add the designs.
To make it easy, design the rosette first, and add swirls down the sides of the guitar first.
Then add flowers, spirals, and other Día de los Muertos motifs, using the guide as inspiration. When adding motifs, make sure to create on one side, and then the other, keeping them symmetrical. Outline each motif with at least one different color to add variety and layers of color.
Finally, add scrap paper for the tuning pegs, glue on, and decorate!
Click the banner below to download the FREE pdf.
If you enjoyed this Day of the Dead Art Project, over 300 art projects and resources, including over 120 videos await you in the Glitterbombers membership. All kid-tested, all kid-approved, and all cross-curricular. We’re enrolling soon, click HERE to get on the waitlist!
If you’re looking for other art supplies that show up beautifully on dark paper, you might want to check out our Best Black Light Art Supplies for Kids!
