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Simple Sugar Skull Drawing Tutorial for Kids You Can Print

By Monica S

Published Mar 19, 2024

Updated May 02, 2025

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Today we are learning how to draw a Sugar Skull with simple step by step instructions that you can print for reference. Sugar Skull drawing is easy despite the intricate details and decorations you might want to add with this skull drawings – easy lesson created with kids in mind. Use these printable sugar skull sketch directions at home or in the classroom so kids can draw their own sugar skulls.

How to Draw a Sugar Skull tutorial for kids printed pdf shown of the step by step drawing instructions on a dark background with crayons and Day of the Dead decorations - Kids Activities Blog — Let’s learn how to draw a sugar skull today!

Simple Sugar Skull Drawing Instructions

Today we are helping our kids develop their creativity and improve their motor skills by drawing a sugar skull! Follow along the skull drawing easy instructions and print for later reference. Click the purple button for the printable sugar skull drawing lesson:

Download our Fun Printable Sugar Skull Tutorial!

Related: More easy how to draw lessons

This skull drawing lesson pack includes 3 printable pages with detailed instructions to draw a beautiful sugar skull with basic shapes. Just follow the easy drawing instructions and then kids can add their own colors…

How to Draw a Sugar Skull Step by Step

Step 1

First, draw an oval as the basis of the human skull.

Step 2

On the lower quarter, draw a rectangle.

Step 3

Draw a second oval inside the square you just drew.

Step 4

Now erase all the extra lines of the ovals and rectangle.

Step 5

Let’s add ovals for the two eyes.

Step 6

Draw an upside down heart for a nose.

Step 7

Draw a curved line for the smile and small vertical lines that are slightly curved for teeth.

Step 8

Erase all the extra lines and you are done with your skull drawing! You can stop right here if you desire a simple skull drawing or move on to step 9 to make this a sugar skull drawing!

Step 9

Get creative and decorate your Sugar Skull:

Dots – add small dot details around the eyes and over areas of the skull drawing as decoration and feature emphasis
Flowers – add flowers and floral elements to decorate your sugar skull (especially at the top of the skull)
- How to draw a simple flower
- How to draw a sunflower
Hearts – add heart elements and upside down heart shapes work well for human skull nose designs
Leaf pattern – many of the decorations of sugar skulls have their roots in nature
Bright colors – choose a bright color scheme for your sugar skull art full of colorful decorations

Now it is time to celebrate how awesome your amazing drawing turned out!

Easy Skull Drawing Instruction (Download & Print PDF)

Download our Fun Printable Sugar Skull Tutorial!

What do sugar skulls represent?

The skulls represent human head with pronounced cheek bones, large circles for eyes, and are used as decorations and are iconic symbols of for the Day of the Dead celebration.

Skull Drawing and Dia De Los Muertos & Mexican Day

The sugar skull is often associated with the holidays, Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or Mexican Independence Day. These sugar skull designs are often depicted as colorful skulls and have a flower design element to them.

How to draw a sugar skull step by step instructions page 2 for skull drawing. — Our Sugar Skull drawing is starting to look like a skull!

What Do the Colors Mean on a Sugar Skull?

Each color you use when making your own sugar skull has meaning when it comes to Day of the Dead art projects. Here’s what the colors of the Día de los Muertos skulls mean:

Red=blood
Orange=sun
Yellow=Marigold (which represents death)
Purple=pain
Pink=hope, purity and celebration
White=purity & hope
Black=Land of the Dead

Why is it Called Sugar Skull?

Sugar skulls are called sugar skulls because traditionally they have been sugar molded into the shape of a skull used to decorate ofrendas. This makes them edible skulls!

Free Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Ideas

Day of the dead art is super colorful so make sure to use as many colors as possible!

Vibrant colors are the most used, but let your kid choose whatever colors they prefer.
So grab your pencil to draw and crayons, markers, colored pencils and paint to decorate!
We love the idea of using the easy sugar skull drawing technique as part of your Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead for kids celebration. <–Click for a whole bunch more ideas!

How do you make a 3D sugar skull?

While we have learned how to draw a sugar skull with this easy drawing lesson, it is fun to create 3D sugar skulls. Create a 3D sugar skull as a decoration or as a planter or carve a sugar skull into a pumpkin with this Day of the Dead pumpkin carving.

cute pictures to draw - How to Draw a Sugar Skull drawing tutorial with Day of the Dead decorations - Kids Activities Blog — This how-to-draw printable set is super easy to follow. Just download the PDF, print it, and grab some crayons!

Easy Skull Drawing Ideas

Children love drawing! Even when following a step by step drawing tutorial, each kid’s drawing is unique; from the way they hold the crayon, to the colors they choose.

More Great Books For More Drawing Fun

Usborne Big Drawing Book cover art — The Big Drawing Book is great for beginners ages 6 and up.

The Big Drawing Book

By following the very simple step-by-steps in this fun drawing book you can draw dolphins diving in the sea, knights guarding a castle, monster faces, buzzing bees, and lots, lots more.

Drawing Doodling and Coloring

An excellent book filled with doodling, drawing and coloring activities. On some of the pages you’ll find ideas for what to do, but you can do whatever you like.

Usborne write and draw yor own comics book cover art — Never left fully alone with a scary blank page!

Write and Draw Your Own Comics

Write and Draw Your Own Comics is full of inspiring ideas for all kinds of different stories, with writing tips to help you on your way. for kids who want to tell stories, but gravitate toward pictures. It has a mix of partially-drawn comics and blank panels with intro comics as instructions – lots of space for kids to draw their own comics!

Are Sugar Skulls Good or Evil?

Skulls are usually represented negatively in many cultures and religion, but when it comes to Sugar Skulls, they are not negative. Sugar skulls are a celebration of the life of a loved one. It’s a joyous activity rather than macabre as regular skulls tend to depict.

How Should I Decorate My Sugar Skull?

There really is no wrong answer. We have a great list of ideas you can use above, but you can add other things like: waves, swirls, stars, squiggles, crosses, zig zags, even mandalas.

How Are Sugar Skulls Typically Decorated?

Well, we talked about the designs already, but items with Sugar Skulls on them typically are decorated with sequins, colored foils, feathers, glitter, even beads!

More Fun for Young Artists From Kids Activities Blog:

If you are looking for cute pictures to draw, you are in the right place. This is part of our collection of ideas for kids (and adults will love learning through these easy printable tutorials).

These sugar skull coloring pages are perfect to celebrate day of the dead.
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Check out this! My first crayola released coloring products with different skin tone shades.
And here’s more! Crayola released 24 crayola flesh tone crayons so everyone can color themselves accurately.
This self portrait for kids is a great idea to inspire kids and help them express themselves.
Baby Shark doo-doo-doo… Learn how to draw a baby shark in easy steps!
Learn how to make shadow art for a cool STEM activity.
Sewing is a great skill to learn as a child, that’s why we have these easy sewing ideas for kids. It’s perfect for a bonding activity, too!
Wow! This video will teach you how to draw a 3d ball that looks super realistic.
How to draw cartoons for kids is something that artsy kids often want to learn. We’ll teach you how!
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We have captain underpants drawing and lessons for free here!
You can get a baby shark kit to make a shark doodle cartoon!
These studies show how does drawing help kids development.
Learn how to draw a Pokémon with this tutorial!

Learning how to make cool drawings is so much fun! It may surprise you, but toddlers as young as 15 months old can draw too! Let them express their creativity with crayons, washable felt tips, or paint.|

Still looking for more holiday printables? Find more cute pictures to draw and other fun crafts in our holiday activities for kids! Whether you are celebrating Halloween, Christmas or 4th of July, we have tons of ideas for each date.

How did your sugar skulls turn out? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.

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