DIY Dia de los Muertos Birds
Friends, I have hopped on the Halloween train! I shared on Instagram that I have never decorated for Halloween before, but this year I’m bringing out (….as much as I could) for Halloween decor. One of the ways I’m saving money during this holiday season is by transforming thrifted items into Halloween or fall decor. These diy dia de los muertos birds are right up my alley.
They were easy to create and only cost me $2! I’m sure I could find plastic birds with the same vibe priced at least tripled that amount if not much more. So, grab those wooden birds (or any wooden animal figurine really) and create diy dia de los muertos inspired decor with me.
Diy Dia de los Muertos Animals Supplies
- Thrifted wooden animals or some old figurines
- Acrylic paint in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and white
- Paint brushes (one large and one fine)
How to paint DIY Dia de los Muertos Animals
(1) When painting any of the Dia de los Muertos decor, the skeleton backdrop is the basis for each one. So, you’ll want to start by painting your animal or figurine black. One coat of paint usually does the trick.
(2) Then, it’s time to paint on the skeleton bones. Use white paint to add bone structures around the figurine. I guess you don’t really need to be 100% anatomically correct for animals, but you’d want something resembling the structure of the animal.
I have no idea how the bones are structured for a bird, but I don’t think you can really tell unless you are a ornithologist. HA!
(3) Using the back of the paintbrush, dab colorful dots in groups of 5. These will become the flowers around the animal. Use various colors around the bird to make it more colorful. Wipe off the paintbrush between each color change.
(4) Use the back of the brush again to add the green leaves and flower center. I used a bright yellow for each of the flower centers. Not only does this make the flowers cohesive throughout, but also much more vibrant against the black base.
(5) With the white paint, if you haven’t already, paint the skeleton face, eyes, and nose. Let dry and then add the more colorful accents around the face and eyes. I added more accents to the bones using the back of the paintbrush too!
Wouldn’t this make a great kids’ activity too! Are you thinking of Dia de los Muertos decor for Halloween now that you’ve seen how easy it is to create? What kind of theme do you like for the holiday? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Decorating!
