Day of the Dead Altars - Fixin's & Candle Holders
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Ofrendas
Ofrendas are built inside the homes of the believers of Day of the Dead in
Central and Southern Mexico.
While there are regional differences in styles of the ofrendas due to income
or custom, there are many altar mainstays
to greet the weary spirits when they arrive. The children return
on November first and the adults join their families on
November 2.
Children's ofrendas are customized and decorated with delightful
foods, candies and toys in miniature... miniature tamales,
chocolates, tiny breads etc. Adult ofrendas feature the traditional candles,
fruit, tamales, mole, mezcal, cempasuchil as well as photos,
fashion magazines, cigars or folk art skeletons... and every ofrenda has pan
de muerto and sugar skulls!
This impressive ofrenda in Michoacan uses aromatic marigolds, colored corn, and very unusually shaped pan de muerto breads, that represent female spirits of the dead.
Ofrenda Information Sheet & Check List (PDF) here
Day of the Dead information sheet (PDF) here |
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Silk Marigold Bouquet 9 GOLD flowers, 13" tall F2029 $8 each (out) |
A papier mâché skull in bed
of marigolds makes a striking centerpiece!
Marigolds are the typical flower used for Day of the Dead but hard
to find in the U.S. during November. These silk marigolds (or cempasuchil)
may be used in vases or cut apart for your altar-making.
Mix gold & orange for greatest realistic effect. |
Silk Marigold Bouquet 9 ORANGE flowers 13" tall F2045 $8 each (out) |
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Oaxaca Skull - Thinking of Skulls
Tipico clay ofrenda decoration typical of what's sold a the markets before Dia de Los Muertos.
3 1/2" tall. Not a candle.
A1219 $13 each (out) |
Traditional Copal Incense For ofrendas.
1 oz. of white Copal which is considered to be the highest quality, used by the Cathedral in Mexico City. Comes with 1 roll of fast-igniting charcoal disks. A2153 $18 /set |
Black Shiny Incense Burner
Shiny black traditional clay incense burner from Puebla, roll of charcoal discs and 1/2 oz. of Mexican copal resin incense. Approx 6 1/2" tall. A2012 $25 set |
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Dime-size
Mini Paper Roses
Handmade by 5 old ladies in Mexico City.... and furthermore, Angela's mother got drafted to assort the colors once they hit state side! She's done thousands! These adorable roses are bright & beautiful and can be used for wrapping napkins, wedding decorations, cards, cello bags, sugar skulls or decorating something special.
Assorted colors-wire stems. A bunch is 12 roses.
Colors - We now have only bright colors available. The brights include red, bougainvillea and marigold orangy/yellow. No pastels. F2052 $5 / bunch |
Candle HoldersOn home ofrendas, it's quite common to find candle holders burning handmade candles round the clock to welcome the returning spirits. The candle holders represent the style of pottery made in a village. The green glazed candle holders above is traditional to Michoacan. Below, the skeleton bands are from north of Mexico City. The double-glazed Izucar candle holders are from Puebla. |
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Ceramic Candle HoldersBeautifully detailed candle holders from Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico. Assorted designs & colors. Sold individually. Approx. 8 in. tall
Flower Senorita F2031 $45
Charro F2033 $45 |
NEW Bridal Couple Skeleton Candle Holder
Angela was so pleased the day she found these special, large hand painted clay candle holders from a Peruvian workshop. They are whimsical and hefty with delightful expressions. (Note the groom's neck tie!) The wedding dress & veil have delicate floral paintings and the large candle holder can handle a 1/2" taper candle. 8" high x 5.5" wide x 3.5" deep. Peru A2168 $75 set |
Metepec
Tree-of-Life Candelabras
Wonderful skeleton painted clay candle holders for your altar to celebrate Day of the Dead. Mexico. |

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Tree Of Life ~ 3 skulls, 6" tall F2084 $24 each | Tree Of Life ~ Single musico, 8" tall F2085 $52 each |
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Talavera Skull Lantern
The cutout eyes flicker & glow with the flame of tea lights which fit nicely inside the ceramic skull. Each one is hand painted with a unique design, but all look very similar to the photo. Bright assorted colors. Mexico
Large (7.5" high) A2257 $36 each
Medium (5.5" high) A2258 $24 each |
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Recycled Tin Heart FrameHammered frame topped with a flaming heart on top and scroll designs and hearts around the oval picture frame. You personalize with a photo of your muerto or old postcard - (We used a calendar girl in the photo. Tin heart frames come with a photo of the Virgin of Guadalupe). The tin shows pieces of Mexican juice cans! Oval 9 ”high x 8” wide. No two alike. Mexico.A1266 $85 each |
Haitian hearts
These extra large Haitian Hearts are hammered out of steel by wonderful artists who are trying hard to recover from the 2010 earthquake. They want to maintain their lives as artists. A portion of the proceeds from these hearts goes to a project called, "A Heart for Haiti" that funds relief activities to help artisans find markets for their products in countries that appreciate their unique style of crafts. Haitian artists have used steel oil drums as their art materials for decades, making them true folk art. Designs are spirited and are derived from their spiritual culture and beliefs. Pieces such as these are made to decorate home altars as well as to sell in the marketplace. Haitian hearts make great gifts and will make you look like an exotic world traveler when hung up by your computer or on the wall. |
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NEW Haitian Plumed HeartHammered steel then shellacked
7" high x 4 1/2" wide A2164 $16 each |
NEW Haitian Flaming HeartHammered steel then shellacked 4" wide x 5" high A2165 $16 each (out temporarily) |
NEW Haitian Ribbon HeartHammered steel then shellacked 7" high x 4 1/2" wide A2166 $16 each |
Day of the Dead Ofrendasphotos by MexicanSugarSkull.com
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| Dia de los Muertos public ofrenda, Oaxaca, Mexico |
Annual Hollywood Forever Cemetery Dia de los Muertos Celebration |
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| Day of the Dead, private home, Los Angeles |
♥ Day of the Dead information sheet (PDF) here
♥ Ofrenda Information Sheet & Check list (PDF) here
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