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The Day of the Dead commemorates those who have passed away, but this two-day celebration is far from somber. You’ve probably seen decorated sugar skulls, or calaveras, which symbolize each ancestor being remembered on November 1st and 2nd.
With the YouCam Perfect app, you can create your own sugar skull for Dia de los Muertos, whether you’re a beginner artist or a seasoned designer. Keep reading to learn how!
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The Significance of the Day of the Dead
With ofrendas, marigolds, and the famous sugar skulls, the Mexican Day of the Dead brings families together around the world to honor their deceased loved ones.
Instead of fearing death, this celebration reminds us that it’s a natural part of the human experience. And now, the tradition has spread beyond Mexico, as people move across the world.
YouCam Perfect: Best App for Creating Sugar Skull Photo Edits
With YouCam Perfect, you can decorate your own sugar skull on your phone! This free app has templates, stickers, and other effects that you can put together for a fun, custom look on the Day of the Dead.
Its cutout, background change tool, and unique AI features give you plenty of room to explore different types of styles, from modern and vibrant to soft colors and subtle decorations.
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How to Create Sugar Skull Photo
Before you get started, remember to be respectful of Dia de los Muertos and the traditions involved. Although the day falls close to Halloween, the Day of the Dead isn't traditionally a spooky or scary holiday. Instead, it's meant as a way to celebrate and honor deceased loved ones. While you design your sugar skull, treat it as a way of learning about the holiday! Here are the steps to follow:
- Step 1. Download YouCam Perfect
- Step 2. Choose a Skull Photo
- Step 3.Add the Stickers You Like
- Step 4. Adjust Background
- Step 5. Add a Vintage or Colorful Touch
- Step 6. Save Your Sugar Skull Photo
- Bonus: Add Your Sugar Skull Photo to an Outfit
1. Download YouCam Perfect
YouCam Perfect provides sugar skull templates and ideas that come with the app when you download it for iOS and Android.
You can try any of its features for free, including Day of the Dead-related photo effects and filters. Don’t forget to explore the app’s other tools to make editing photos easy year-round!
2. Choose a Skull Photo
You can choose a photo of a skull from YouCam Perfect’s extensive stock library. There you can find realistic skulls or artistic ones as your base and start crafting your sugar skull!
3. Add the Stickers You Like
Tap the Sticker feature from YouCam Perfect’s toolbar to discover tons of decorations for the Day of the Dead. When you choose yours, think about what they symbolize for this holiday. Check out YouCam Perfect’s Floral, Butterfly, Floral Bouquets, and Scrapbook packs to find colorful stickers appropriate for your sugar skull designs.
Bright yellow and orange marigolds decorate ofrendas to lead the souls of departed family members to the altars. Try adding flowers with these colors, or use traditional red, white, and black elements. These colors represent your love for the departed and their spirits.
Read more: How to Add Stickers to Photos on iPhone for Free
4. Adjust Background
YouCam Perfect’s background tool lets you choose a different color or design to make it stand out. It automatically detects your subject, so you don’t have to do any manual edits if you don’t want to.
While YouCam Perfect has predesigned backgrounds and a huge variety of solid colors, you can also add a custom background for your design. For the Day of the Dead, try choosing colors that complement your sugar skull and have meaning for the day. Just like when choosing your decorations, consider traditional colors that contrast and complement your sugar skull design.
Read more: Best App to Change Your Background of Photo for Free
5. Add a Vintage or Colorful Touch
YouCam Perfect’s filters set the mood for your Day of the Dead celebration, so choose the one that makes your design pop.
Try collections like Retro Gray and Nostalgia for a way to look back on your memories of your loved ones.
It might be tempting here to add Halloween filters, but remember to respect the meaning of Dia de los Muertos. It happens a few days after our favorite spooky holiday, but it’s better to brighten Day of the Dead photos with filters that bring out the color in your design. Try the Autumn Vibes and Bright filter packs to accentuate the warm hues in the flowers and other stickers!
6. Save Your Sugar Skull Photo
Now that you’ve finished your sugar skull, it’s time to share it! Download it to use as your phone wallpaper for fall, post it to Instagram, or share it on your stories across your socials.
Show everyone your personalized calavera to join in on the Day of the Dead and honor your loved ones!
Bonus: Add Your Sugar Skull to an Outfit
Along with designing the sugar skull itself, YouCam Perfect’s Clothes feature lets you add it to your wardrobe. The app has pre-made clothing looks, but you can upload your own or choose a stock photo, too. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Beautify and tap the Clothes tool.
- Upload your sugar skull design from your phone’s album. YouCam Perfect’s Stock tab also has royalty-free images that you can use if you don’t want to add one of your own.
- Tap the one you want on your shirt, and the app will add it to your photo for you!
Sugar Skull Photo FAQs
What Do Sugar Skulls Mean in the Day of the Dead Celebration?
Each sugar skull placed on the ofrenda (altar) symbolizes one ancestor being honored on the Day of the Dead. Those who celebrate typically write the person’s name on the skull’s forehead to remember them.
How to Turn a Picture into a Sugar Skull?
With the best free photo editor app, YouCam Perfect, you can turn a photo into a sugar skull easily. Follow the steps below to check it out by yourself!
Step 1. Download YouCam Perfect on App Store or Google Play.
Step 2. Choose a skull photo from the extensive stock library.
Step 3. Add stickers related to the day of the dead, such as tose in the Floral, Butterfly, Floral Bouquets, and Scrapbook packs.
Step 4. Adjust background to include traditional colors.
Step 5. Add a vintage or colorful touch to match the vibe of the day of the dead.
Step 6. Save your sugar skull photo to your camera roll!
Is YouCam Perfect Available for Both Android and iOS?
Yes, YouCam Perfect is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, so you can use it on any device. The tools may differ slightly between platforms, but you can still try any tools once you’ve downloaded the app.
How Do I Undo Changes in the App When Making Sugar Skull Photos?
YouCam Perfect has Undo buttons at the top of the screen, so you can easily go back if your sugar skull isn’t turning out the way you want. In some tools, you can also tap the white circle with a line through it to remove your edits and choose another effect.
