Mini Ofrenda

A white three-step altar with a marigold arch: a frame for a small photo at the top, and two candles and a sugar skull on the steps. The stand is accordion-folded and glued into a stiff staircase.

• Medium
• 2 stand pieces
• 4 jewelry
• 1 Letter sheet

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 9874

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• Letter sheet — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Scissors — small
• Glue stick — or PVA glue
• Small photo — 1⅛ × 1⅝ in — optional; you can draw a portrait
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Back: outline. Trace the back panel with a solid line: a half-round arch on the left and a rectangle on the right.
2. Back panel: fold. The line across is a fold toward you: the back panel will rise up above the base along it.
3. Back panel: drawing. Trace the border along the edge of the arch and three marigolds on each side. The frame will cover the middle of the arch — there’s no drawing there.
4. Steps: outline. Trace the strip with a solid line: the long edges and the narrow tabs with slanted corners at the ends.
5. Steps: folds. Seven lines across. Two are dash-dot lines (a fold toward you); the rest are dashed lines — that way the strip folds into three steps.
6. Decorations: outlines. Trace two candles, a frame with a rounded top and the skull with a solid line.
7. Decorations: drawing. Trace the flames and wax drips on the candles, the pattern on the frame and the word “photo” in the window, and the face of the skull.

Color

8. Color: back panel. Border — purple, marigolds — orange with a yellow center. The rest stays white.
9. Color: decorations. The glow around the flames and the dots on the frame — yellow, the flames and the flower on the forehead — orange. The frame, hearts and the pattern around the eyes — pink, eyes and nose — black. The candles and skull stay white.

Cut

10. Cut out: back. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Turn the sheet, not the scissors — the cut will come out neater.
11. Cut out: steps. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Turn the sheet, not the scissors — the cut will come out neater.
12. Cut out: decorations — 4 pcs. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Turn the sheet, not the scissors — the cut will come out neater.

Fold

13. Fold the stand. Press along and fold every step line: dashed line — away from you (mountain fold), dash-dot line — toward you. The strip will fold into a staircase. Lift the back panel along its fold to a right angle.

Glue

14. Glue the stand. Put glue on both narrow strips — the foot and the top tab — on the side with the lines. Set the steps on the base: the foot goes on the front edge of the base, and the top tab presses against the back panel under the top step.

Decor

15. Glue on the decorations. Glue the photo frame to the back panel, with its bottom edge on the top step. Glue the sugar skull to the front wall of the bottom step, in the middle, and the candles to the wall of the middle step, at the edges: bottoms on the step below.

Done

16. The ofrenda is done. Put the ofrenda on a shelf or table. In front of it you can put marigold petals or a candy — like on a real altar.

Done. The ofrenda is done. Glue a photo of the person you’re remembering into the frame — or draw their portrait. In front of the steps you can put marigold petals.

Make it with your phone camera

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