While your altar will be a unique representation of your preferences and personal style, there are some traditional elements that should be incorporated into the space. Each item has significance, though you may add special ofrendas, or offerings, of your own.

Here is a list of elements (and their significance) to build your own altar to honor your dearly departed.

Tablecloth: Cover the table or surface on which the altar
will be built. Some altars are bright and cheerful, with colorful tablecloths and sheets as the  backdrop, while others feature a more sombre black or dark colored cloth.
Photos of loved ones: Ideally, there should be at least one photo of each person being honored. Place photos in the center, as a focal point of the altar.
Candles: Set a candle for each deceased  relative. White represents the purity of the soul, and the light is believed to guide the spirits on their journey back.
Papel picado: The delicate paper represents wind and the fragility of life.
Flowers: Marigolds are preferred, but they are difficult to
find. If you can't find marigolds then mums in oranges and golds make good substitutes.
Personal items of the deceased: Objects they used daily or were especially fond of.

Food and drink: Favorite foods specially prepared as an
offering.
Pan de muerto: Sweet bread in the form of bones or skeletons, to represent soil.
Skulls or skeletons: Generally brightly colored skulls made of molded sugar inscribed with the name of the honoree represent vitality of life and personality
Copal incense: The light smoke and aroma are thought
to carry prayers to God.
Water: Purifies, cleanses and quenches the thirst of the 
souls. 

Now that we have the essential elements, it's time to assemble the altar. Your Day of the Deade altar can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. The purpose of an altar is remembrance, with that in mind feel free to do what you think your honoree would enjoy.

For weeks now, most have been getting ready for Halloween with costumes,  decorations, pumpkin patches and carvings and all-around spookiness.In our home we also have a fondness for Día de los Muertos, which is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd,  and is a traditional  Mexican holiday dedicated to the memory of the loved ones we’ve lost.
The idea is that we celebrate and remember them with joy. Day of the Dead is a holiday infused with so much tradition and history that Mexico as a whole embraces it.  You can see some very elaborate altars in public schools, government offices and most public spaces.  In fact, it’s one of the few ancient indigenous celebrations to remain
after the Spanish conquest. This tradition is so full of history and symbolism that it’s one I’m hanging on
to tightly.
So, every year,  I build an altar. Altars are made to honor family and friends that have passed away and are  decorated with their pictures, personal objects or mementos and candles.  Their favorite food and drinks are also placed on the altar, along with a trail of marigold flowers to create a path so their soul can find its way back to join the celebrations. By placing these artifacts, flowers and foods the person will be remembered and celebrated for who they were in life and this will  encourage them to pay a visit.  It sounds spooky but it's celebrated with so much positive energy and in such a festive environment that it'll never be frightening.

Tomorrow building your own altar.