How can I craft Halloween masks for children myself?
There are a wide variety of creepy masks: from ready-made models made of rubber or plastic to elaborate, homemade masks made of papier-mâché, plaster bandages or cardboard. We think: Doing it yourself is the best – and not just because it's often the cheapest option. A homemade mask is always unique and a nice keepsake. And if it's not too cumbersome, most children have a lot of fun in creating their creepy Halloween masks themselves.
You can make a Halloween mask for both the half face as well as for the whole face craft. A half mask leaves the mouth free and ends at the level of the nose, a full-face mask ends below the chin. Here, in addition to the cut-out for the eyes, a cut-out for the mouth can also be cut in.
You need the following to craft your creepy mask:
Template for Halloween mask
Gray cardboard or sturdy cardstock
Paints (felt-tip pens, wax crayons, ink, acrylic paints, etc.)
Optional decorations such as felt, decorative gems, wool threads – whatever suits the respective mask
Scissors
Craft glue
Hole punch
Elastic band or string
Here's how:
Draw a template on paper, cut it out and glue it as flat as possible onto a sheet of cardboard or card. The image shown above can provide inspiration for the template.
When the glue has dried, cut out the outline of the mask with craft scissors, and also cut out the eye holes.
Paint and decorate the mask as you like: You can glue gray or black wool 'hairs' onto a spider, a little fire devil can get red glitter gems or small flickering flames made from colored cardstock, etc.
Depending on the craft template, the masks may still need to be glued together.
Punch holes in the edges of the mask with a hole punch, thread the elastic band or string through, and adjust it to your child's head once more before tying.
Frightfully lovely ideas for crafting Halloween masks and costumes
A homemade cardboard Halloween mask is perfect for last-minute folks. It is easy to make and with a few rummages in the wardrobe you can quickly put together a whole costume. Be creative together – often when browsing through the wardrobes of the family many accessories to complement the homemade masks. Below you will find six craft tutorials, showing how you can craft Halloween masks yourself and create entire costumes.
Make a bat mask from black cardstock. Characteristic are the large ears as well as the sharply curved holes that you cut out for the eyes.
A matching costume can be quickly made from gray or black tights and a gray sweatshirt with 'bat wings': simply sew or glue black fabric strips between the side seams of the sweatshirt and the lower arm seams. If you like, you can wear thin black gloves with glued-on claws.
Guide 2: mysterious tree spirit
A tree spirit is a being from nature. For your Halloween mask you can therefore work perfectly with natural materials. Make a simple mask with two holes for the eyes from construction paper and glue on leaves, moss or small twigs as you like.
For the costume you need brown leggings or tights, plus a brown or dark green sweatshirt. With fabric paint – or if it has to be quick, also with watercolors or tinting paint – you can paint bark, moss, or knotholes onto the clothing. The disguise becomes more effective if, for example, you sew small dry twigs and leaves crisscross onto the shoulders and sleeves.
Guide 3: fiery little devil
In hell it's fiery – accordingly your Halloween mask should be made fiery. You can either paint the mask fire-red or cut flames out of red paper or translucent paper with scissors and glue them onto the cut-out mask. As further highlights, attach thick red wool threads as flame-hair.
A red tights and a red sweatshirt or long-sleeved shirt go best with the flame-red and orange painted mask. Red, yellow and orange strips of fabric or crepe paper, which you can attach in layers to the shirt and pants, represent flames. You can achieve an extra creepy effect by teasing your kids' hair and coloring it with red hairspray.
Guide 4: creepy zombie
You can create the zombie mask in the style of Frankenstein's monster. Either paint it green or make it directly from green paper. For a stronger scare factor, don't forget the stitches on the forehead. Our tip: Use a stapler and staple along the seams – this makes the Halloween mask look even more realistic! Punch the mask at the side with a hole punch and attach an elastic band or string. You can simply wear old clothes with holes for your zombie mask. The more rundown the outfit looks, the better.
Guide 5: eerie ghost
The mask for the ghost is of course white. Since a ghost is an intangible being, the outlines of the Halloween mask are wavy and curved. The mask looks particularly effective if you paint the eyes that peer through the holes black. Or you outline the eyes on the mask with black paint. It's easiest to wear white flowing clothes with it. Do you have an old sheet? Great, then simply cut a ghost robe for your little ones from it. Maybe you additionally have a rattling chain that can be worn around the neck.
Guide 6: spooky pumpkin
The Halloween pumpkin is characterized above all by its glowing orange color and its characteristic round shape with small ridges. You can pick up these features for your pumpkin mask. Simply cut the eyes jaggedly or as triangles with scissors.
A green stem on the head looks cute with the pumpkin mask. For kids with long hair, it can be attached to the hair tie in a high ponytail.
Halloween mask or Halloween makeup – which is better?
Children love face paint: A creepy make-up really makes a big impression. Scary witches, zombies and devils look with the appropriate makeup effects deceptively real . In addition, most children are big fans of makeup. It's fascinating how much the face itself can be transformed.
"More permanent" costume: Especially for younger children are masks the more practical and usually also the more comfortable option. Because ordinary children's makeup or carnival makeup is usually not very abrasion-resistant. Often children have their makeup already smudged after a short time or "sweated off" or the unfamiliar makeup starts to itch. An alternative is professional face paints, which are, however, quite expensive and require some practice.
Halloween masks are practical: A second advantage of Halloween masks is that they can be put on and taken off at will. This is practical when eating or playing and above all, when the party is over and bedtime approaches. In addition, the great creepy masks can always be reused – not only for Halloween. Not to forget: The shared crafting is a lot of fun!
Image credits
Children lying on the floor wearing pumpkin masks © kegfire - stock.adobe.com
Halloween designs for making masks © Draco77 - stock.adobe.com
Girl with black cat mask © Anastasiia - stock.adobe.com
Girl with green monster mask © Anastasiia - stock.adobe.com
Children making Halloween crafts at a table © Syda Productions - stock.adobe.com