We featured Marcos R.’s mask sketches during the very first weeks of Think.Make.Share’s launch…we just couldn’t wait to share them with you. Now Marcos is back to teach us how to make a crafty Halloween mask DIY—with whatever materials you have lying around.
Make a masquerade mask for Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner! It’s that night of the year where a costume can instantly change your identity and almost anything goes. Sometimes, the best costumes are ones you can make at home. A masquerade or Venetian mask is a great costume solution if you’re short on time or money, or if you want to try creating something you can’t find at a store.
Gather your DIY Halloween mask materials
You can make Halloween masks out of pretty much any material, from felt and balsa wood to paper and ceramics. I invited a group of artists to make some simple masks with nothing more than cardboard, construction paper, and a few little bits of crafty scraps.
Make a template for your Halloween mask
We all started with the same template. I made a basic half-face mask template and loved how we all created our own different interpretations from it. Cardboard was used for the main structure, but the template can easily work as a pattern for paper, clay, fabric, papier-mâché, or anything you can find. Feel free to adjust the eyes and nose areas to fit your face.
Add your mask details
Then it’s time to decorate your mask! I do a little bit of planning of what I want my composition to look like before I commit to gluing things down. A good glue gun and some scissors is sometimes all you need.
Add the finishing touch
When you feel like your mask is done, you can glue or tape on a wooden dowel to the back of the mask to wear it Venetian or masquerade style, or punch holes and add string to wear it hands-free. This easy, DIY costume is sure to make your Halloween happier!
Photography by Jane Kortright.
What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Show us your costume ideas on Instagram @think.make.share! If you love unique DIY costumes, don’t miss this Disco Medusa costume by another Hallmark artist. And check out this post to learn how to find inspiration for other homemade costumes in your own closet. Happy haunting!