How to Make a Face-Fitting Mask

A paper mache mask works well for a variety of occasions.

You can buy an assortment of simple masks at any costume shop in your area, but making your own ensures a truly custom fit you can wear comfortably for hours. A hard, detachable mask can last long after your costume event, but it can obscure your features and cause slight discomfort despite the fact that it fits your face. A thin mask that sits right on your face can move with your skin, but it's only good for one night before you remove it.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Flour
• Newspaper
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Sandpaper
• Drill
• Elastic band
• Cotton ball
• Rubbing alcohol
• Latex
• Makeup sponge
• Wooden craft sticks
• Makeup
• Makeup brush

Instructions

Hard Mask

1. Make paper mache using water and flour. Fill a bowl with 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of flour. Mix it until it is pasty.

2. Wash your face, and dry it fully. Oil and dirt stuck on your face can contaminate the mask mixture.

3. Cut strips of newspaper, and coat them in the paper mache mixture. The strips should be 1 inch wide and as long as your face from the hairline to the chin.

4. Place strips of paper down along your hairline, just in front of your ears and along the curve of your jaw. This is the basic outline for the mask. Lay more strips horizontally across your face, stretching from one side of the paper outline to the other. Tear the paper at the ends to make it fit properly.

5. Press the paper into the contours of your face. Do not cover your nostrils, though, since you still need to breath. Make six layers of paper for the mask so it is strong.

6. Allow the mask to sit on your face until it dries into a hard shell; this can take up to six hours. Keep your face as still as possible during this time. Pull the mask off in one piece once it dries.

7. Cut eye holes into the mask with a craft knife. Saw at the mask instead of stabbing it, or it may crack apart. Then, sand the edges of the holes to make them smooth.

8. Drill a hole into the sides of the mask near the temples. Pull a piece of elastic string through the holes, and tie the ends on the surface of the mask. This keeps the ends from slipping out of the mask while you wear it.

Soft Mask

1. Brush your hair back from your face, and clip it in place. You don't want your mask materials getting caught in your hair. Clean your face with a cotton ball moist with rubbing alcohol.

2. Fill a bowl with a small amount of liquid latex. Dip a makeup sponge into the latex, and dab it across your face. A thin layer preserves more of your natural shape, but a thick layer gives you more options when it comes to customization.

3. Shape the latex on your face while it is still wet. Smooth it out using a wooden craft stick, or make it more mottled using a coarser makeup sponge.

4. Allow the latex to dry until it is somewhat firm and no longer runny. This can take up to an hour, depending on the thickness of the latex layer.

5. Add more latex to form definitive shapes on the mask, such as warts and scars. Shape the latex with a wooden craft stick, and allow it to sit until it dries. These details are much smaller than the overall mask, so they should only take a few minutes to dry.

6. Color the mask using makeup and a makeup brush. For example, when making a scar, color it with a vivid red blush along the scar and lightly around the sides. This sets the finer details apart from the rest of the mask.

Tips & Warnings

• Test a dot of latex on a small patch of your skin before applying it to your face. This alerts you to any unknown allergies that may arise.

• Use acrylic paint to decorate the firm mask. This type of paint is thick and suitable for the paper surface.

• Peel the latex on your face to create realistic-looking scars and wounds on the mask.