How to Make a Skull Mask

You can use a photo of a skull to help when painting your mask.

Skull masks can make for spooky costumes for Halloween, or any costumed celebration. Making your very own skull mask can allow you to personalize your mask, and provide for some creative and fun activity for you, or as a craft project for kids. You can learn how to make your own skull masks using a few tools from your local craft store in order to have a scary disguise for Halloween or your next costumed event.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Sheet of white crafts foam
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Sheet of black crafts foam
• Crafts glue
• Fabric paints (colors of your choice)
• Hole punch
• Thick string

Instructions

1. Measure your face (or the child's face if the mask is for a child) from the top of your forehead to the bottom of your chin, and from ear to ear. This will give you an idea of how big you'll need to cut your mask.

2. Draw an oval face shape on your sheet of white foam about an inch longer than the measurements you took. For example if you measured eight inches from your forehead to your chin, make the length of the oval nine inches. Remember you don't want a perfect oval shape, make it a little narrower on one end to accommodate for the facial shape of a chin.

3. Cut out the face shape you traced and place it over your face, or the child's face, to get an idea of where you will want to cut out the eye holes. Use a pencil and mark the areas where your eyes line up with the mask, then trace and cut out circles large enough for your eyes to see through.

4. Cut out a piece of black foam in the shape of a triangle, about an inch wide and two inches in length. Glue the triangle onto your mask in between the two eyes just below them. This will be the nasal cavity of your skull, as skulls don't have protruding noses.

5. Paint the teeth and jaw line of your skull and add any additional touches as you like. For example, for a sparkling mask you can add some glitter or sequins with glue, or use red paint to add some bloody gore to your mask. Allow any glue and paint to dry for two hours.

6. Place the mask over your face (or your child's) and mark a small dot on either side of the mask where it lines up with your ears. Use a hole punch to punch out holes where you've marked the dots.

7. Pull string through one of the holes and knot it to secure around the hole. Place the mask over your face and pull the string around the back of your head and through the other hole and tie it in a knot to secure. You want the string to be secure and around your head, but not too tight to where it applies pressure.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a photo of a skull as an example to help you when painting your mask.

• Glow in the dark paint is one idea if you want a spooky mask that can be seen in the dark.

• Use yarn and glue it atop your mask for some crazy hair to go with your skull.

References

• My Happy Halloween: Homemade Halloween Mask Ideas