How to Make a Homemade Halloween Mask

Make Halloween masks for your whole family without spending a lot of money.

Creating a homemade Halloween mask provides a distinctive mask no one else is wearing. The easiest method for making a mask uses paper mache. Make any type of creature, person or animal mask using this technique. Once the mask is sealed, it will last for years when stored properly.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber balloon
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• Newspaper
• Brown, white, green, black acrylic paints
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Large bowl
• Spoon
• Marker
• 1 foot elastic string
• Sheet rock ripper
• Clear spray paint

Instructions

1. Tear several whole pages of newspaper into 1-inch wide strips. Set the strips aside.

2. Mix flour and half the amount of water in a large bowl. While mixing, add a small amount of water at a time until the flour mixture is the consistency of runny glue.

3. Blow up the balloon with enough air so the balloon size is a little bit bigger than the head of the person who is going to wear the mask. Tie off the balloon. Dip one strip of newspaper into the flour mixture, and hold one end with one hand. With the other hand, lightly pinch the paper with your index finger, and slide down the paper strip removing the excess flour mixture. Lay the strip halfway across the balloon. Repeat this process, adding one strip at a time until you have covered half of the balloon. Overlap the edges of the paper strips, making a solid form. Three to four layers of paper strips will be enough for a strong mask.

4. Build up some short strips in the center until a pointed long shape forms for the nose if you want a witch mask. Build up a wide, long shape poking upward for a wolf man mask. Let the newspaper strips on the balloon dry for a day or until dry and very firm.

5. Pop the balloon and remove it from the hardened newspaper strips. Draw a dot on each side of the mask where the eyes should go with a marker. Cut out eye openings around the marked dots using a sheet rock ripper.

6. Paint the whole front side of the mask green for a witch mask. Paint a black mouth shape under the pointed nose. Paint some black wavy lines under the eye sockets to create wrinkles. To make the wolf man mask, paint the whole mask brown. Under the wide snout area, paint a repeated pattern of triangles to represent teeth. Paint some light black repeated strokes all over the mask for hair.

7. Spray a coating of clear spray paint over the back of the mask and let it dry. Spray a second coat across the back and let it dry.

8. Flip the mask over, and spray a coat of clear spray paint over the front of the mask. Let the paint dry, and spray a second coat of clear paint over the front. Let it dry.

9. Make two holes on each side of the mask half way down using the sheet rock ripper. Feed one end of elastic string through one of the holes, and tie it in a knot. Feed the other end of the sting in the other hole, and tie a knot on the other side.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the costume look even better by teasing the wearer's hair, and sprinkle some baby powder over the hair to make it look gray. Add a more effective look to the wolf man costume by combing the hair back and adding styling gel that holds the hair in place.

• Watch out for your fingers because the sheet rock ripper is really sharp. Never cut toward your hand or fingers.

References

• Ultimate Paper Mache: Paper Mache Recipes
• Ultimate Paper Mache: How to Make a Paper Mache Mask
• Deep Creek Times: Mask Making