How to Make a Werewolf Mask

Become a wolf with a homemade mask.

Werewolves have been a part of our common nightmares for centuries. These creatures of the night are often represented in costume with generic, store-bought masks. If you want a werewolf that has a more personal touch, you can make your own mask out of craft foam. This material is available in hobby stores, and can be bent and shaped using heat. Once you make the basic mask, you will texture and paint it.

Things You'll Need

• Craft foam
• Scissors
• Heat gun or hairdryer
• Bowl (optional)
• Craft glue
• Cheesecloth
• School glue
• Paint brushes
• Acrylic paint
• Hole punch
• String
• Leather work gloves

Instructions

1. Cut an oval of craft foam with a sharp pair of scissors. Make the oval slightly larger than your face.

2. Heat the craft foam with a hairdryer or heat gun until it is pliable.

3. Bend the foam into a domed shape that fits over your face. You can do this by hand or press it over the bottom of a large bowl.

4. Cut holes for your eyes and mouth.

5. Cut two long "D" shapes out of the craft foam.

6. Heat and bend the foam into rounded upper and lower jaws. You may have to cut small pleats in the foam to get it to take the desired shape. Glue these pleats closed with craft glue, holding them in place with paper clips until the glue dries.

7. Cut small tabs on the rear of both jaws where they will connect to the mask. Fold the tabs inwards.

8. Glue the tabs on the upper jaw to the mask with craft glue. Allow the glue to dry, then glue the lower jaw in place.

9. Cut out two wolf ears and glue them to the top of the mask.

10. Cut cheesecloth into 4-inch squares.

11. Paint the entire mask with school glue.

12. Lay pieces of cheesecloth onto the wet glue, scrunched up to create a fur texture. Completely cover the mask.

13. Paint a second layer of school glue onto the cheesecloth and let it dry for several hours.

14. Paint the entire mask with black acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry.

15. Paint the mask with brown acrylic paint. Keep the pressure light so that only the tops of the cloth ridges catch the brush, creating brown fur on a black background.

16. Paint a black nose.

17. Cut teeth out of white craft foam. Glue them into the upper and lower jaws.

18. Punch a hole in both sides of the mask and tie on a piece of string to keep it on your face.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear leather work gloves while heating the foam so that you don't burn yourself.

References

• Entropy House: Craft Foam Armor Tutorial
• Wind of the Stars: Craft Foam 101