Mask Making Ideas For Kids & Adults

The art of mask making is as old as Christmas. The oldest mask was found to be of 7000 BC. There must be even more older masks but as the materials of early mask were wood and leather, they did not survive till date. Do you know, that earlier masks were used for ceremonial functions and certain rituals? The early people used masks for art and dance. Even today, masks are worn on occasions like Halloween, Holi, Christmas and many more. Not only for festivals, masks are also used during dance, plays and circus. There are even shops all around the world that sells only masks of various kinds. Mask making is not only an art but also allows you to do wonders with creative ideas to your masks. Here, I am going to tell you about different ways to make a mask. Read on to find out amazing mask making ideas.

Egyptian Mask

The masks of the Egyptians used to be the faces of gods, animals and kings. They used to make the mask out of gold. But we can’t use gold right? So here’s a technique to make a realistic Egyptian mask. For making an Egyptian mask, we need mount board, a plastic mask, paper plates or styrofoam plates, tissue paper, glue, scissors, paint and some gold or silver colour. First, sketch the structure of an Egyptian mask on the mount board and cut it out. Place the plastic mask on it and draw the outline on the mount board. Cut out the region and then stick the plastic mask on the board with the help of tape. The basic structure of an Egyptian mask is ready. For detailing, cut out the paper plates to make the jewelry and ears and then stick it on the board. Mix glue and water in the proportion of 3:1. Now tear up the tissue paper and stick them on the plastic mask with this mixture so that the edges become strong. You can even make a beard by making a cone from paper and stick it on the plastic mask, to make it more realistic. Now comes the part of painting the mask. Use golden colour to paint the whole mask so that it will look real. After the paint has dried, do the detailing with some attractive colours. Your mask is ready. For video tutorial, click on the link below.

Read: DIY: Newspaper Photo Frame – Step by step

African Masks

Africa is a land of colours and designs. It is evident from the designs of there masks. They are so unique and beautiful. To make an African mask we need, a plastic mask, paper mache which you can easily make at home or you can even buy it from a craft store, some paint, and some wool or anything similar for decorating. Use the paper mache to make realistic features like eyebrows, beard and nose, on the mask. When the paper mache starts to dry, start making details with the help of knife or any object having a sharp edge. After the paper mache has dried, paint it with some vibrant colours. Do the detailing after the paint has dried. Now make some holes on the cheek of the mask so that the wool can pass through. Pass the wool through the holes and tie a knot so that it will stay in place. Repeat the steps on the chin. An African mask is ready to use. Watch the video for steps.

Read: DIY Paper Plate Crown | Birthdays, Crafts and Kids

Venetian Masks

Did you know that Venetian masks are old tradition of Venice, Italy? These masks are worn during the carnival of Venice. The masks are used in plays too. Venetian masks are mainly about decorating the masks with designs and laces. So the things required for making this are, a mask, some vibrant colours, glitter glue and some lace. First, paint the mask with silver or bronze as it will serve as the base. Draw the designs on the mask with a pencil and then paint them. Decorate the mask by using glitter tube. Stick the lace on the top of the mask to make it look more attractive. There you go, a perfect Venetian Mask is ready. For video tutorial, click on the link below.

Read: 

Masquerade Mask

For making a masquerade mask we need, a white paper, a cardboard, black paper, glue and some glitters, beads and laces for decorating. Measure the area of your face where you want to make the mask, with a measuring tape. Record the measurements and draw a square based on it, in the white paper. Cut out the square and fold it in half. Draw the design of the mask on the square paper. Don’t forget to make eyes. Fold the paper and cut out the design and the eyes. Now, trace the pattern on black paper and on the cardboard. Cut it out accordingly. Paste the cardboard on the black paper. For getting a rounder shape, roll the mask over the edge of a table. Now, decorate the mask with beads and laces. You can use this mask during Halloween or even during prom night. The link for the video is below.

Read: How To Make a Origami Paper Jumping Frog

Day of the Dead Mask

Day of the dead is a Mexican festival celebrated in the memory of friends and family who have died. People wear a mask in the shape of a skull for this festival. For making this mask, we need papers, markers, tape and some colours. Cut out a face from the paper. Cut out the eyes, nose and the mouth too. Now, make 3 cuts at the top of the head, one cut at each cheek and one at the chin, which will go upto the nose. Now, stick the cuts at the top with the help of tape, to give the mask a round edge. Do the same to the cut at the chin. Fold the cuts at the cheek, to give the mask a shape of the skull, and tape it to make it still. With the help of a marker, make the teeth and the nose. Make designs on your mask and then paint them. Highlight the designs with the marker. Punch two holes near the eyes and pass a string through them. Your mask is ready. For video representation, click on the link below.

Read: 30+ Creative DIY Toilet Paper Roll Craft Ideas and Tutorials

Paper Mache Mask

For making a paper mache mask, we need a clean plastic gallon jug, newspapers, white chart papers, scissors, craft knife,flour, some paint and glue. First of all, cut the plastic jug lengthwise and turn it upside down. The handle will serve as the nose of the mask. Cut out the eyes and mouth with the knife. Make holes on both side for the string to pass. Now add flour, glue and water in a bowl to make a mixture. Dip strips of newspapers in this mixture and stick them to the plastic jug. Cover the whole mask with newspaper first and then repeat the procedure by dipping strips of white chart papers in the mixture and stick them to the mask. Apply layers of papers as it will be easy to paint. After it has dried, draw the details with a marker and then paint them. You can add laces and threads for decorating. Pass the strings through the holes made on both the sides and your mask is ready. For making animal mask you can add the newspapers on the ears and the nose. For more ideas watch the video below.

Read: DIY: Folk Style on paper – Paper Embroidery

Bird Masks

For making a bird mask, we need some colour papers, a thick paper, tape, glue and scissors. Take the thick paper and fold it in half. Draw the eye holes and a rough sketch for the mask where the feathers will be sticked, on the thick paper and cut it out. For making the feathers, take a colour paper and fold it as many times as you want. Now, cut out randomly from the colourful paper and stick them on the mask. For making the beak, take another colour paper and fold it in the shape of a cone and stick it on the mask. Do the detailing with colour pencils. Make the holes on the sides and pass a string through them. A bird mask is ready. For video representation, click on the link below.

Read: Amazing Paper Art – Clothes that do not wear!!

Groot Mask

Kids love superheros. Even adults love superheros. Well there’s a superhero who is damn cute. He is none other than baby Groot. We are going to make a Groot Mask. For making this we need cardboard, newspaper, tissue papers, glue and some paint. First, sketch the face of Groot on the cardboard. Cut out the eyes and the mouth. Fold the edges for having the round appearance of the mask For more realistic effect, cut out strips of cardboard and stick it on the mask as it will appear as wood. Now, cover the mask by sticking newspaper with the help of glue and water mixture. After it has dried, repeat the process with tissue paper. After the mask has dried, paint it with colours like brown and green. Do the detailing with crayons and markers. In the video below, it has shown how to make a mask which appears like wood. By adding the details I have mentioned above, you can convert it into a Groot Mask.

Read: Paper Quilling Ornaments for Christmas decoration

Do you know that there are even many more types of masks, like American mask, clown mask and many more. There are specific masks of a country too. Mask making is really fun. Do try these mask making ideas, you will like it.

You’ll also like

DIY Simple Animal face mask for kids (Tutorial)

Read More

Pratikhya: Currently pursuing bachelor's in technology degree from C V Raman College of Engineering in applied electronics and instrumentation. My hobbies include reading books, creative writing and painting. https://www.facebook.com/pratikhya.moharana