Make it with everyday materials! Halloween mask ideas and DIY tips
Handmade masks that add a dazzling touch to your Halloween costume.
Become the star of the Halloween party cyaimasu! From masquerade masks to zombie masks and unique designs that highlight your mouth your way, we’ve got plenty of how-to ideas.
Many can be made with basic materials you already have at home! If you make them with your kids, both adults and children will have fun creating a one-of-a-kind mask.
In this article, we’ll introduce easy ways to get started with DIY masks.
Make it with everyday materials! Halloween Mask Ideas & DIY Tips (1–10)
Tongue-out mask
This is a playful tongue-out ghost mask you can make together with your child.
All you need are a nonwoven mask, markers, and adhesive felt.
Draw the ghost’s mouth in the center and add eyes and cheeks however you like.
Cut the red adhesive felt into a tongue shape, open the pleats, and stick it on—done in no time! You can use permanent markers, but fabric markers are recommended because they go on more smoothly.
Add lots of color and make your own original cute ghost mask.
Zombie mask
Let’s make a realistic zombie mask using a non-woven face mask and nail tips from the dollar store! Pre-coat the nail tips with layers of black, silver, and red.
Cut open the top layer of the non-woven mask, color the inside with red and black eyeshadow, and blend it outward so it looks like blood is seeping through.
Attach the nail tips along the slit to resemble zombie teeth, and add shadows with a brush-pen eyeliner.
Finally, drip fake blood between and around the teeth to finish.
Put care into your makeup and costume, and fully transform into a zombie!
Full-face pumpkin mask
The full-face pumpkin mask, made life-size based on a real pumpkin, makes a huge impact and is highly recommended for those who want to stand out.
First, take a mold following the shape of a real pumpkin, then attach black construction paper to match it.
Next, paint the whole thing orange, leaving the eyes and mouth unpainted so the black underneath shows through.
Finally, make the hat portion using plant-like decorative parts you can buy online, and you’re done.
It may be a bit heavy and a handful, but it’s sure to amaze everyone around you!
skeleton mask
This is a skull mask you can make using COS board for cosplay crafting.
Cut out each piece according to the pattern and glue them together with instant adhesive.
Draw the skull’s teeth with a marker, then use a soldering iron to engrave details following the lines.
Once all parts are assembled, reinforce the inside with a hot glue gun.
Next, apply a primer over the entire surface, spray a gray lacquer as the base, and finish the coloring by rubbing on white.
Attach window-screen mesh to the inside of the eye area and add elastic for wearing, and you’re done! COS board can be substituted with items like Daiso’s sponge board.
Kiba Mask
The “Fang Mask” is a handmade mask with a creepy, slightly scary vibe that’s perfect for Halloween.
You can make it easily using only materials from the 100-yen shop Daiso.
Cut slits into a store-bought nonwoven mask and attach costume fangs using a hot glue gun.
If you use red glue sticks, you can recreate the look of gums for a realistic effect.
Add fake blood on top for color, and your Fang Mask is complete.
It’s a slightly horror-leaning mask for adults, but definitely try making one for your costume!
Hero Mask
Heroes from Super Sentai-style shows are hugely popular across generations, especially among boys.
So this time, here are some ideas for making a Sentai-style mask for Halloween.
First, search online for the mask of the hero you want to make and print out a template.
For the base material, using cardboard that tends to pile up from online shopping is a great way to tidy your room—two birds with one stone! Once the form is ready, coat it with a special clay called ‘stone powder clay.’ Next, cut out the eye area and smooth the surface with a polishing agent for clay.
Finally, paint it, let it dry, and you’re done! There are quite a few steps, so dividing roles among family members will help you make it efficiently.
Exposed-teeth mask
A simple white nonwoven mask can be used as a Halloween item.
The trick is to place a piece of jet-black nonwoven fabric on the inside to create a three-dimensional look.
Use the mask as-is and make cuts in the shape of teeth; if you put in slight creases before cutting, you’ll get a cleaner finish.
Not only square teeth—try cutting them intentionally uneven and irregular for a scarier effect.
When drawing the blood with a red pen, the color won’t show unless you apply it heavily, so use a larger oil-based marker.
