Halloween gets even more exciting! A collection of DIY mask ideas using a variety of materials
Ghosts, skeletons, bats, and jack-o’-lanterns—when it comes to Halloween, all the creepy, slightly scary characters come together! Even if makeup seems tricky, you can easily enjoy dressing up with a handmade mask.
They’re simple to make with paper or fabric, and you can decorate them however you like! Here’s how to create whimsical masks that kids and adults alike can enjoy with excitement.
Add some clever touches around the eyes and mouth for a more authentic finish.
Become your favorite character and have fun this Halloween!
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Halloween gets exciting! A collection of DIY mask ideas using various materials (1–10)
jack-o’-lantern
Speaking of Halloween, jack-o’-lanterns—the pumpkin ghosts—are a must! If you have orange construction paper or cardstock, you can easily make a jack-o’-lantern mask.
You can simply cut it into a pumpkin shape, or fold the paper into a pumpkin shape like origami—that works great too! When you fold it like origami, it gives the mask a slightly bumpy, three-dimensional look.
You can just draw the black eyes and mouth, but since it’ll block your view, I recommend at least cutting holes for the eyes!
Sabito and Makomo
From the wildly popular anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro Kamado meets Sabito and Makomo during his training.
Let’s try making the fox masks they wear! You can simply cut out white construction paper according to a template, but if you want it to look more authentic, the key is to add some cutting techniques.
Make slits at the forehead and around the mouth, then pull each slit together and glue it in place to create a three-dimensional mask.
After that, draw each mask’s face and cut out the eyes and mouth, and you’re done.
Using a red cord-like string for the ties will make it look even more authentic!
witch
A scary witch or a good witch—what kind of witch do you want to be? If you make your own mask, you can transform into the witch you like! From the classic witch with a black hat to characters from Disney works and Harry Potter, there are all kinds of witches.
Once you’ve decided on the witch you want to create, try making your favorite witch’s face using construction paper or thick cardstock.
It’s also a great idea to attach the hat or hair later using separate pieces of paper, or to use different materials like fabric for certain parts.
You could even make just the hat three-dimensional! Decorate it however you like, and you’ll become your very own original witch!
Halloween gets exciting! A collection of DIY mask ideas with various materials (11–20)
Spider-Man
The hugely popular movie Spider-Man is based on American comics.
Many people go all-out with a full Spider-Man outfit for Halloween.
If a full costume feels like too much, why not just enjoy the vibe with a mask? For a simple version, just draw the eyes and web pattern on red paper.
But if you want a realistic web-like pattern and texture, I recommend using a hot glue gun.
Trace the Spider-Man pattern with the glue gun over a face-shaped base, then remove it from the mold and spray it red.
You’ll end up with a Spider-Man mask that looks and feels impressively realistic!
No-Face
Let’s try making a mask of No-Face, the character from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away! Since No-Face looks like it’s already wearing a mask, it should be easy to picture how to make one.
The simplest method is to cut white construction paper and draw the facial markings.
Another option is to attach white air-dry clay onto a piece of cardboard to create a mask base.
This approach captures a more impersonal, mask-like feel than paper alone.
Once the mask is done, just drape yourself in black fabric to complete the full-body look!
zombie
Zombies have been the subject of many films and are a staple of Halloween costumes.
Zombie makeup is popular, but if you want an easier way to become a zombie, masks are recommended.
Just paste a zombie photo onto cardstock and use it as is to create a super simple zombie mask.
If you’ve done zombie makeup before, you could even use a photo of yourself from that time.
Another idea is to paste a photo of your own face onto cardstock and add zombie makeup directly to the photo.
On a photo, you can easily create zombie makeup with pens or paints, even without makeup tools.
owl
Owls can look cute in bright light, but when you see them hooting in the dark at night, they can feel a bit eerie, right? Why not make a mask and turn yourself into one of those slightly spooky owls! Cut out the shape of an owl’s face from paper in your favorite color, and just punch out holes where the eyes are—done! If you want a scarier vibe, it’s best to model it after an owl whose eyes look more slanted.
Also, if you add the beak separately afterward to give it some three-dimensionality, it’ll look even cooler!