Scary homemade Halloween masks

A Halloween mask made at home often becomes a wickedly wonderful work of art. The mask becomes a part of a world where the hideous is beautiful and the scary is merry. Think about your personal costume project. What will the rest of your apparel look like? Do you wear glasses? Will you be wearing your costume indoors or outdoors? Is a warm hat going to be a necessary evil in your frigid climate? Plan ahead.

Various kinds of Halloween masks are good choices for make-at-home creations. A mask applied directly to the face has some advantages. There are no obstructions to interfere with eyewear, vision or breathing. On the other hand, a freestanding mask worn over the head?or strapped behind the head?may provide a larger canvas that can accommodate bigger, fancier accoutrements.

? Feathers from peacocks

? Leaves from oaks or other trees

? Flat-backed fake jewels

? Sequins and metallic stars

? Patches of moss or fur

? Mummy bandage wraps

? Lengths of wig hair

Masks can be applied directly to the face

A Halloween mask that will have the neighbors howling is easy to design. Ideas abound in literature about arts and crafts. Stage makeup and colorful creams can be used if you want your face to resemble a vampire, witch or zombie. Always wash your face thoroughly before applying any makeup. Read all details on the label. Do you have sensitive skin? Apply a base coat of moisturizer to ensure a complete and easy wash-off at night’s end.

A costume-shop prosthetic such as a moustache or a fake rubber laceration can be stuck to your face by using spirit gum. Spirit gum is an adhesive that has been used for years by theater people. It’s a mixture of a tree sap?gum Arabic?and ether. It is available online or at costume shops, wig shops, theater supply shops and some drug stores.

Use the adhesive on Halloween to stick to your face materials such as fake hair, fake fur, flat-backed jewels and pipe-cleaner cat whiskers. Purchasing some spirit gum remover is a good move, too. An alternative to spirit gum is the type of adhesive used to secure fake eyelashes. It’s available at most beauty supply stores.

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Freestanding masks offer a spacious canvas

A freestanding mask is made in one of two ways. One style fits over the head and may extend to the shoulders. The second style is secured to a stick so the mask can be held up to the face?or removed?when desired. Each has some good points and some drawbacks.

An over-the-head mask needs to be decorated on all sides, unless a hood, shawl or wig is a part of the costume. Its base can be a paper bag, a cardboard box or a tin foil shell. It can be outlandishly decorated with papier-mŸch??shredded paper mixed with flour-and-water paste.

It’s also amenable to the application of plaster-soaked gauze strips for a mummified look. Unfortunately, it often is uncomfortably hot due to trapped body heat. Do not eat garlic if wearing this mask. But a really scary over-the-head mask is a devilish delight.

A scary stick-type mask also can be made from papier mŸch? or gauze dipped in wet plaster mix. Cut a piece of plastic wrap sufficient to cover your face. Add a couple nostril holes and a mouth slit. Start layering plaster-laden gauze strips onto your face over top of the plastic. They will dry quickly and contour to your own face shape.

When a base is built, gently remove the shell. Now you can look at the mask as you work, assembling more detail and more layers. Insert an appropriate length stick near the chin and let the plaster dry around it. Paint as desired, or leave the plaster white?white as a ghost.