Make Your Own Costumes, Masks and Face Paint

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Fancy Dress Fun for Halloween, Mardi Gras, Playtime, Carnival or Costume Parties

DIY costumes and masks, recipes for costume makeup and home made face paint!

It's easy and inexpensive to make your own costumes and home made face paint makeup. Make Halloween and dress up costumes for kids or costumes for adults using materials you probably have on hand in your cupboards and closets, or even stuff from the recycle bin.

Kids (and adults) love costume play, fancy dress, masks and face painting, especially during Halloween or Mardi Gras.Sandwich board costumes are crafty and inexpensive. Using clean cardboard boxes, poster paints, string and fabric scraps you can make quick and easy costumes that are "green," fun to create and definitely unique.

Twilight books and movies have vampire and bat costumes flying from the costume stores. You can create your own Vampire costume with exotiic costume accessories like dripping blood fangs, purple vampire eyeglasses, or long black capes and gloves.

Last Minute Costumes  - dozens of ideas for low-cost creative costumes you can make in little or no time (last minute costumes for kids AND adults).

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Tiger face paint graphic based on a photo by jade at morguefile.com

Groovy Goggles Party Masks for Kids

Fun Funky Eyeglasses Face Masks

Funky eyeglasses - eye masks

Funny and lots of fun to make Groovy Goggles holiday party masks with eyeglasses in cool funky shapes - heart shaped glasses, star shaped eyeglasses, shamrock eyeglasses and lots more! Print, cut and assemble party paper crafts.



star shaped eyeglasses mask craft
Star Shape Eye Glasses Mask Craft

Cardboard Costumes - Easy, Green, Crafty

Cardboard Panels with Shoulder Straps Make a Fast Crafty Costume

"Sandwich" board costumes are simple to make and easy to wear. You make 2 panels, a front and a back, and then attach them at the top to make shoulder straps. Add another set of strap ties at the waistline to hold together, and you're good to go.

One year my older daughter was a Jack O Lantern. We made the front and back from cardboard box panels, painted them orange and added the face features. She wore a green hat, jacket and pants.

Another Halloween my younger daughter wanted to be a rainbow. We drew and painted the rainbow front and back, then made a tie-on headband mask to frame her face with the sun's rays. She wore sky blue clothing for the rest of her costume.

More Prize Winning Costume Ideas for DIY Masquerade Costumes

Pac Man Costume Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourist_on_earth/ / CC BY 2.0

Mr Cheerful Paper Costume Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourist_on_earth/ / CC BY 2.0

Fire Engine and Fire Fighter Costume - Home made cardboard box fire truck with lights!

iPod or iPad Costume You Can Make

Be the music ...

Halloween Costume: Guy Dressed as an iPhone Gets an iPhone
by chrisbarrett | video info

50 ratings | 42,797 views
curated content from YouTube

How to Make a Simple Cardboard Costume

Made with recycled cardboard from large boxes or craft foam sheets

Here are the basic instructions for making a simple cardboard costumes at home:

Materials
* Large, clean corrugated boxes or craft foam sheets
Use old moving or furniture shipping boxes, or buy new flat boxes from department stores or moving storage companies.
* Permanent Broad Tip Marker
* Poster Paints
* Sturdy Twine, 1-inch Ribbon, or Braided Cord

Directions
1. Cut boxes apart to make 2 large flat panels.
2. Draw a basic design shape on the front panel and cut out using a craft knife or heavy duty scissors.
3. Trace the front onto another cardboard panel to make the back and cut out the back panel. (I like to mark FRONT and BACK on the inside of each panel with pencil to avoid confusion.)
4. On the outside of each panel, outline main design areas with the marker, then paint inside the lines as desired. If you cover the lines, just paint them in with black later if you need them.
5. Allow paint to dry thoroughly, then make a pencil mark at the top center of each panel on the back side.

Making the Shoulder Straps
1. Using the center pencil mark and side edges as guides, mark a small hole for each shoulder strap at the top edge of the front panel. Position the marks about 1 inch down, midway between the center mark and each side edge.
2. Check that the marks are roughly in the middle of wearer's shoulders. Adjust position if necessary, then punch or cut out 2 small holes on the front panel.
3. Lay the back panel underneath the front panel with painted sides facing out. Make a pencil mark through the hole in the front panel to the back panel.
4. Using guide marks, cut or punch the 2 holes in the back panel.
5. Cut 2 pieces of twine 24 inches long. Lay the front and back together with painted sides out, unpainted sides together. Starting at the front left edge, thread 1 piece of twine through the front and back and knot ends loosely together. Repeat for the right side.
6. Try costume on wearer; adjust strap lengths and fasten; conceal loose tie ends inside panels in the back.

Making the Waist Band Ties
Have child put on the sandwich with shoulder ties in wearing position. Repeat the shoulder strap steps to mark, cut and tie a pair of waistline ties. Trim excess lengths from ties.

Popular Halloween Costumes for Children

This Year's Most Popular Fancy Dress Costumes for Kids

The huge popularity of the Twilight books and films has vampire costumes for all ages flying off the shelves. Take a look at some of these fabulous vampire costumes and vampire costume accessories we found! Hurry before the supply runs out - most costume stores ship overnight, so you can order right up until the day before Halloween to get your vampire costumes.

Elite Gothic Vampire Child Costume

Elite Gothic Vampire Child Costume

Elite Gothic Vampira Child Costume

Elite Gothic Vampira Child Costume

Paper Costume Patterns - Vintage!

How to Make Paper Costumes -- Instructions and Illustrations for Over 60 Vintage Costumes

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now

Face Painting How-tos and Makeup Tips

Face Painting Patterns
Face Painting - how tos and patterns for more than a dozen characters and creatures.
Face Painting Designs on Squidoo
Anyone can learn face painting designs with a step by step guide, some easy examples to follow and some time to practice. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can improve your technique.
How to Face Paint
Learn how to face paint with our face painting designs blog. Discover face paint designs, video tutorials, face painting ideas, face paints tips, product reviews and articles!
Caricature Express: Face Paint Pictures
Interesting Carnival Face Paint Designs, on children and Adults. Very creative, good examples/ideas!
Simple Skull Face Paint -- Ideal for Kids | Face Paint Heaven
This easy skeleton face painting design will give you a fun Halloween look. Create it in 6 simple steps, using just 2 colors of face paint.

Face Painting Designs and Instructions

DIY face painting is fun and creative.

Snazaroo Zoo: Great Faces and Easy Costumes to Bring Out the Animal in You

Amazon Price: $6.50 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now

Kids and adults love the effects you can achieve with face paint, and there's no cumbersome mask over your eyes and nose.

Face Paint and Masquerade Makeup

No need for a mask - paint your face in a creative, wild or exotic design!
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Home Made Halloween Makeup Recipes

Monster Mash Goop and Other Cool Things-Home Made Make Up

Face makeup for children may irritate skin. You can concoct your own Halloween makeup from simple non-toxic household ingredients.

Try these recipes for home made Halloween Makeup and Face Paint.

Aged Grey Hair, White Skin
Apply a bit of hair gel or slick conditioner where you want to make grey hair, then dust on some baby powder. To make a ghostly pale complexion, apply cold cream to skin then carefully dust on pale face powder or baby powder. Be sure to avoid inhaling powder during application - use a small amount of powder and a cotton ball to dab on gently.

Face Paint
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp cold cream
2 drops food coloring as desired

Mix all ingredients together well and apply.

Clown Make-up Base
2 tsp white shortening
5 tsp corn starch
1 tsp white all purpose flour
glycerin
Food coloring

Mix shortening, corn starch and flour until well blended. Add a few (3 or 4) drops of glycerin to make creamier texture. Apply to face and neck.

Bloody Mess Goop
16 ounces corn syrup
1 ounce red food coloring
1 or 2 drops blue food coloring
1 ounce water
Evaporated milk (optional)

Mix the water, food coloring and corn syrup together to a sticky syrup. Add the milk, a few drops at a time until you get a "blood" consistency. This makeup will stain clothing and skin, so be sure to use cold cream on skin before applying and don't get it on any clothing you don't want ruined.

Another Bloody Mess
Easy as 1-2-3
Mix chocolate syrup with red food coloring until you get the color you desire. Looks real, tastes great, stains clothing.

Home Made Body Glitter
This recipe for glitter gel is easy and fun for creating glamorous sparkle effects for drama queens, fairy princesses, Tinkerbells, stage drama or just for fun.

Quick Disguises
If you just need a quick mask, you can print and cut out an instant mask, or find one in the Mask and Costume Links.

Professional Monster Makeup Tips for Halloween

Special FX Masters Share Their Secrets

Book plus companion Win/MAC CD-ROM with all illustrations in full color . Easy access to corresponding directions and supply list.

Theatrical FX Makeup

Amazon Price: $27.68 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $35.95

" ...practical, hands-on guide to the art and craft of using makeup to create visual effects worthy of professional theater, film, or television productions. ... adding fifty years to an actor's age to simulating horrific diseases to disguising gender to creating ghastly visages of the undead"

Tattoo Designs and Body Painting

Henna Patterns - Mehendi - Henna Tattoo Designs
Professional henna artist designs for hands, feet - wonderful designs to copy and color!
Pirate Captain Makeup and Accessories - How to
Pirate Captain - Face Pack Art Craft - Pirate makeup instrucitons.

Make a Costume Without Sewing

The Halloween Handbook: 447 Costumes

Amazon Price: $0.98 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now

This great DIY costume book offers how to instructions for a wide variety of masks, head gear, and costumes, plus includes explanations for making and combining accessories. Step-by-step instructions presented in words and photographs help you make your own costumes, masks and hats from ordinary household tools from materials that are easy to find, collect, or buy.

Costume Safety Tips

Use safe costume materials for dress up and fancy dress

When making your own costume, be sure to pick materials that are fire-resistant.

Costumes for outdoors in cool weather should fit around the body loosely over a jacket or sweats.

For the very young, forget the mask and apply a bit of non-toxic makeup or use face paint. (Use the home made face makeup recipes below!)

Use snaps, ties or hook and loop strips to make dressing and undressing easier.

Penguin Face Mask

Printable penguin mask for Halloween or play time dress up

Penguin mask, printable face mask

Print and cut Penguin Mask

Masks and Costumes to Make

Masks to print, masks to color, masks to sculpt - costumes from simple to extreme!

Cool Masks for Mardi Gras, Halloween, Masquerade and CosPlay
Robot Costume - Free Halloween Costume Pattern and Instructions
Find out how to make this simple yet creative Halloween costume. Follow these directions submitted by Aline Toussaint and you can dress up as a robot.
Sew Your Own Baby Costumes
Free Halloween costume patterns for babies and toddlers. Find step by step tutorials and patterns for baby costumes that you can make yourself!

Felt and Fabric Masks

Soft Masks, Great for Children and Adults

A fabric mask is easy on the skin and requires only a bit of sewing if you make it from felt. You can create very elaborate eye and face masks using fabric embellished with embroidery, sequins, feathers or fabric paint.
Twig and Toadstool: Mardi Gras Masks!
Fabulous fancy felt and feather Mardi Gras masks to make.
Felt Masks and Disguises | My Disguises - We Love Costumes
Felt Masks and Disguises for masquerade and cosplay
Hazelnuts: Child's Felt Mask Pattern and Tutorial
Easy to make felt masks for kids. Includes resources for patterns and mask templates.

Adult Costumes and Party Supplies

No time to make your own costume? You can buy a cool costume, mask, wig or accessories!

adult halloween costumes and masquerade mardi gras costumesVisit HalloweenMart for Accessories, Kid's Costumes, and even Adult Costumes for Adult Eyes Only! plus they've got a great selection of Couple's Costumes and hard to find items like plus size ladies costumes as well as CDs, Books & Videos for your Halloween party adventure.

Halloween Party Resources

Printables, decorations, invites, favors, games and crafts for your Halloween party.
Print and Play Halloween Party Games
Games to customize, print and play at your Halloween party.
Halloween Party Decorations
Unique Halloween party decorations, favors, props and complete party kits.
Halloween Party Invites
Printable party invititations from HP.
Pumpkin Carving Templates
Print and carve patterns to make the coolest creepy gourds for your Halloween party.
Make your own Halloween mask
Learn how to create a photographic mask - faces, animals - your Dad, or perhaps the cat?
SCARY Masks - Haunted Paper Toys
3-dimensional frightful paper masks to print and assemble.
Monstrous Books Party Favors
The fabled Necronomicon, a mysterious book only glimpsed in the darkest of legends. Use for party invites or favors - eeeeek!
Make a Face Pattern
Use this Make A Face bag pattern to create a mask instead of a treat bag. Just follow the instructions for making eyes, noses and mouths using paper scraps, then attach them to a sturdy paper plate. Fasten the plate to a wooden craft stick to use as a mask - add eye holes if you wish. You can also use these wacky faces as decorations!
Printable Halloween Bingo Game for Party or Classroom
A free printable Halloween bingo game for your Halloween party or classroom.
HALLOWEEN - Large printable skeleton
Halloween Party Decoration - large printable skeleton craft to print, cut and paste.
Dracula and Frankenstein Halloween Shelf Sitters
Paper Halloween Bobblehead Shelf Sitters Simple to make and only one page to print!
How to Make a Spooky Skull Pinata
This quick-drying skeleton head pinata can be made in an afternoon.
Pirate Party Printables - Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate
Printable pirate eye patches and pirate party game activity sheets for Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate.

Instant Masks Blog

Masquerade Masks for Adults and Children



The Masquerade Instant Masks blog features easy to make masks for Halloween, Mardi Gras, Carnivale or cosplay, and updates every week all year long.

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Make a Frog Face Mask

Print, cut out, add eye holes and tie straps or elastic strings.

Big Green Bull Frog Printable Full Color or Coloring In Frog Mask

Costume Masks That Kids Can Make

Kids love to make masks and this book has dozens of ideas to keep them busy.

Making Masks (Kids Can Do It)

Amazon Price: $2.81 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now

Home made masks are always better than those plastic and rubber monstrosity masks you find in the stores.

Extreme Home Made Costumes and Ideas for DIY Masquerade

Pushing Masquerade Creativity to the Max

SquidBOO! Masquerade Costume and Masks - face makeup, party props, masquerade party themes, very cool DIY costumes and masks

If you like to sew, you can find patterns by all the big sewing publishers: Simplicity Costumes

Need Ideas?- Here's a List of Suggestions for Making Your Own Halloween Costume

TV Set Costume - made from recycled cartons, of course!

Halloween Costume Ideas

Coolest Home Made Costumes - thousands of photos from folks just like you!

Transformers - watch the video!

Super Easy Squid Costume - whip this squid costume up from paper, folders and a couple cds.

10 Adorable Handmade Pixar Costumes for Kids - incredibly cute and creative Pixar character costumes made by hand for children. Lots of soft fleece in these, so they're comfy and warm if it's chilly for Trick or Treat.

DIY Halloween at MAKEzine - ***warning: some really gross but highly creative costume pix at this link***

Costume and Mask Deals on eBay

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Owl Face Mask

Whooo are You?

Printable mask craft, owl face mask

Printable Owl Mask

Owls are classic Halloween symbols. So many people think owls are frightening, while others think of owls as wise and friendly If you or your child want to dress up as an owl, here's an easy print and cut mask to wear with your home made costume.



Mask copyright Lee Hansen/ClipArtandCrafts.com, used with permission

I Love to Make Costumes and Masks

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Make a Papier Mache Mardi Gras Mask

Shape, mold, paint - it's easy to make a plaster mask

How To Make a Venetian Mardi Gras Mask Paper Mache
by we3sisters | video info

168 ratings | 112,622 views
curated content from YouTube

Last Minute Costumes

Instant Masks, Fast Masquerade Ideas

What do you do when you need a costume at the very last minute? When it's too late to shop online or the costume stores are sold out to the bare shelves, you can still come up with a costume. Here are some great ideas for making a costume with little or no time to spare - and not much money to spend, either!
Prize Winning Original Costume Ideas
Ideas for prizewinning and cool DIY Halloween costumes to help you win best Halloween costume awards at your masquerade costume party.
Last-Minute Halloween Costumes
See what you can make with stuff you have around the house - creative, last minute and frugal costumes.
Costume Ideas
Quick and easy costume ideas - Q-tip, bulk email, running nose ... 16 pages of ideas for adult costumes and children's last minute Halloween costumes.
Last Minute Kids Halloween Costumes
Find Last Minute Costumes Ideas and other Halloween Costumes your kids will enjoy during the spooky holiday season on FamilyFun.com
9 Awesome Last Minute Halloween Costumes You Can Make From Junk
In celebration of Halloween I have found some innovative last minute fashionable Halloween costumes for those of you still in need of a costume. The best part about it is that you can make these yourself with regular household items.
Last Minute Halloween Costumes at Squidoo
It's Halloween night. You're sitting in your recliner, hiding in the shadows from trick-or-treaters. Suddenly, the phone rings. It's your friend, begging you to come out to the bar. Finally, you agree. But what will you wear?If you've found yourself suddenly in need of a Halloween costume, never fea
craftzine.com: Last Minute Halloween Costumes for Kids
Get out the craft tools, sewing machine and stuff from around the house to make the kids a last minute prizewinning Halloween costume. Full instructions for making these creative kid costumes: lego block, bee, pirate, money and ... sushi!
Easy Last-Minute Costume Ideas
Instead of rushing to the store, try these last-minute costume ideas using old clothes from the closet.

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Costumes & Dress Up Featured Lenses

Kids and adults love to dress up in costume - some would say high fashion is costumery or fancy dress to the max. Visit these fine lenses if you seek even more fancy dress, dress up and costume information and ideas for unusual creative costumes.
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DIY Halloween Costume Lenses

Tips, Instructions and Patterns for Making Costumes

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DIY Costume Videos

How to make your own Pirate Hat, Fairy Wings, and more - video DIY Costume tips.
How-to Make Recycled Fairy Wings, Threadbanger
by ThreadBanger | video info

1,724 ratings | 461,711 views
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Quick and Easy No-Sew Costumes

Home Made Last Minute Costumes for Children and Adults

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Brilliant DIY Masks and Costumes 

Cool Home Made Costumes and Masks

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Advanced Costume Design 

Costume Craftwork on a Budget: Clothing, 3-D Makeup, Wigs, Millinery & Accessories

Amazon Price: $27.70 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now