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Make Your Own Costumes, Masks and Face Paint

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Fancy Dress Fun for Halloween, Mardi Gras, Playtime

 

Kids (and adults) love dress up, masks and face painting, especially during Halloween or Mardi Gras. It's easy and inexpensive to make your own costumes and makeup using materials you probably have on hand in your cupboards and closets, or even in the recycle bin.

Using cardboard boxes, poster paints, string and fabric scraps you can make quick and easy costumes that are also fun to create.

Quick Tips

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 non-toxic makeup recipes below!)

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

Halloween Fire Safety

Extreme Home Made Costumes and Ideas for DIY Masquerade 

Pushing Masquerade Creativity to the Max

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

Halloween Costume Ideas

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

Transformers - watch the video!

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

Halloween Makeup Recipes 

Monster Mash Goop and Other Cool Things

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.

Face Painting Tips
Step-By-Step Guide Makes Face Painting So Easy Even Non-Creative Types Can Look Like Pros. Put the finishing touches on costumes
in just a few minutes with the easy instructions in this book. Includes 5 face-paint patterns: Princess, Tiger, Dog, Bunny, Butterfly

Mask and Costume Links 

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

Cool Masks for Mardi Gras, Halloween, Masquerade
Family Costumes and Party Decorations
The season's most popular costumes, decorations, masks, makeup and masquerade accessories - Halloween, Mardi Gras, mascots, performance costumes, theatricals and much more. All sizes, from babies to senior citizens - PETS, too!
Lion Mask to Print and Cut Out
Printable lion mask in full color.
Halloween Baseball Costume
Make a Baseball costume using the "sandwich board" method
Costumes for Disabled Kids and Adults
Great ideas for incorporating a wheelchair into a costume design.
Make Your Own Fairy Wings
Great how-to lens on making beautiful fairy wings for costume, parade, stage or just for fun.
Masks to Color, Decorate and Cut Out
Monsters, animals, funny eyeglasses, faces and more.
Make a Mask of Medusa
Cleveland Museum of Art, printable with full instructions for making a Medusa paper mask.
Instant Clown Mask
Print and cut circus clown mask.
How to Face Paint
Learn how to face paint - face painting designs, face painting ideas, courses, tips, articles and face painting videos
Mask-Making Made Easy
How-tos for mask-making plus pictures of finished masks, by Relache on Squidoo.
Masks to Color at Phee McFaddell
Butterfly Mask Coloring Pages
Quick Creative Halloween Costumes - Costuming
Quick Creative Halloween Costumes for busy families on a tight budget
Homemade Baby Bird Costume
Adorable feathery bird costume for a toddler. Photo and how-to included!
Make sure Your Infant Has a Unique Baby Halloween Costume This Year!
Make or buy a cute Baby Halloween Costume with the tips in this lens.
Halloween Costumes: Ladybug - Kaboose.com
Sandwich board type costume example - ladybug
Homemade Halloween Costumes - easy and cheap!
Nothing beats homemade when it comes to Halloween costumes.
Halloween Mask Projects
Halloween Craft Masks
Application of stage makeup
Application of stage makeup: here are basic techniques for both men and women.
Pirate Face Mask to Color
Free printable pirate face coloring picture, large enough to make a pirate mask.

Print and Cut Eyeglasses Collection
Eyeglasses to print and cut out and make funny masks or scrapbook picture frames for Halloween, Harry Potter, masquerade, Mardi Gras or scrapbook fun.
Paper Masks Printable Craft Sheets (free printables to color, cut, paste)
Free printable paper masks for play time, masquerade, Mardi Gras or Halloween costume crafts - full color masks, mustaches, eyeglasses, coloring masks!
Pirate Hat and Eye Patch Craft Sheet
Ready to print and cut Pirate hat and eye patch paper craft sheet printable.
Pirate Costumes
All things pirate and costume!
Pirate Costume Skirt - Free Pattern
Free directions to draft your own pattern and how to sew a pirate costume skirt.
Preschool Face Masks
Printable face masks - animals, insects, clown, santa and many more, plus felt masks to make.
Masks for Trick-or-Treating
Printable Halloween masks, some in color and some ready to color in.
Revenge of the Halloween Masks
Cool print out Star Wars masks.
Cute Animal Costumes
Easy animal costumes for small children and infants.
Animal Masks to Print
Animal Masks to Print - Many different face masks!
Magical Kingdom - Paper Craft - Clown Mask Maker
Faces, eyes, hats and all the parts to design your own clown mask.
Free Craft WIZARD CAPE
Free pattern and full instructions, created by Ms. Brenda
Fun Fabric Mask Project - Creative Mask Making for Kids
Project by Molly J. Anderson-Childers - How to make fun fabric masks for Valentine's Day and other occasions, plus a creative writing mask making activity.
Make Your Own Paper Claws
How to Make Origami Paper Claws for a costume.

DIY Costume Videos 


Halloween Costume Ideas, Fairy Wings, Threadbanger

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26195 views
10 Comments:


Halloween Costume Ideas, Pirate Costume, Halloweeny Wednesda

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19881 views
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Halloween Costume Ideas, Mummies, Threadbanger

Runtime: 2:33
15086 views
10 Comments:

Halloween Party Resources 

Printables and crafts for your Halloween party - invites, decorations, favors and activities.
Print and Play Halloween Party Games
Games to customize, print and play at your Halloween party.
Halloween Party Decorations
Decorations, favors, props and complete party theme 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!

Sandwich Board Costumes - Cardboard Boxes Come to Life 

Craft Project One Day, Costume the Next

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

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

Materials
  • Large, clean corrugated boxes

    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
Cut boxes apart to make 2 large flat panels.

Draw a basic design shape on the front panel and cut out using a craft knife or heavy duty scissors. Trace the front onto another cardboard panel to make the back and cut the back out. (I like to mark FRONT and BACK on the inside of each panel with pencil to avoid confusion.)

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.

Allow paint to dry thoroughly, then make a pencil mark at the top center of each panel on the back side.

Shoulder Straps
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.

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.

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. Using guide marks, cut or punch the 2 holes in the back panel.

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.

Try costume on wearer; adjust strap lengths and conceal loose tie ends inside panels in the back.

Waist Strap 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

Costume and Dress Up 

Resources for Making Your Own Masks and Costumes

Making Masks (Kids Can Do It)

Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 05/17/2008)

Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 05/17/2008)

Glue & Go Costumes for Kids: Super-Duper Designs with Everyday Materials

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 05/17/2008)

Girl Crush - Airbrush Tattoo Washable Body Art Designer

Amazon Price: $34.50 (as of 05/17/2008)

Make Costumes!: For Creative Play (Art and Activities for Kids)

Amazon Price: (as of 05/17/2008)

Tattoo and Body Paint 

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.

Yoo Hoo - Say Hello! 

lisawillard

Great lens. I'm always looking for unique ideas for my kids. Thanks for sharing.

Posted May 14, 2008

beeobrien

I love home-made costumes. So much fun to make and to wear. Great lens.

Posted May 14, 2008

EelKat

I just made a new group, for CosPlay-Anime-Manga type lenses. Sending along an invitation to come join it! http://www.squidoo.com/groups/CosPlay

Posted March 29, 2008

Funny Animal Noses! 

if you could be an animal for a day...

Which animal nose is your favorite? If your favorite is missing, add it to our list! And be sure to come back and vote for your #1!

#1

Chicken Costume Nose

Chicken Costume Nose

Fun Chicken Costume Nose for addition to any Fun F more...1 point

#2

Black Cat Nose - Great Cat Costume Accessory

Black Cat Nose - Great Cat Costume Accessory

Soft Vinyl Black Cat Nose is a great addition to a more...1 point

#3

Elephant Costume Nose - Great for Costume and Political Parties

Elephant Costume Nose - Great for Costume and Political Parties

Add this Elephant Costume Nose to make any costume more...0 points

#4

Nose, Rabbit w/Elastic

Nose, Rabbit w/Elastic

Animal nose with elastic fasteners. May differ sli more...0 points

#5

Pig Nose w/Elastic

Pig Nose w/Elastic

A realistic pig nose with an elastic band for comf more...0 points

created by relache
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I'm a graphic artist and a child of the sixties. When I'm not on Squidoo, I'm drawing free graphics, publishing Pastiche Family Portal or blogging at Blogger, MySpace, and StumbleUpon

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