Easy costume: masquerade masks

Making your own masquerade masks at home will provide two fun activities for your kids: an easy craft project followed by some fun dress up and imaginative play once the masks are finished.  Just print out the masquerade mask templates below and get started.

What you need:

• 4 x printable masquerade mask templates (choose from bowtie mask, eyeglasses mask, heart-shaped eyeglasses mask, and moustache mask)
• 5 x wooden chopsticks or bamboo skewers
• Scissors
• 1 x empty cereal box (for cardboard)
• Glue
• Hot glue gun
• Colourful scraps of paper and fabric to decorate your masks.

Number of players:
1+

Activity:

Watch the video tutorial for some tips on how to make and decorate your masquerade masks.

First print out your templates.

Next lay them out on a sheet of cardboard (a cereal box works perfectly for this)

Glue the templates to the cardboard and then cut them out.

Decorate your masks however you like.

Shiny sparkly things are essential for masquerade masks: feathers, sequins, anything you have lying around that can be cut out and glued to your masks will be perfect. Think: Dame Edna Everage.

Attach the chopstick to one side of the mask using a hot glue gun. (You can also just use masking tape and craft glue for this, but a hot glue gun is easiest and most effective.)

You are now ready for the masquerade ball!

Tips and hints:

• A textured fabric works best for the moustache mask. We used black felt.  A piece of corduroy from an old pair of pants, or polar fleece would also work well. Just raid your kids' drawers for old clothing they no longer fit into.
• You could simply colour in your masks with pencils and textas if you don't feel like breaking out the glue and feathers.