Easy to Make Costume Masks and Halloween Decorations for Kids

Kids love to pretend and dress up for Halloween. Preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children like to help and making a Halloween mask is easy to do. No need to purchase a lot of materials, you probably already have most or all of the supplies needed to make a Halloween mask.

Simple materials such as egg cartons, cardboard, construction paper, boxes, string, crayons and glue are all that is needed to make a fun Halloween mask. Let your kids decide on a mask that they would like to wear, and then let the creativity run wild.

Here are some easy to make Halloween masks for kids:

Ghost Balloon:

Supplies:

White balloon

Black marker

Two White plastic bags (grocery bags or other plastic shopping bags)

Scissors

Tape

Ribbon or string

Cut off the handles from one grocery bag. With the seam of the bag facing away from you, cut the bag into strips.

Blow up a white balloon and knot to hold in the air. Tape the strips around the lower edge of the balloon.

Use the black marker to color eyes and a mouth on the balloon above the strips.

Tie a string or ribbon around the knot at the top of the balloon and hang. (This ghost really flies great, too, but will need to be blown up again each time it is released!)

Jack-O-Lantern Mask:

Supplies:

Paper plate

Markers, crayons, or paints

Green construction paper

Yarn or string

Hole punch

Scissors

Draw a face on the underside of the paper plate.

Cut out the eyes, nose and mouth and color the plate orange, adding vertical black lines for pumpkin ridges.

Make the stem by cutting a rectangle, about 2 inches by 1 inch from green construction paper, and tape it to the top of the pumpkin mask.

Punch a hole in each side of the mask. Tie a length of yarn in each hole of the jack-o-lantern mask.

NOTE: Many different types of masks can be made by using paper plates. Just change the type of eyes, mouth and nose and cut out different types of ears from construction paper and tape to the plate. Color or decorate the design as desired.

Make aLionmask by gluing pieces of yarn or paper around the edge of the plate.

Make a Sheep mask by gluing cotton balls on the plate.

Make a Cat mask by drawing round eyes with pointed pupils, a triangle nose, and cutting pointed ears from construction paper and taping to the plate. Use small strips of paper or pipe cleaners for the whiskers and glue to the plate.

Make a Puppy Dog mask by cutting ears from construction paper or from material and attached to the paper plate. Make a tongue from pink construction paper and glue to the bottom of the plate. Draw eyes and nose with the marker, and add a few freckles aside the nose area.

Egg Carton Bat:

Supplies:

Egg carton

Scissors

String or ribbon

Black marker

Glue (spray or liquid) - optional

Glitter - optional

Cut three egg holders from the egg carton, and set the holder top side down. Slice off a portion of each egg to make wings.

Poke a hole in the center of the middle egg cup. Tie a knot in one end of a length of ribbon or string, and thread through the hole to hang up the bat.

Draw eyes and a mouth with the black marker. Spray or apply glue and sprinkle glitter over the bat (if using).

Glitter Spider Web:

Supplies:

Black construction paper

Glue

Glitter

Plastic spider - optional

Newspaper to cover working surface

Start by using craft glue to draw lines on the construction paper. Make a line from middle top to bottom, then a line across from edge to edge of paper (a "plus" sign). Now draw intersecting lines from corner to corner of the paper. Then draw curved lines between them.

Sprinkle glitter on the spider web lines. Pick up the paper and gently shake off excess, letting it slide onto the newspaper.

Apply glue to the feet and bottom of the plastic spider's body (if using) and place on the web.

Let the web dry overnight before handling.

Halloween is the last day of October, October 31^st. Are you ready?