How to Make a Venetian Style Paper Mache Mask for Halloween

Whether you're dressing up for Halloween or wanting to look fantastic in a play or at a party, the right mask can help make your costume unforgettable. A Venetian style paper mache mask is a beautiful accessory for a Halloween masquerade, and it's relatively easy to make.

Do you want to give your mask a comically long nose? A moon shape to the chin and forehead? In order to insure the best possible results, look up pictures of Venetian masks before you begin. This will give you an idea of what to do to your mask.

1.) First, you need to gather and prepare your materials. After all, you don't want to have to get up and down after you begin the project.

Materials:
A cheap white mask
Newpaper
Flour
Bowl
Warm Water
Salt
Vaseline
Paint and Decorating Materials
Prepare your newspaper by tearing it into shreds. Lay one sheet down to keep your work area clean. Mix flour and warm water (half and half) in your bowl. Add a dash of salt to stop the flour from souring.

Now you need to prepare the base that you'll be using as your mask: a cheap white plastic mask. Most paper mache projects call for using a balloon, but, if you use a balloon, you sacrifice facial features such as the brow and nose. You can also use a person's face as your base, but I find that it's hard to get someone to sit still while you shape features onto them. Instead, pick up a cheap face mask (either half-face mask or full-face mask)at a hobby store. The benefit of using a craft mask for this project is that the features are present, and you can use the mask over again for more mask projects.

Once you have your mask, remove the string. Prepare the mask by covering it in a light, even coat of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline. This will keep your new mask from sticking to your base mask.

2. It's time to begin adding layers to the mask. Dip the strips of newspaper into the flour and water mixture, lightly running it them your fingers to get rid of the extra liquid. Lay the strips, one at a time, on the mask. Be consistent! Keep the thickness of the mask as even as possible.

Now that the mask is covered with one layer of newspaper mache, begin adding more prominent features. If you gathered one earlier, it's now time to use a picture of a Venetian mask as your model. Wad newspaper strips into thicker pieces and mold a protruding brow or nose onto your mask. Add plumper lips or a comedic pointed chin. Be creative and work slowly, building onto your mask. Once the features are prominent, check and make sure that you've cover them with a smooth, even layer of strips that blend well with the rest of the mask.

3. After you've built the mask, it's time to consider removing it from the base. If your mask is stable,you can remove the base mask. If it is not, let the mask dry a while before removing it. Let the mask dry completely before you begin decorating. If you put the mask to your face, and it's still very cool against your skin, it's probably not dry enough.

4. Finally, you can decorate your mask. You can do so a number of ways, but, first, you're going to want to cover the paper mache with a color. Use craft paint to cover the entire mask, or, if you're more creative, try decoupaging strips of printed scrapbook paper onto the surface, as I suggest in my article "Decoupage Project: Masquerade Mask for Halloween". Use ribbons, lace, beads,and stencils to decorate.

A Venetian mask can be expensive to purchase in stores, so, if you're planning on wearing one for Halloween or at your next masquerade party, try making your Venetian-style mask out of paper mache.