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Halloween How-To: Making your own latex mask

Can't find your perfect latex mask? Here is how you can make one.

WASHINGTON — It is October and you know what that means--we are officially in Halloween territory!

If you are anything like me, you have spent every day since Nov.1, 2020, thinking about what you want to dress up as this year. Your Pinterest board is filled with different characters, themes and ideas just waiting for you to choose. 

Unfortunately, some popular Halloween items may be harder to find this year, due to global supply chain problems and a lack of workers to unload ships that are loaded with goods, according to experts.

RELATED: Halloween could be haunted by supply chain shortages

So, what do you do if you can’t find the perfect Halloween costume in stores? It is time for a DIY tutorial. In this “Halloween How To” We’re going to be making a custom latex mask. Here is everything you need to know to impress your friends and haunt your enemies.

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • Cotton balls
  • Liquid latex
  • Vaseline or Petroleum jelly
  • Mannequin head
  • Clay
  • Paintbrushes
  • Cream face paints
  • Translucent powder
  • Clear gloss spray paint

WANT TEETH? YOU'LL NEED THIS:

  • Polymorph plastic beads
  • Hot water
  • Clear nail polish

PRO-TIP: This process will take several days, so don’t wait until October 30 to start putting it together.

STEPS:

  • Print out an inspiration photo or draw a picture of what you hope to make – It is much easier to create the mask when you have a guide of what you want instead of just making it up on the fly. If you are having to draw your image but aren’t a great artist, don’t worry about it.
  • Put some clay between the bottom of the nose and the lip of the mannequin head and some on the chin, this is to leave you some room between the mask and your face, so it will be easier for you to breathe.
  • Put a thin layer of Petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, over the clay and mannequin head
  • Using a paintbrush, place a layer of liquid latex on the mannequin head in the shape of your mask.
  • Tear apart some cotton balls and lay them down on top of the liquid latex
  • Add another layer and repeat

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ADDING TEETH?

  • Pour some hot water into a cup
  • Place a few polymorph plastic balls into the water
  • Once the balls are clear, pull them from the water, roll them into a ball and then shape them into the form you like before letting them cool. If you mess up, just add it back to the hot water and reshape.
  • Once cooled, put a small amount of liquid latex on the bottom of each tooth and place them in the mask. Put a layer of liquid latex and cotton on the outside of the teeth until it looks like the teeth are in the gums/mouth.

PRO-TIP: Making teeth of different sizes will give a more gnarly jagged look, while teeth of all the same size will look more uniform.

RELATED: Is it safe to trick-or-treat this year? Here's what Dr. Fauci says

STEPS (CONTINUED):

  • Once the mask is shaped and your layers of cotton and liquid latex are complete, leave your mask to dry overnight. 
  • Once the mask is dry, gently remove the mask from your mannequin head.
  • Paint the mask with cream face paint. 
  • Once the mask is painted, use a translucent powder to set the cream paint. 
  • If you have added teeth, use a clear gloss nail polish to make them shine. 
  • Finally set the paint with a clear gloss spray paint.
  • Leave to dry overnight.

PRO-TIP: Make a half mask and use velcro to add to a close face covering to adhere to COVID regulations.

And there you have it. A custom latex Halloween mask. If your mask is too big or heavy, cut holes in the sides and add ribbon to make it so you can tie the mask securely around your head.

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Cvent takes pride in its yearly Halloween celebrations. It's a perfect Halloween night for having all the fun activities indoors. (Oct. 2019)

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