During the summer, I purchased a few unpainted paper-mache masks to decorate for Halloween. The plain masks are just a few dollars each and very sturdy, making them a great base to work with.

For this floral inspired mask, I used a punch to cut scalloped circles from a vintage book. For the flowers, I cut apart the petals from a single silk hydrangea bloom (from Michaels). Using a hot glue gun, I secured the text circles and petals, overlapping them, one by one, as I went around the circumference of the mask. To cover the area around the eyes, I cut the petals again, leaving just one petal segment and continued with overlapping the petals as I glued them on.

This mask I decorated in recognition of a favorite Halloween read, "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. For the ties, bird images were hand-stamped onto a length of grey ribbon. I think I'll wear the floral mask when our trick-or-treaters arrive and save the raven mask for you know who.
I was originally inspired to make these masks from a past feature in Martha Stewart Living Magazine, highlights of which can be found here. If you're making any masks or costumes this year, please share your links under my comments section, so we can all enjoy them!
- Sources -
Paper Mache Masks - http://www.mardigrasoutlet.com