Make a Witch Mask with Gauze the Easy Way

I decided to make my daughter’s witch costume this year, and wanted to try the gauze technique. Find out how to DIY your own witch mask here.

Hello! This is Amy from Maker Mama back for a fun Halloween how-to. On a recent trip to one of my favorite antique stores in Austin, I came across an old costume mask made of gauze.

I’d never seen anything like it and was completely fascinated. A little searching online and I found that gauze masks were once very common.

So, when I decided to make my youngest daughter’s witch costume this year, I knew I wanted to try my hand at the same technique! This is a fun Halloween craft for kids – not necessarily young children, but older kids will really enjoy making and decorating their own mask.

Find out how to DIY your own gauze witch mask below.

DIY Witch Mask

To make your witch mask, you’ll need these supplies:

Plastic mask
Gauze
Paper maché (I use a 1-to-1 mix of water and flour plus 1 – 2 tablespoons of salt)
Thin cardboard scraps
Plastic wrap
Masking tape
Green paint
Scissors
Permanent marker
Paintbrush

Cut out your nose shape from the cardboard. Mine looks kind of like a Gonzo nose, but you can make yours anyway you want. Also cut a long tapered strip for the bridge and underside of your nose.

Tape the matching nose pieces on either side of the bridge piece, curving the bridge as needed.

Tape the nose to the mask and cover it with plastic wrap.

Paint the paper maché onto the gauze and cover the mask, painting over with the paper maché. Let dry (this will probably need to be overnight).

After your mask is dry, cut the eyes out using the plastic mask as a guideline. Remove the plastic mask and cardboard nose.

Paint your witch mask!

Add some eyebrows.

And a wart (or two). To finish, cut some small holes on either side and add the stretch elastic from your plastic mask.

For more fun Halloween how-to’s, visit my Maker Mama and follow me on Pinterest. I’d also love for you to check out the following posts. Happy Halloween!