How to Make Venetian Masks

There is something fascinating, when it comes to Venice. From the canals to the gondolas and from mystic Roman history to carnivals, everything is so special about Venice. One of the century old traditions in Venice is to wear masks during various occasions, including the carnival of Venice. These masks are called Venetian masks. These masks are characterized by their bright colors, complex decoration and ornate design. It is the reason why making Venetian face masks at home is a challenge for those who are not much aware of arts and crafts. As opposed to the common assumption, learning to make venetian masks is a pretty easy and interesting process, that we are going to find out in the next section of the article. So, let's get started!

Making Venetian Masks at Home

If you are hankering for a great looking mask for a masquerade party, Halloween party or carnival party and you have plenty of time in hand, then the best thing to do is to make the Venetian mask at home. They also look great with those elegant costume party attires. Above all, they are quite easy and inexpensive to make. Now, without further introduction let's head straight and find out the instructions for making Venetian masks.

Method #1

Materials Needed

• Plain half mask
• Craft scissors
• Craft glue
• Satin fabric
• Chopsticks
• Ostrich feathers and glitter
• Sequins and rhinestones

Instructions

You can get the mask at any local party supply store or a costume store. If not, then you can learn to make paper mache masks at home too. Once you purchase the mask, then you need to decorate it with use of fabric like satin or silk of the desired color. For that, first you need to apply dots of craft glue to the mask and then put the fabric on it. Once the fabric is glued to the mask, then is the time to decorate it. You can use a picture of Venetian masks for reference and to create the design. You can also use a fabric pencil to draw the design. Once you are done with the drawing, again run glue along the edges of the design and dust the glitter on top. Then shake off the extra glitter. You can also use rhinestones, sequins and feathers the same way.

Let the glue dry out completely, before starting with creating the handle for your Venetian masks. This is the important point to remember when it comes to learning to make these masks. You can either create a handle for the mask with help of chopsticks or attach elastic or ribbon so that it can be tied around your head. For tying the mask, you can either use the elastic that your plain mask came with or replace it by two ribbon pieces of matching color. But, if you want to use a handle, then first decorate the chopsticks with matching fabric or paint and then attach them to either end of the mask, with help of the craft glue! Once the glue dries well, you are ready to wear your Italian masquerade costume and mask.

Method #2

Materials Needed

• A cardboard stock
• Scrap paper
• Paper cutter or scissors
• A pencil
• Satin fabric
• Craft glue
• Glitter, sequins and rhinestones

Instructions

First of all, trace the shape of a half mask on the cardboard and cut out the shape. You may also need to create holes for eyes and nostrils. If you are making a full mask, then you may need to make holes for mouth too. Once you are done with cutting, then you need to create the background of the mask. For that, attach a short string on two ends of the mask with craft tape. The string should be short, so that the mask bends inwards. Then, add glue on the top surface of the mask and lay scrap paper on it. Allow the glue to dry and then apply another layer of glue and paper in the same way. This is the time to lay fabric on top of the scrap paper. While gluing the fabric, make sure to remove all the bubble pockets. If you don't want to use the fabric, then you can also apply glue to the entire mask and then dust glitter all over it. Once you are done with adding the upper layer then decorating the Venetian masks with sequins, rhinestones or feathers that match your masquerade dress or any other costume, is pretty easy.

As I promised earlier, making Venetian masks at home is a really easy and inexpensive task, than spending a lot of money on ready to use venetian masks. It is also a convenient option if you don't get any Venetian masks for sale in your area.