Shapes and craft templates3 styles
Masquerade mask template
A flat mask outline to color, cut out and wear, in three shapes. It is for parties, school plays, Mardi Gras and craft afternoons for children and adults.
- Set it up your way
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
This is a half-face mask drawn symmetrically, so the left and right sides match. The eye holes are already outlined, and a small circle at each side marks where to punch for a ribbon or elastic.
What prints
The title is "Masquerade Mask Template". The instruction line says to color the mask, cut around the outline and cut out the eye holes, then punch the two small circles and tie on elastic or ribbon, or tape a stick to one side. On the page you get either one large mask or two, depending on your choice. Each has a solid outer outline, two almond-shaped eye openings, and a hole circle at each outer edge.
With swirls on, matching curved lines and small circles are printed inside the mask on both sides, such as curls over the brow, a curve under the eye and a dot at each cheek. These are for coloring, not for cutting. There is no name line or answer key.
The settings
- Mask shape: Classic masquerade, Cat eye (pointed), or Butterfly wings. The page opens on Classic.
- Masks per page: One large or Two. The preset is Two.
- Swirls to color: on by default. Turn it off for a plain mask you plan to decorate with glitter, feathers or paint.
Classic has a gentle brow that curves up at the sides. Cat eye lifts to sharp points at the outer corners. Butterfly is the widest, with rounded wing shapes above and below the eyes.
Making the mask
Print on card stock, about 65 to 110 lb, at Actual size, so that the mask is wide enough to cover the eyes of an adult. Plain paper works for a child's mask if you glue it to a thin cardboard backing. Color first, since it is hard to color a mask once the eyes are cut out. Then cut the outside, and for each eye hole, fold the paper slightly, snip in with the tip of the scissors, and cut round the line.
Punch the side circles with a hole punch. Use blunt-tip scissors with children, and have an adult cut the eye holes. Elastic cord is more secure than ribbon for a child running around, and a ribbon is better for an adult who wants a mask that ties over the hair. A craft stick taped to the back turns it into a hand-held mask.
Worked example: a mask table at a birthday party
A parent hosts eight children and prints four pages of Cat eye with Two per page. Each child gets a mask, a tray of markers and a bowl of stick-on gems. The children color the swirls in with metallic pens. The parent cuts the eyes while children decorate, then punches holes and ties on elastic cut to the right length for each head. They finish in about 30 minutes, and the masks become the dress code for the rest of the party. Two spare masks help when one tears at the eye.
For a school play, One large per page in Classic gives a bigger mask for older actors, who can paint it with acrylics.
Related crafts
If the party needs a costume piece too, the crown template makes a paper crown, and the door hanger template can print a "Party in progress" sign. The Met's collection site, linked above, has historical masks to look at for inspiration.