Halloween Paper Plate Masks

Create a spooky black cat or a glowing jack-o'-lantern mask using paper plates. This project helps kids practice color mixing and fine motor skills through cutting and painting.

Tools

• scissors (1 pair)
• paintbrush (1)
• stapler (1)
• pen (1)
• toothpicks (1-2)

Materials

• paper plates (standard size, 2 per mask)
• bottle cap (1, for tracing)
• paint (black, white, red, orange, green)
• pipe cleaners (2 per mask)
• jumbo popsicle sticks (1 per mask)
• scotch tape (1 roll)

Safety

• Adult supervision required for sharp objects.
• Protect work surface. Materials may stain clothing.
• Adult supervision required for children under 8.

Steps

1. Flip a paper plate over so the eating side is down. Use a bottle cap to trace two circles for the eyes.
2. Poke a hole in the center of each circle with a pen, then use scissors to cut out the circles to create eye holes.
3. On a second paper plate, draw and cut out two triangles for ears (for the cat) or a small stem shape (for the pumpkin).
4. Position the ears or stem on the main plate and secure them using a stapler and a piece of scotch tape for extra stability.
5. Paint the entire face of the mask. Use black for the cat or orange for the jack-o'-lantern. Let the paint dry completely.
6. For the cat: Use a small brush and white paint to outline the mouth, nose, and ears. Mix red and white paint to make pink, then fill in the nose, tongue, and inner ears. Let dry.
7. For the pumpkin: Use black paint to draw a triangle nose and a wide smile. Use orange paint to add ridges to the sides of the pumpkin.
8. Create whiskers or vines: For the cat, poke four holes around the nose and thread two pipe cleaners through them. For the pumpkin, twist one pipe cleaner into a vine and attach it to the stem.
9. Attach a jumbo popsicle stick to the top of the plate using scotch tape to create a handle for holding the mask.