How to make a DIY animal mask

Calling all little explorers and creative minds! If your kids love animals, they’ll have a blast making their very own DIY animal mask. The animal kingdom is full of fascinating creatures, and this fun craft is the perfect way to spark their curiosity about nature and wildlife. There’s no need to wait for a party or school event to dress up and learn - every day is a great day to buzz, hop, or crawl into character.

Creating a homemade animal face mask is not only exciting but also a great hands-on learning activity. Children can explore animal features, colours, and habitats while building their fine motor skills and creativity. All you need is some paper or colourful felt, a few trusty stickies, and plenty of imagination.

Follow our simple step-by-step guide to make a cheerful ladybug face mask - or use the same steps to design any creature your child loves.

What you will need

PVA white Glu
FREE printable ladybug template (63.27 KB)
Black and red felt sheets
1 sheet of black paper
Pencil
Paper punch
Scissors suitable for kids
Elastic
2 black pom-poms
Pencils, colouring pens or paint (optional)

Difficulty

Average time

20 mins

Cost

Print version!

Instructions

Important

Children shouldn't be left unattended with sharp objects like scissors. When working on a project with small children, let them trace the shape and have an adult cut the shapes out.

Step 1: Cut out the mask shape

Print and cut out the ladybug face mask from the template. You will get 2 cut-outs for the mask and a pair of antennae which can be drawn onto directly, or be used as stencils for your animal mask, if using felt sheets.

Fancy creating another animal? Draw and cut out an outline of the mask to suit your animal friend.

Step 2: Recreate the mask in felt sheets

Lay the larger mask cut-out on a sheet of red felt. Trace the pattern and use a pair of children's scissors to cut it out. Similarly, trace and cut out the smaller mask cut-out on the black felt. Trace the antenna cut-outs on a sheet of black paper. Cut these out along with a few small circle shapes.

Tacky's tip

If you have a paper punch at home, you can use this to punch out a bunch of small circles from the black paper - this will be for your ladybug's spots.

Step 3: Assemble the mask

Apply some PVA white Glu to stick the antennae to the black mask cut-out.

Spread a layer of PVA white Glu around the eye cut-outs on the red felt mask shape. Place the smaller, black mask cut-out over the red mask and press to stick in place.

Step 4: Decorate the mask

Now that you've created the main part of your homemade animal face mask, it is time to add the distinctive features of your animal friend!

Use more PVA white Glu to stick the black circle cut-outs on the red felt visible from behind the black felt.

Step 5: Add the elastic string

Use a hole punch to make a small hole on either side of the mask. Thread a length of elastic through one of these holes and knot to hold in place. Thread the other end of the elastic through the other hole and knot tightly in place.

Tacky's tip

This DIY project is a great activity for children’s birthday parties. Set up a mask making station and let the children wear the masks they make.

Step 6: Finishing touches

Use more PVA white Glu to stick a small black pom-pom to the end of each antenna. Just like that, your little one has a DIY ladybird face mask ready to go for their next party, or day of fun stepping into the animal world!

Recreate the steps with your own animal designs to create more adorable animal face masks for your favourite creatures.

Let's recap!

Creating a homemade animal mask is a fun, creative, and educational craft that brings the wonders of the animal kingdom to life. With just a few simple materials like colourful felt, PVA white Glu, and your imagination, kids can design their favourite creatures while learning about their features, patterns, and habitats.

Whether it’s a ladybug, lion, or butterfly, this activity encourages hands-on creativity, develops fine motor skills, and sparks curiosity about nature. So, grab your craft supplies, follow the steps, and let your little explorers proudly show off their wild side!