How to Make a Phantom of the Opera Mask

If you've ever had dreams of haunting a Broadway stage (or perhaps your local costume party), this could be the Halloween costume for you. Fortunately, a DIY ​Phantom of the Opera​ mask is rather simple to make, and it can be made from inexpensive materials.

Cover your entire right eyebrow with paper, then cover the paper with duct tape to protect the eyebrow while making the mask. This is a simple, but important first step for this tutorial. You don't want to rip out your eyebrow hairs later on, so trust that this precaution is more than necessary.

Duct tape your face's entire upper right portion, avoiding the eye and hairline. Make sure the tape molds into your face's crevices. Feel the spirit of the ​Phantom of the Opera​ sing through you at this stage. This is more than cosplay; you ​are​ the Phantom.

Add a second layer of duct tape. Gently peel the mask off, making sure it keeps its shape. Already, you can see how you'll blend right into your next Victorian ball with this masquerade mask.

Use scissors to round out the mask's shape and cut out the eye hole. Try for a shape reminiscent of a Venetian mask to accentuate the historic elegance of the Phantom's mask. You'll be skulking about in a theatre's rafters before you know it—you only have one step left.

Spray paint the outside of the mask white. To wear the mask (even after the adhesive of the tape has worn off), place several dots of rubber cement all over the right side of your face, forehead, cheek, nose and next to your hairline. Stick the white mask on your face and press it into the rubber cement spots.

There you have it—a simple, high-quality DIY ​Phantom of the Opera​ mask. You'll be a smash hit at your next Halloween party.