How to Make an Oni Mask

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Things You'll Need

  • Generic plastic mask

  • Scissors

  • Newspaper

  • White glue

  • Water

  • Bowl

  • Vampire fangs

  • Rubber horns

  • Cotton

  • Acrylic paint

  • Cheap wig

  • Hot glue

Oni are found in Japanese folklore.

Oni are devils, demons, trolls and other creatures found in Japanese folklore. They're depicted as having hideous, snarling faces with fangs and horns. You can make an oni mask out of papier-mache, using a generic plastic mask as your base. Customize your mask any way that you want so long as you keep to the basic requirements listed previously. These masks work well for Halloween, haunted houses and theatrical plays.

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Step 1

Tear a newspaper into 4-inch strips.

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Step 2

Cut the mouth slit larger on a generic plastic mask with a pair of scissors. The opening should be as large as you want for your mask's snarling mouth.

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Step 3

Mix 3/4 cup of white glue with 1/4 cup of water in a bowl. This will serve as papier-mache paste.

Step 4

Dip the first newspaper strip into the paste, then squeegee the excess back into the bowl with your fingers.

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Step 5

Smooth the strip onto the outside of the plastic mask.

Step 6

Cover the plastic mask with a layer of overlapping strips. Leave the eye and mouth holes open.

Step 7

Apply a second layer of papier-mache strips.

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Step 8

Look at how your own brow drops down when you make an angry face.

Scrunch up papier-mache strips and use them to build up the inner eyebrow area, making it look like the mask is snarling. Refer to your own face in a mirror for reference.

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Step 9

Use more wads of papier-mache to build up snarling lips around the mouth hole.

Step 10

Use more papier-mache wads to build out other features as desired, such as the nose, chin and cheekbones.

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Step 11

Cut a cheap set of plastic vampire fangs apart and press the teeth into the papier-mache inside of the mouth.

Step 12

Stuff two rubber horns from a costume shop with cotton, then press them into the papier-mache at the temples.

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Step 13

Cover the entire mask with two more layers of papier-mache strips, smoothing them over the teeth and horns to lock them in place. This will also smooth out any lumpiness from the built up areas.

Step 14

Allow the mask to dry overnight.

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Step 15

Paint the mask as desired with acrylic paints.

Step 16

Cut hair out of a cheap wig and hot glue it along the inner edge of the mask so that it flares back.

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