Come make this super easy paper plate Halloween History craft about the werewolf! Kids will love making their own werewolf mask from a paper plate while learning about some of the history and folklore behind the infamous werewolf. Easily make your own paper plate werewolf mask for a Halloween costume or just for fun!
Werewolves have been present in mythology and folk lore for a very long time! Even the ancient Greeks has their own myth similar to the werewolf. Want to learn more? Check out some of the history of werewolves at the bottom of this article!
Easy Paper Plate Werewolf mask
Come make your own super easy paper plate werewolf mask for Halloween and learn all about werewolves!
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Supplies needed to make your own werewolf mask
- Paper plate
- Scissors
- Light gray, dark gray, black, and white paint
- Paint markers
- Pencil
- Yarn or string
how to make a paper plate werewolf mask
Step 1
Gather your supplies together and prepare your crafting area.
Step 2
On the back side of your paper plate, draw two triangles a few inches apart for ears.
Step 3
Towards the center of the plate, draw two ovals for the eyes.
Step 4
With your scissors, cut out the triangles to form the pointy ears of a wolf.
Using your pencil, poke a hole in the center of the drawn on eyes. Carefully use your scissors to cut out the eye holes.
Step 5
Draw a triangular shape slightly lower than and between both eyes. This is the nose of the werewolf mask.
Step 6
Start with light gray paint and paint the upper half of the mask. Let the paint dry.
Step 7
Use some dark grey paint to add darker markings on the tips of the ears, around the eyes, and along the center of the forehead. Let the paint dry.
Step 8
Use some white paint to add the whites of the ears as well as some white markings around the eyes. Let the paint dry.
Step 9
Paint the nose of the wolf black. Let the paint dry.
Step 10
This step is optional. Using some paint markers in similar colors as your paints, you can add details to your wolf mask. You can draw some small lines to look like fur or add some shine to the nose.
Step 11
After all the paint has dried, attach some string with tape or glue to the other side of the mask. Make sure the string is long enough to fit comfortable on your head.
FINISHED paper plate werewolf mask
Look at how awesome the mask turned out! It would make a super cool Halloween costume!
Tips to make your own paper plate werewolf mask
- Use a hairdryer to help the paint dry.
- If using for a halloween costume, wear mask with a gray shirt and gray pants to look like a grey wolf.
- Pull up an image of a wolfs face on google and use that as reference when making your mask.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Active Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Difficulty
easy
Estimated Cost
$15
Materials
- Paper plate
- Scissors
- Light gray, dark gray, black, and white paint
- Paint markers
- paint brushes
- Pencil
- Yarn or string
Tools
- pencil
- scissors
- paint brushes
Instructions
- Draw on the ears and eyes on the back of the paper plate.
- Carefully cut out the eye holes and ears.
- Draw on the werewolfs nose.
- Paint the upper half of the mask light gray.
- Use dark gray paint to add markings to the werewolfs face and ears.
- Use white to add markings around the eyes and in the ears.
- Use black paint to paint on the nose.
- (optional) use paint markers or a fine tip brush to add details to the werewolfs fur.
- Once all the paint has dried attach a string to the back of the mask. Make sure it’s big enough to fit comfortable on your head.
My EXPERIENCE Making this craft
As the spooky, Halloween season began to approach, I thought to myself, what sort of Halloween themed crafts can I make? After taking sometime to compile a list of a bunch of spooky topics, I settled on the werewolf. I remembered a video I had seen awhile back about a Greek myth where a Spartan king was turned into a wolf-man after making Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, angry. I thought that that would make for a fun spooky story and I could pair it with a cool craft!
After wracking my brain on what I could make to go with this werewolf myth, I thought that a mask would be perfect. I thought it would give kids an easy way to make their own werewolf costume for halloween!
history of the werewolf
The werewolf has been one of the most popular Halloween figures for a very long time since the 1913 film The Werewolf. However, humans have told stories of men transforming into wolves for centuries! Dating all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia and The Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known Western works of literature. In the text, the Mesopotamian goddess, Ishtar (also known as Inanna), had fallen in love with a farmer. The farmer rejected her affection so she turned him into a wolf. Later in the The Epic of Gilgamesh, Ishtar had tried to seduce Gilgamesh, but he had heard of what she had done to the farmer and rejected her.
King Lycaon
The ancient Greeks believed in a myth similar to the werewolf as well. There was a myth where Lycaon, a king, had been friends with the Gods. One night, he invited Zeus, the king of the gods, over to his home.
King Lycaon decided that he would try to trick Zeus by testing his divinity. Lycaon sacrificed one of his son’s to Zeus and tried to serve him for dinner. Zeus was appalled and enraged, so he cursed Lycaon to turn into a wolf and smote all fifty of Lycaon’s sons with his powerful lightning bolts.
Video: Where did Werewolf Myths come from?
Here’s a spooky and educational video about origins of the myth of the werewolf by Scishow! Some content in this video may be scary for some views, so discretion is advised. Watch with a parent!
MORE HISTORY FUN AND ACTIVITIES FROM KIDS ACTIVITIES BLOG
Sources
“Lykaon.” 2023. LYCAON (Lykaon) – Arcadian King of Greek Mythology. Accessed August 29. www.theoi.com/Heros/Lykaon.html.
“The Killer Origins of the Werewolf | Monstrum.” 2021. YouTube. YouTube. October 21. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xPFdX5qEyk.
“The Werewolf (1913 Film).” 2023. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. June 23. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Werewolf_(1913_film).
“The Werewolf’s Modern Metamorphosis | Monstrum.” 2021. YouTube. YouTube. October 28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aff9ZQLClcU.
“Werewolf Legends.” 2023. History.Com. A&E Television Networks. Accessed August 29. www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-werewolf-legend#:~:text=Early%20Werewolf%20Legends,-It’s%20unclear%20exactly&text=Some%20scholars%20believe%20the%20werewolf,with%20the%20Legend%20of%20Lycaon.
“Where Did Werewolf Myths Come From?” 2018. YouTube. YouTube. October 29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-hfzA3yXd4.