Venetian Masks that Make Heads Turn!

Traditionally, Venetian masks were used to protect the identities of the wearer in ancient Rome. Today, they have become somewhat of a style statement where guests of carnival celebrations around the world don some of the most unique styles that are fragrant with style and elegance.

Most Venetian masks are made out of clay. But, you may also find some great ones in papier-mâché, complete with vibrant hues and diamantes’ and other exquisite decorations.

The next time you are invited to a masquerade themed party, consider wearing one of these unique mask designs which suit your personal likings-

1.The Columbiana – Typically made for women, this half-mask covers the eyes, nose and upper cheeks of the wearer. These masks for masquerade balls are often adorned with crystals, gold, silver and feather. You can tie them up with ribbons or even hold them in front of your face with the help of a baton.

2.The Harlequin – The peculiarity of these masks come in the form of a large, hooked nose. These also come with black and white checked diamonds and distinctly painted lips.

3.The Medico Della Peste – these full face Venetian masks are one of the most unusual and easily identifiable masks, these come with a long beak and were interestingly created as a tool to prevent the spread of diseases. Hence, these are also known as plague doctor masks.

4.The Jolly Venetian – These half or full face Venetian masks represent jokers and come with iconic curly hair and matching bells. These masks are visually more appealing than the quintessential face of a clown and come with a number of appealing decorations.

5.The Cat –Also known as the gatto mask, these masks look a lot like the face of a cat. They come with small ears and are usually only half masks that cover the top. These masks are fun to wear at a party and are quite effective in hiding identities.

Choosing the Correct Style

Select from one of these unique Venetian masks and you will be any party’s centre of attention. Choose from a range of styles and designs such as exquisite masks that are decorated with crystals, elegant feathers and bejewelled accessories. You can also find a range of petite masks that are designed especially to show a greater part of your face.

Baroque eye masks also offer a unique majestic flair complete with gold or silver filigree, beads and intricate metal work that make heads turn!

Put on a mask that suits your facial structure best and you will be sure to make heads turn the next time you are at a masquerade party, Halloween party, wedding celebration or a fancy red carpet event!

How to Plan Your Own Masquerade Ball Party

The origin of the Venetian masks and the masquerade balls goes back to the 13th century although they became predominant emblems of “Carnevales” of the 17th century Venice. In a society ruled by the conservative church, which condemned all sorts of flippancies, the masquerade balls and masks were great means of indulging in those very unsavory acts without revealing the gender, or identity of the wearers.

Today, masquerade balls are still held for extolling different occasions and getting together for indulging in fun tinged with mystery and magic. Here are some of the things you would need to consider for arranging a masquerade ball party.

Preparation- Budget, Theme and Invitee List: You need to plan your budget in accordance with the number of guests you will be inviting, the food as well as decorations. Compare quotations from a few caterers and check out their food samples to see if they appeal to your taste buds.

To curtail on professional decoration costs, get some friends to assist you in adorning the venue. Pick out a venue or banquet hall in tune with the size of the event that you will be hosting. Your theme can be anything dependent on the occasion such as Halloween, New Year’s Eve, Easter, Mardi Gras or Gothic.

Send out Invitations: You can don the creative hat and send out invitations to your friends in a unique way by either dressing up with Jester or Moretta masquerade ball masks or by writing down the specifics of costume, time and venue in some plastic masks which come quite cheap. Do not forget to add a line which evokes a sense of mystery in the mind of your guests.

Costumes: Although you might have been cautious enough to mention about costumes and masks for the party, it is likely that some of your guests may simply forget. So keep some spare ones with yourself and adorn them with fun themes like jesters and cats along with feather, tiaras and sequins as accents. You can yourself add a distinct touch to your own attire by painting your mask with scintillating black and golden paint and make-up instead of wearing one.

Decoration: The decorations will depend on the theme you have picked up. Do it up with balloons, feathers, beads, streamers, and other colorful stuff and do not forget to spruce up with Venetian masks here and there. Use the right kind of lighting and colors with dominant hues being black, golden and red.

Activities and Entertainment: Activities form a conspicuous part of parties and to keep your guests entertained to the lees – arrange for activities like a costume parade, inviting jugglers and magicians and culminate the show with a grand ball dance.

Food: The gourmet spread should also be in tune with your party theme with decorated cakes, meats and loads of cheeses.

A last tip- for ensuring that your party turns out to be the talk of the town, be organized and start planning a month or two before.

How to Make Your Own Masquerade Ball Masks

If you are contemplating on purchasing masquerade ball masks for the theme party in the coming weekend, how about lending it a customized look by going for a Do It Yourself endeavor? In this way you can cache in some money while becoming the cynosure of the Mardi Gras ball by appearing in your mysterious attire.

Ingredients Required

The basic ingredients required are two white masks for making the male and female masks, spray paint and a dowel rod. Apart from these, you will need craft glue, wax paper, feathers and beads or other embellishments.

Here are three methods of making masks for masquerade ball.

Method 1: The first thing that you have to do of course is choose a design for your masks. While the female ones generally bear cat-eyes and are narrow, the male ones usually have the whole of the forehead covered up till the nose. You can also choose different basic masks for male and female, for instance those with prominent features for the male and the one with softer feministic attributes for the female.

Once you have the design, cut it out and do a spray paint of your choice to both the mask as well as the dowel rod. Glue the feathers proportionately, short feathers on top for male and tall ones across the middle and shorter on the sides for the female. The dowel rod is to be attached to the back portion of the female mask. You can then make your own adornments with sequins and paints to enhance the look of the masks further.

Method 2: The second method entails making the clay mask yourself by first kneading a lump of clay and rolling it flat by placing it on a wax paper to get a thickness of about 1/8 inches. If you already have a paper mask that fits your face, cut the clay through the indented design or by placing it on your face and shape it out in tune with the pattern you wish to lend it with.

Put it atop a clay pot and place it inside the oven pre-warmed to 250 degrees. After keeping it for about 15 to 20 minutes, take it out and allow it to cool down. You can then paint it according to your own taste.

Method 3: In order to make masquerade ball masks made of paper you require foil, water and flour. Here, the foil is to be placed first on your face to make the markings for the design and then keep it carefully atop a bowl. Make a mixture of one cup flour and two cups of water. Now you need a number of newspaper strips, which require dipping in the mixture paste and spreading across in layers across the foil.

Repeat the process of overlapping once one layer is dried up. When the papier mache has attained a formidable structure, you can peel off the foil and place the mask on your face and make holes on both sides for allowing the elastic string to pass. You can now embellish it with feathers by using craft glue and glitters on paint.