(image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paintedparty/ )Safety should always be a priority when making Halloween costumes for children. One way to help keep your children safe is to eliminate masks which interfere with their vision. Makeup is a safe and inexpensive alternative to masks. You can make your child look like his or her favorite animal with just a few simple makeup steps.
You will need hypo-allergenic face paint. Make sure that it is specifically for face painting and that it is FDA approved. Water-based face paint like Snazaroo will wash off with soap and water.
A few safety tips
Never paint skin with cuts, scrapes, scratches, rashes, or any sort of skin injury or disease. Even the gentlest face paint can irritate open skin.
Make sure that the child is not allergic to any of the ingredients, because even hypo-allergenic products can cause problems for some people. If in doubt, do a test. Place a small amount of paint on the inside of the child's wrist and wait an hour to see if any reaction occurs.
To begin face painting
You can find many photos on the web to give you ideas on animal face designs. The Snazaroo website has photos sent in by people all over the world. If you have doubts about your artistic ability, remember that something simple can be just as fun as something more elaborate.
Gather your clean brushes and sponges. The paint should be applied to clean, dry skin. If painting more than one child, remember to wash the brushes and sponges after each one or to use new brushes and sponges.
A headband or hair clips may be needed to keep the child's hair from getting in the way.
With a damp sponge, apply the base color first. Remember that the applicator should be damp, but not too wet. You may want to apply a second coat for deeper color after the first has dried. Lighter colors should be applied first if the design permits.
Sometimes the eyelids are painted, but for extra safety many parents like to simply draw a line around the eyes and keep paint away from them. I would definitely recommend no paint on the eyelids or close to the eyes of children under age four. Paint on the eyelids is better left for teens and adults.
Some people also paint the lips and around the nostrils, but again this could cause problems for a sensitive individual. It is best to keep face paint away from more sensitive areas, especially in children under age four. To avoid any choking danger, remember to keep paint disks away from the grasp of small children
After the base paint, other colors are applied with a brush. Use even strokes, and try to keep your lines continuous.
Black paint on the nose and some lines for whiskers can make a cute cat face. Pair it with a headband which has felt cat ears and the kitty will be ready to trick or treat.
Paint a panting tongue on the chin to represent a dog. Make a spotted canine by painting some spots on the cheeks and forehead. Add some floppy dog ears on a headband (they can easily be made from felt) and your little puppy will be ready for Halloween.
Any animal face can be painted by this method. Try orange base paint and black stripes for a tiger. Try a white base with the appropriate markings for a panda. There are lots of great step-by-step animal makeup videos on YouTube, if you need help.
With a little creativity, you can make any type of baby animal costume. With a black bodysuit, a couple painted whiskers and a pink nose, and you have a cat costume for kids. Costumes for children are easy and affordable when you know the basics of face painting!
Snazaroo Face Painting Kit: Rainbow
