Create a glowing, animated Halloween mask with NeoPixels and Hallowing.  No soldering required!  Use a vinyl cutter (or a utility knife and some elbow grease) to create a beautiful mask -- we've included designs for a butterfly and a dragon.  Add a one-way mirror and some holographic vinyl, and you have a stunning mirror mask that will be sure to light up the streets on Halloween night or make you truly stand out at the masquerade.  

This technique can be used with a wide variety of shapes and vinyl colors, so come up with your own customizations.  

Parts

Video of a blinking eye on a Adafruit HalloWing M0 Express.
This is Hallowing..this is Hallowing... Hallowing! Hallowing! Are you the kind of person who doesn't...
$34.95
In Stock
Adafruit NeoPixel LED Strip with 3-pin JST PH Connector lit up rainbow
Plug in and glow, this Adafruit NeoPixel LED Strip with JST PH Connector has 30 total LEDs in a "60 LED per meter" spacing,...
$12.50
In Stock
Top view shot of JST 2-pin Extension Cable with On/Off Switch.
By popular request - we now have a way you can turn on-and-off Lithium Polymer batteries without unplugging them.This PH2 Female/Male JST 2-pin Extension...
$2.95
In Stock

Either

Lithium Ion Polymer Battery 3.7v 2000mAh with JST 2-PH connector
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This...
Out of Stock

or

Front angled shot of 3 x AAA battery holder with on-off switch and 2-pin JST PH connector.
This battery holder connects 3 AAA batteries together in series for powering all kinds of projects. We spec'd these out because the box is slim, and 3 AAA's add up to about...
$1.95
In Stock

Tools & Materials

  • Vinyl cutting machine --OR-- a utility knife and some patience
  • One-way mirror film --OR-- Transparency film and mirror spray paint
  • Reflective Holographic vinyl
  • Colored vinyl or faux-leather
  • Craft felt
  • Elastic
  • Needle & thread
  • Silicone Glue

A foam wig head is also helpful to have.

The secret to making this mask shine is the flexible one-way mirror inside.  You can buy one-way mirror film online with a sticky back -- this stuff is made for adding to your windows as privacy film.  It's perfect for this project, but a little pricey.

Another alternative is to create your own one-way mirror film.  I used printer transparency film (the kind you'd use on an overhead projector) and 2-3 coats of Mirror Effect spray paint from Rustoleum.  This made a beautiful, semi-transparent mirror which diffuses the light perfectly.

The holographic vinyl can be found at almost any craft store that sells vinyl cutter machines, and there are a lot of choices available online too.

This guide was first published on Sep 11, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Introduction) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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