In this post you will learn how to make a DIY face puzzle. As in the image above, you can unleash your imagination and create realistic and/or fantastic facial features! You can color them with colored pencils or markers, paint them, or make them into collages!
To help you get started, I prepared two FREE downloadable pages of templates for the DIY Face Puzzle: one of a blank face and the other of simple shapes for the difference face parts (links in the text below).
Once you have the face parts made, it’s time to enjoy your face puzzle. To add more excitement to this game, you can blindfold the person while she/he tries to arrange the face parts. When playing blindfolded, you will often end up with incredibly funny faces!
If you are looking for an educational activity for small children, this DIY face puzzle is a fun way for them to learn the names of different face parts by first making them, and then by arranging them over and over again. Playing with face puzzles is also a great way for children to familiarize themselves with different emotional expressions while having fun. (For those of you interested in teaching kids about emotions, here is an informative site.)
What you will need to make a DIY face puzzle:
- Muumade’s Free downloadable templates (links below);
- Scissors;
- For coloring or painting the face parts: colored pencils, markers, paint and brushes, etc.;
- To make collage face parts: scraps of different colored paper, and craft glue.
Let’s begin!
Step 1. Download Muumade’s free DIY face puzzle templates (US Letter size OR A4 size), and print them out. Set aside the face template for now.
Step 2. Decide how to decorate your face parts. If you are coloring or painting, follow the next steps. If you are collaging, skip to the “✂️ If you are collaging” section, which comes after the coloring/painting section.
🎨 If you are coloring or painting:
(1) Make your own drawings of the face parts over the templates, as shown in the image. The templates give you an approximate idea of the sizes and shapes for the pieces, but there is no problem if you want to make your face parts bigger or smaller, or in a completely different shape.
(2) When you are happy with your drawings, color or paint the face parts.
(3) When you are done coloring or painting, cut out the face parts.
(To make the face part pieces more durable, you can glue them onto a sheet of cardboard and then cut them out again.)
Now, skip to Step 3.
✂️ If you are collaging:
(1) First cut out the templates of the face parts. Then use a pencil to lightly trace each shape onto a sheet of paper of your choice* for that face part.
*This is a great opportunity to reuse scrap pieces of paper, such as wrapping paper and brown paper bags, etc.!
(2) Make your own drawings of the face parts over the outlines of their templates, as shown in the image. The templates give you an approximate idea of the sizes and shapes for the pieces, but there is no problem if you want to make your face parts bigger or smaller, or in a completely different shape.
For example, pictured here is the bridge of a nose, which is slightly longer than the template, and two circles for the base of the nose.
(3) When you are happy with your drawings, cut out your face parts.
If you would like to make your face parts reversible, cut out two mirror images of each piece.
(4) Using craft glue, attach the separate pieces together to make each face part.
(If your paper is thin, like mine was, you can glue the pieces onto the templates for backing. )
(5) If you want to decorate your face parts with details, such as eyeballs, eye lashes and hairpins, cut them out and glue them on!
(6) Ta-da! Now you have your own face parts!
Step 3. You can use the face template as it is, as shown in the left image below. Or you can color it, or cut it out from a colored sheet of paper, like the image on the right.
Step 4. (OPTIONAL) If you wish, you can laminate both the face template and the face parts so that they last longer.
Now you are ready to play with your face puzzle. Funny, angry, happy, confused, shy, bunched up, about to sneeze… You can make all kinds of faces and have lots of fun!
If you decide to share your face puzzles on social media, I’d appreciate it if you could tag me (@muumade). That way, I get to see your creations, too!
Below are a few other craft ideas that you may also be interested in:
