Making Masks Part I
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 by tcg
You want to enter the 1st Annual That Costume Girl Mardi Gras Mask Contest, but you’ve never made a mask. No problem. Masks are easy to make and fun for the entire family. Over the next few days, I’ll make a mask with you. My mask will be a paper-mâché mask. You can skip the messy paper-mâché step if you want.
Materials:
Template or your own design
Markers
Paints
Glitter
Glue
Ribbon or string
Holepunch
Dowel
Beads, sequins, and feathers
Paper plate or fun foam
Paper-mâché method:
Foil
Strips of paper
Flour
Water
First, print out a template or draw your own mask design. You can use one of the templates as a base and modify it to suit your needs. I chose the basic half mask. Once I printed it out, I made sure the template would fit. I decided to add a little width to the edges of the mask. Using a marker, I extended the edges then cut out the template. Place your pattern on your mask material: paper plate, fun foam, or cardboard. Trace and cut.
Since I will be making a paper-mâché mask, I need a form. I’ve placed my pattern onto double thick foil. Trace and cut. Next, I hold the foil to my face and press it into shape. The mask now has a nice round shape and even arches over my nose. Tomorrow I’ll make the paper-mâché goup and apply the three layers of paper strips. Then we can have fun decorating our masks.
Making a Mardi Gras Mask: Part I, Part II, and Part III.
