So, you’re planning a Mardi Gras costume and mask party. If you haven’t decided on a theme it’s okay. Mardi Gras is theme enough.

Invitations? Check. Creole and Cajun inspired food stuffs? Check. King cake? Check. Affordable rum for the traditional French Quarter Hurricane? Check. Zydeco compilation CDs? Check. Cheap beads and all the purple, green, and gold decorations you could ever want? Check. That’s people, food, drink, music, and decor ready to get the good times rolling. There’s only one thing left to worry about: masks.

You need a mask. You’ll need black-tie wear or a silly costume to go with your mask. Last year I posted some mask templates and short how-to for a paper-mâché mask. This year I tried plaster mask making and so can you.

Before I get into the new method, remember, there are some fantastic masks you can buy online: traditional, party packs, and even laser cut metal.

On to the plaster mask making. It’s simple, quick, and just messy enough to be fun for all ages.
Essential Materials:
Plaster Gauze
Scissors
Bowl
Hot/Warm water
Vaseline

Optional Materials:
Old Towel
Plastic Wrap
Template
Paint, Fabric, Glue…etc

A plaster mask is usually made by covering the face of a person with plaster and letting it set. Make sure your face model has covered the skin and facial hair with Vaseline. It’s very important. The Vaseline will keep the plaster from adhering to the face model. Make sure the model is comfortable. Cover the torso with an old towel or plastic wrap to help prevent messes.

Plaster gauze can be found in most craft and art supply stores. It’s also available on the internet. Cut your gauze into strips of varying lengths and widths to accommodate the face. Fill a bowl with hot to warm water*. Check the directions of your plaster gauze for details. Put each strip of plaster in the water. Run the strips through your fingers a few times to work the plaster and remove excess water. Place the strip on the face. You’ll need at least three layers of strips on the face to create a sturdy mask. The mask should set in 15-30 minutes. No days of drying like with paper-mâché.

Gently remove the mask from the face. If the mask feels weak, add a few more layers of plaster for strength. Choose your decorations. This year I opted for fabric. I found a sheer red sequined fabric in the remnant bin at the local fabric store. Because it’s sheer, I’ll start with a base fabric in a similar shade of red. Glue the edges of the fabric to the back of the mask.

Add sequins, feathers, tulle, and anything else you want. Attach some coordinating ribbon or a length of elastic to the mask. Or glue a decorated dowel to one side to create a stick mask. Once covered, glue trim, ribbon, or lace to hide any flaws and create contrast on your mask. Lastly, cover the back of the mask with felt. This will hide the rough edges and be soft on the face.

I used one of my wig heads to help keep the shape of my mask while I worked. The first two layer were formed on my face. I waited ten minutes until it was mostly set and carefully placed the wet mask on the form. It was very hard to plaster my own face. The plaster follows the contours of the face perfectly. Each mask is truly personalized to fit.

I hope you enjoy your new mask. I wonder what method we’ll learn next year?

*Don’t pour the plaster water down your drains. It is plaster after all.

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Tags: mardi gras, plaster mask

This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under Holidays/Parties, How to, Ideas, costumes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.