Grandmother Wren's Halloween Pages
Magic Mask Making for
Halloween
Magic Mask Making for
Halloween
You can make masks to wear or masks to hang in your room, funny faces or ferocious animals. Make large ones for party decorations or small ones for favors. No matter how you use your masks, you'll enjoy modeling and painting them.
Mask making is a very old art. Many of our ancestors made masks. The mask shown above is decorated to resemble the masks made by ancient tribesmen.
There are many ways to make masks. Some ways are simpler than others because you can use materials that are easy to find at home or at school. On these pages you'll find directions for three different ways to make masks.
Mask making is a very old art. Many of our ancestors made masks. The mask shown above is decorated to resemble the masks made by ancient tribesmen.
There are many ways to make masks. Some ways are simpler than others because you can use materials that are easy to find at home or at school. On these pages you'll find directions for three different ways to make masks.
A list of the materials needed to make these masks is given in the box on the left. Have all of your materials on hand before you start. The basic materials which you will need are newspapers, white paste (the kind used in school), poster paints, 9 inch paper plates, and non-hardening modeling clay.
Your white paste can be spread more easily and will go further if you beat it with a rubber spatula to a thick cream consistency. Use your fingers, a stiff brush, or the spatula for spreading the paste.
In addition to these basic materials, you can use an endless variety of things for trimmings. Here are some suggestions; you will no doubt add others:
scraps of wool and felt, yarn, crepe paper, string, buttons, old jewelry, construction paper, scraps of wire, bits of fabric.
Paper bags make good hoods to use with masks.
Your white paste can be spread more easily and will go further if you beat it with a rubber spatula to a thick cream consistency. Use your fingers, a stiff brush, or the spatula for spreading the paste.
In addition to these basic materials, you can use an endless variety of things for trimmings. Here are some suggestions; you will no doubt add others:
scraps of wool and felt, yarn, crepe paper, string, buttons, old jewelry, construction paper, scraps of wire, bits of fabric.
Paper bags make good hoods to use with masks.
Pattern for Masks: To be sure that the finished mask will fit your face, it is necessary to make a pattern of your own features. Take an 8 - inch square of paper and fold it in half. Place the fold, lengthwise, against the center of your face. Mark the position of the mouth, nose, and eyes, as shown above. Cut out the holes.
Transfer this pattern to the back of a paper plate for the clown or tribal mask. Or use it as a guide for the features on the paper mache queen or tiger mask.
Transfer this pattern to the back of a paper plate for the clown or tribal mask. Or use it as a guide for the features on the paper mache queen or tiger mask.
Paper Mache: The three masks above are made of paper mache. You may also see this word written this way:
papier-mache`. It is originally a French word and means chewed paper. Paper mache is a very effective self-hardening material and one that can always be on hand. The only ingredients are strips of torn newspapers, white paste, and hot water.
Tear newspapers into tiny pieces and soak them in a container of hot water until they are very soft. Then with both hands rub the pieces into a fine pulp. Squeeze out all the excess water by straining and wringing in a cloth. Mix well with paste. Model the paper mache as you would a coarse clay. Improve the modeling when the pulp is partially dry.
papier-mache`. It is originally a French word and means chewed paper. Paper mache is a very effective self-hardening material and one that can always be on hand. The only ingredients are strips of torn newspapers, white paste, and hot water.
Tear newspapers into tiny pieces and soak them in a container of hot water until they are very soft. Then with both hands rub the pieces into a fine pulp. Squeeze out all the excess water by straining and wringing in a cloth. Mix well with paste. Model the paper mache as you would a coarse clay. Improve the modeling when the pulp is partially dry.
Twisted, wadded or coiled newspaper is used to build up features on a mask. Fasten to mask with a layer or two of dry pasted strips.
Coloring the Masks: When the paper mache is dry, you can color the masks. Poster paints are best for this. If you do not already have a set on hand, you can start out with just a few jars. Red, yellow, blue - you can mix these three primary colors to make many other colors. Add white poster paint to lighten any color and black to darken any color.
To keep the paint from chipping, give the mask a protective coating of sealer.
Trimming the Masks: After painting in the skin color and features, there are other additions which can be made to your masks. At the bottom of the page you will see various ways of using cut paper to trim the masks. The clown's collar is made of pleated green construction paper. The queen's hair is made of red-orange crepe paper, fringed and curled over a pencil. Try folding, pleating, curling, scoring, cutting, or bending papers into various unusual shapes.
Coloring the Masks: When the paper mache is dry, you can color the masks. Poster paints are best for this. If you do not already have a set on hand, you can start out with just a few jars. Red, yellow, blue - you can mix these three primary colors to make many other colors. Add white poster paint to lighten any color and black to darken any color.
To keep the paint from chipping, give the mask a protective coating of sealer.
Trimming the Masks: After painting in the skin color and features, there are other additions which can be made to your masks. At the bottom of the page you will see various ways of using cut paper to trim the masks. The clown's collar is made of pleated green construction paper. The queen's hair is made of red-orange crepe paper, fringed and curled over a pencil. Try folding, pleating, curling, scoring, cutting, or bending papers into various unusual shapes.
