Make Your Own Mask

Make your own mask using your face as the mold. Plaster mask making is a wonderful way to express other sides of yourself not usually revealed.

Masks have been used by cultures all around the world.  Sometimes masks are intended for serious use in ritual and ceremony.  Other times masks are used for fun in celebrations and performances.

For this project you’ll need to work with a partner as you begin the creation of your mask.  Wear your mask in a parade, to a costume party or hang it on the wall.

Materials needed
Plaster bandage strips – cut into 4” or 5” strips
Petroleum jelly like Vasoline
water in a small dish
paper towels
scissors
face soap
glue
gesso
tempera or acrylic paint
brushes
Optional Decorations
glitter
beads
feathers
buttons
anything else you’d like to add to your mask.

Getting Started

Make the foundation mask.  Partner A will start as the model while partner B will build the mask foundation.   This foundation, which is a replica of Partner A’s face, will then be the mask Partner A uses to create a fantastically painted and decorated mask.  After the first foundation mask is done the partners switch roles, with partner B sitting as the model and partner A working as the builder of the mask foundation.

Day 1

Place the bowl with water, strips of plaster, and scissors on a table.

The model should wear an old shirt to protect clothing.
Push hair back with a headband and wrap a towel around neck.

Apply a thin coat of vasoline to the model’s face being sure to cover eyebrows and any hair that the plaster will touch.

Build the mask one bandage at a time.
Dip each strip in the water to moisten it.
Place it on the face, overlapping the previous strip and  rub it slightly being sure it is smooth and flush with the skin.

Apply 3 more layers of plaster strips in the same manner as the first layer. When the mask feels like its pulling on the face (around 20 minutes) gently work the mask off of the model’s face.  Spread your fingertips and pry at the edges of the mask as the model wrinkles his/her nose and forehead.
Try to bend the mask as little as possible.   If any hair has gotten caught in the mask pull it out of the plaster not out of the model’s head.

If you want to be able to wear the mask, while it’s still damp poke holes in each side in line with the eyes and about an inch in from the sides.  Later you can run string or ribbon through here so you can tie the mask on if you’d like to wear it.

Now clean off your face well and reverse rolls to create the foundation for partner B.  The foundation masks should be placed on some crumpled up paper made into a form to hold the mask in place.  Leave it to dry overnight.

Day 2
Now the real fun begins as you paint and decorate your mask.   Let your imagination go wild as you decide how you’d like your mask to look.

Paint the dry mask with a coat of gesso.

Using tempera or acrylic, paint your mask

You might want to paint diamond shapes around the eyes or you could turn the eyes into flowers.
Will the nose stay natural looking or will you paint it bright orange?
Maybe you want to put on some whiskers (use pipe cleaners for that) and paint cat eyes.
Or you could make your mask look like a skeleton.

You can also add glitter, buttons, cloth, feathers – just about anything you can imagine – to your mask.
Adhere with glue or a glue gun.

Have fun and let your secret side come out in your mask.