MASKED!!!!

With Halloween just a couple days away, I thought I'd make masks for the girls. I'm posting this early to give you time to make a few before Oct. 31 should you decide to follow along. As you know, most of my girls are quite vain, so most of them have decided to go to the party dressed as chic witches or stylish goblins. With that in mind, I designed a small variety of masks using a simple paper mache base that can be painted or embellished.

For this project you will need:
Aluminum Foil
Paper Towel cut into 1/4" (6mm) strips, enough to cover the mask.
Paper Mache: equal parts of flour, water (a tablespoon of each is enough for 4 masks), dash of salt

1. You can make full or partial masks. Choose a doll without eyelashes as a model.
2. If you don't have heavy duty aluminum foil, use two layers of the regular variety. Press the foil into the face.
3. Be sure to press the foil into the crevices of the eye sockets and along the bridge of the nose.
4. Using a dull pencil, define the eyes.
5. Draw around the face to create the shape you would like
6. For the half-mask, be sure to curve the line up and over the nose.
7. Remove the foil from the doll and cut along the outline of the face.
8. Place back on the face to check for fit.
9. Remove from the doll and cut the eyes out of the foil form.

 10. Mix together the flour, water and salt to make a paste. Then one by one, dip the paper towel strips into the mixture and lay each strips over the foil. (The foil form should not be on the doll.) Apply a second layer. Then press into the contours of the foil form. Allow to thoroughly dry. Usually I let it dry overnight.
11. Turn the mask around to the wrong side and using a sharp instrument (like the point of a manicure scissors) poke out the eyes.
12. Make the eye holes larger than the actual eyes of the doll
13. Now cut away the excess around the perimeter of the mask.
14. With an emery board or small piece of sandpaper, carefully smooth away the imperfections.
15. At this point you can paint your mask or make designs. OR.....

16. EMBELLISH! Think decoupage. Think glitter. Think feathers. And don't forget auto-adhesive jeweled stickers!

17. Start with a layer of Modge Podge or white craft glue. When dry, remove the foil from the back then decorate until your heart is content! These masks extend past the doll's ears. So I use straight pins to attach to their hair (not head). However, you can attach ribbon or thin elastic to each side, if you like. I show you what I did on the last mask of this post.

 

For my masks, I had fun with paper doilies, with lace, glitter, stickers and feathers.

And with these masks, my divas can enjoy not just Halloween, but New Year's Eve masquerade parties and Carnival!

 

Now, I realize that some of you just might want to make something more.....Halloween! So here, I finished that full facial mask you saw earlier.

1. Following the same instructions at the top of this post, I covered the doll's face entirely with foil and created my mask using the paper towel and paper mache mixture. When completely dry, I began by painting it white.
2. I drew the design on using a No. 2 pencil.
3. Then with acrylics, I painted in the design
4. When the paint was dry, I removed the foil from the inside.
5. If you extend the sides of the mask beyond the doll's ears, you can pin it to her hair. If not, you can use ribbon or thin elastic and attach to each side with a tiny brad (attaché francaise). Push through
6. And spread the wings out.

Happy Halloween!!!

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