Carnival time is without a doubt one of the most fun around. Children and adults alike dress up as their favorite characters, and it is also a time that coincides with Lent. In many countries and cities, carnivals are celebrated in style, with festivals, parades and costumes, but the mask is also an element that cannot be missing. Let’s see below step by step, How to make a carnival mask.
Depending on the costume you are going to wear, or if for example you have to do it More expensive children, the elaboration of this may vary, but we we will explain a fairly generic one, so you can do it so that in this carnival you combine it with any costume.
Materials to make a carnival mask
As we tell you, there are many ways to make a carnival mask, because there also may be different materials that we can use to make it, but if you have any we list you below, for sure you will have a very beautiful carnival mask.
- White tail
- Newspapers
- Cutter
- Brush
- The scissors
- Balloons
- Food wrap (the type used to wrap sandwiches)
- Straw or wooden stick
- Pencil
- Elastic rubber
How to make a homemade carnival mask
We are going to make a homemade carnival mask, using the technique of papier mache and how the most traditional carnival masks are made, so we are going to make a mold so that in this way we have a mask that adapts perfectly to our functionalities, or those of the person who will take it. We will then start cut several sheets of newspaper into strips about 2.5 / 3cm wide.
After that we have to pour the white glue into a bowl of lukewarm water and mix everything well with a brush. On this point, the strips of newspaper that we have previously cut are soaked in the mixture of glue and water and they leave soak for a while.
In the meantime, for create a face mask, a medium-sized balloon must be inflated, while to make the nose we will use another balloon, deflated, folding it on itself and joining the other, which we had already swollen, to begin to see a face.
Once done, cover the balloon with the other glued, with a small plastic wrap, so that later it will be easier for you to work with the newspaper strips.
Then, cover the balloon with several layers of damp newspaper strips, alternating the different layers of newspaper strips with the white tail slightly diluted with Water.
You need to cover everything with the wet strips and, after making the first layer, brush with white glue. All bands should be placed in the same direction and on the top layer should be placed opposite the previous one; for example, if in the first layer you put them vertically in the second, you have to place them horizontally and in the third again vertically, and so on. You will need to wear at least ten layers.
Once you have applied these ten layers of bands, so that the papier-mâché mask is strong enough, should dry for a whole day in a hot and dry environment. It is only when the artwork has dried perfectly that it can be pierced so that you can blow up the ball partially covered, and finally eye and mouth shapes can be drawn and cut to the surface of the created mask. To cut, you can use the utility knife.
Once you have cut the mask you need to make two side holes to hang the cable used to attach it to the face. Once done, the mask is practically ready: go one coat of lightweight wall putty to remove any irregularities from the surface and decorate it as desired.
At the time of decorate your mask, We suggest you do it according to the costume you are going to wear or combine the colors you like the most, maybe painting a star and using not only acrylic or tempera colors, but also using a little bit of glitter, an element that generally distinguishes carnival masks a bit. Yes if you want to decorate it quickly you can always buy a spray in gold for example and paint it all in that color, make sure the spray dries well after you paint it so you don’t breathe in all that strong smell that this type of paint usually leaves.
How to make a cardboard carnival mask
Once we have seen how to make a homemade carnival mask in a simple and affordable way, we want to explain another way of doing it that it seems even easier to us. A mask that you can make with a simple piece of cardboard, and it can be useful in case you don’t have a lot of time to make your mask or if you want the kids to help you make it.
All you need is have a piece of cardboard (to be able to be corrugated because it is more resistant) and on this point, we draw a mask in pencil. After the design is created, you need to cut the mask with a pair of scissors or a utility knife. And also you must draw and cut the holes for the eyes as well as for the mouth.
When you completely cut off the mask, you can choose paint the surface of the mask with a brush or paste decorations. You can also choose to spray paint it or cover it with glue and then glitter. Once the mask is completely dry, you can paint one with a stiff straw or wooden stick which you can then apply behind and one side of the mask with hot silicone and let it dry well, or if you prefer, you can also do that two holes in the corners of the mask, and pass a rubber band.
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