Make a Mask

This 'Make' can be as quick or as time consuming as you wish. Making a mask uses the simplest of materials as the foundation, then you can add as much details as you like using a variety of different textures. You and your child's imagination can go wild, creating characters who you can then become once you mask is complete AND dry - a soggy mask caked in paint & glue is not as calming as a facial!

Our masks... we also made one for Daddy!

Making masks can help children develop their hand-eye coordination, painting and drawing technique, etc as do most crafts, but what is really beautiful about making masks is what you do with them afterwards. Role Play and Imaginative Play is very beneficial to children. It is said that playing 'make believe' with growing minds will help them build social skills, confidence and a sense of self. It will also encourage language skills, leadership skills, problem solving and an understanding of other peoples perspective. Above all... it's FUN!

With Notting Hill Carnival coming up this weekend, this is also an opportunity to teach children about world events. Masks are used around the world to tell or remind people of stories. They are also used in parades during significant holidays. Maybe you have a local carnival or parade coming up near you.

Time taken for us to make: 90 mins (but we did make three). 

Cost to me: Nothing, we had all of the materials around the house.

Original Instructions

What we used: 

• Paper Plate 
• Scissors 
• String
• Pencil 
• Plastacine 
• Paint & Glitter Glue Pen
• Glue 
• Coloured Paper 
• Feathers 
• String 
• Scraps of felt 

Getting ready to start

What we did: 

First we drew faces on a the underside of the paper plates using a pencil. We then cut out the eyes and mouth. 

Draw a face on your plate

Cut out the eyes and mouth

We made small holes in each side of the mask using a pencil with a ball of plastacine underneath the plate to ease the pencil through safely (a classic Blue Peter tip). The holes are needed to tie the lengths of string through each, which will fasten around your head. Amelie was VERY excited to use her String-Holder Cat that we had made previously. 

With care make two holes on either side of the mask 

Amelie used her String-Holder Cat

Tie the string to your mask 

We then decorated the masks. Amelie chose to make a cat using felt and feathers for the ears, felt pen to colour the nose & glitter glue for the whiskers. She also added sequins for extra glamour!
I chose to go down the carnival route with a bright sun face. I used paint for the face and glitter glue for the features. Feathers were glued around the edge for the rays.

My second mask was a lion. I swirled the paintbrush to give the texture of fur then added a felt nose & glitter glue for the features (Have you noticed a theme here?... We do LOVE glitter glue pens). To create a full mane I tore orange and yellow paper into strips then wrapped them around a pen to make curls, then glued them around the edge.

Decorate your mask

Amelie's Cat Mask 

My Carnival Sun Mask 

My Lion Mask 

Swirly brush strokes to create texture

Amelie couldn't wait to show her Dad our masks. She was excited to tell him which mask he was to wear as he got through the door, home from work. We took turns trying each of them on whilst dinner was cooking. 

We'd love to see what creatures you create. You can send pictures to us via Facebook or Twitter.