- 1). Smear a layer of petroleum jelly over the area of your face that the mask will cover. Add extra petroleum jelly on any facial hair and eyebrows, otherwise the mask will stick to the hair and be painful to remove.
- 2). Fill a shallow dish, such as a pie pan, with water.
- 3). Cut plaster cloth into 1-inch wide strips. Dip one strip into the water to completely wet the strip and smooth this first strip diagonally over the bridge of your nose. Add a second wet strip of plaster cloth to form an "X" on your face between your eyes.
- 4). Continue to lay strips of the wet plaster cloth directly on your face to create the shape of your mask. Try not to move your face and avoid laughing or talking during this process.
- 5). Add an additional two layers of plaster cloth to the mask after you are satisfied with the basic shape of the mask. This will strengthen the mask and make it more durable.
- 6). Let the mask rest on your face until it feels almost dry to the touch. This will take about 30 minutes.
- 7). Wiggle the sides of the mask gently to pull the mask away from your face. If the mask is difficult to remove, let it dry a little longer and then try again.
- 8). Add details to the mask by adding additional plaster strips to the outside of the mask. You can add triangles to the top of the mask to form cat ears, or build a beak on the front of the mask by gradually building up layers of the plaster strips. Add as much detail to the outside of the mask as you like, but do not alter the inside of the mask or it will not fit your face correctly.
- 9). Let the mask dry completely and then sand any rough spots with 220-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface of the masquerade mask.
- 10
Spray an acrylic sealer over the outside of the mask. The sealer will prevent the plaster from absorbing paint, so you will need fewer coats of paint to cover the mask. - 11
Paint the mask with acrylic paints to match your clothing for the masquerade party. - 12
Glue sequins, feathers or beads to the mask with a hot glue gun. - 13
Poke a hole into each side of the mask at approximately the same level as the eye holes with a compass or an awl. Tie each end of a piece of elastic through the holes so that you can wear your mask hands free during the party.
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