Art Works! is a series of blog posts created by the staff at www.EscapadeDirect.com that offer children of all ages and abilities the opportunity for hands-on art activities that allow them to explore, discover, and express their individual creativity.

We encourage parents to join in on the activities, too, and create their own Art Works!

Art Works! Activity #5: Plaster Masks

Create three-dimensional masks with plaster strips – it’s fun and easy!

This activity gives children the opportunity to work with their hands and with a medium they may not have used before. Molding a mask that they can wear is very exciting to kids. Masks can also be hung on a wall as a special decoration. The possibilities are endless! Plaster masks are also fun for Halloween costumes!

What You Need:

• Paper


• Pencil


• 9″ to 12″ Balloon, blown up and tied shut


• Small Bowl (acts as a base to hold the balloon on the table)


• Scissors


• Plaster Molding Cloth (Plaster Bandages)


• Water, in a small plastic dish


• Paper Towels (for quick clean ups)


• Large Plastic Tray or Cookie Sheet


• Paints


• Permanent Markers

What You Do:

• Using paper and pencil, draw a rough sketch of what you would like your mask to look like. Will the mask be a full-face mask with eye holes? Or will the mask be a half-face mask? Masks can be of animals, people, aliens, monsters – whatever subject you would like.


• Prepare your work area by giving each child a tray to work on. Place a small bowl on the tray and put the balloon into the bowl. The bowl will act as a base to keep the balloon from rolling or moving. Place a small plastic bowl on the tray, and fill with warm water. The water will be used to dip the plaster cloth into. We recommend that you have a few paper towels nearby for quick clean ups in case of spills.


• Cut the plaster cloth into 1″ x 4″ strips. The smaller strips are easier for kids to work with, and allow more flexibilty in design. Set the strips within reach of the work area tray (you will want to keep these strips dry until ready to use).


• To begin creating a mask, dip a strip of plaster cloth into warm water, just long enough to get it wet, then remove the excess water by running your fingers down the strip. Lay this strip on the balloon to begin building a mask. Rub the strip gently until all the plaster is spread around and is covering the cloth completely.


• Continue adding strips of plaster, one at a time, until the basic shape of the mask is completed. Make sure to overlap the strips so they are connected. Don’t forget to leave holes for the eyes, nose, or mouth.


• Once the first layer of the mask is completed, continue adding up to three layers of plaster cloth. Make sure to place the strips in opposite directions to give the mask strength. Also make sure to keep the edges of the mask as straight as possible – this prevents having to cut and trim the mask after it has dried.


• If you want to build up shapes on the mask, such as a nose, use precut pieces of cardboard, crunched up newspaper, tin foil, cotton balls, or even molded strips of plaster to act as the base. Once the “base” is in place, cover with plaster strips to make it part of the mask.


• When the mask is completed, allow it to dry thoroughly before decorating.


• When the mask is dry, you might want to use a small piece of sand paper to smooth the surface of the mask or around the edges.


• Use paints and permanent markers to decorate your completed mask. If you would like, you can also use sequins, feathers, stickers – or other embellishments to decorate your mask. Be creative!


• If you would like to seal your completed mask, we recommend using a product such as Modge Podge or Acrylic Sealer.


• To wear the completed mask, drill small holes in the sides of the mask and attach a length of string or yarn through the holes, then tie behind the head.

Tips:

• If you are making a mask for a child to wear, you will want to measure where to put the eye, nose, and mouth holes before you begin creating the mask. This can be done by holding a sheet of paper up to your child’s face to get the approximate locations for these holes. Lay the paper over the blown-up balloon and use a marker to mark these locations. When building the mask, lay the plaster strips up to these marked locations, but not over them.


• We used a fairly thick balloon for this project, and it worked well. If you prefer, you can use a playground ball instead of a balloon. We recommend you cover the ball with petroleum jelly so the plaster mask can be removed easily.


• When using a balloon in a bowl, you may want to tape the balloon to the bowl on the backside of the balloon. The tape will hold the balloon in place and keep it from rolling when the plaster cloth is applied to one side of the balloon.

Variations:

• If you prefer (and have a child that can sit still for 15 minutes), you can create a mask directly on your child’s face. To do this, make sure to place a drop-cloth on the floor and have your child wear an art smock or towels to protect their clothing. Cover your child’s hair with a towel or handkerchief. Cover your child’s face with a thick layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Make sure to cover the entire face, including eyebrows and near the hairline. This layer of petroleum jelly allows the mask to easily be removed from your child’s face, causing no discomfort. Have your child lay down on the floor or sit back in a chair (we find that laying on the floor is much easier for a child). Dip the precut plaster strips in warm water, one at a time, and cover the area of the face you want to use for making the mask. Work very carefully around the eyes! Your child must lay very still during this process, without moving their face for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Apply plaster strips so that you have three layers of plaster, building up the edges of the mask or the bridge of the nose for extra strength. Allow the plaster to dry on your child’s face. Plaster cloth dries very quickly, so this step shouldn’t take too long. When your child feels that they can gently move their face without feeling “stuck” to the mask, it’s time to remove the mask. Carefully slide your fingers along the edges of the mask, working your way toward the center as you gently lift the mask off. Place the mask on a rack to dry. While it may be hard for young children to sit still long enough for you to create the mask, when they see the finished result, they usually want to model for another mask!


• Plaster cloth can be used for lots of other modeling projects! Create volcanoes, buildings, and so much more. Modeling clay works great as a model for the plaster creations.

You Might Also Like:

Plaster Mix – This bag of easy-to-use plaster is perfect for creating small plaster models from molds!

Lyra Skin Color Theater Face Pencils – Use these quality face painting pencils to create masks right on your face!

The Usborne Book of Face Painting – This is an excellent book to use as a guide for painting masks and for face painting. Lots of good ideas in this book!

Share Your Art Works! Activities!
If you have an Art Works! project that you would like to share, email us a digital picture (or scan) of your project , and we will post it in our Kids Gallery. If you would like, include the artists first name, age, and your state. It’s fun for kids to see how other children interpreted the project!

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