A mask in time for the Celebration

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm a sucker for historicals! I'm a sucker for history too. Especially any type of history that involves the glamorous existence of balls, masques, and a chance to hide who you really are. Then I was granted a unique opportunity: create a Mardi Gras mask! More like decorate one to celebrate the holiday at the day job. The reward is a chance to win a cash prize, but the true reward is accomplishing something creative with my hands. 

So I embarked on the scary journey of creating a mask! I didn't want to just decorate the flimsy piece of plastic I'd been provided. No, my inner regency romance lovin' side took over. Next thing I knew I was watching YouTube videos and asking Twitter for help. After a late afternoon stop at the Hobby Lobby, much to the disappointment of my son (he thought we were going to a toy store), my creative project launched.

For your viewing pleasure I'll share my steps and the not-so-pretty photos that go with it!

Step 1: The mask. $1.00 and you have something flimsy and flaking at the edges.

Step 2: Aluminum foil! I layered two sheets of aluminum foil on top of one another. A little tape, some cutting with scissors, and more folding and you get your design.



Daughter: "Mommy that looks scary!"



Step 3: Plaster Caster! That's not really the name of the stuff, but basically its a roll of the same stuff used to make a cast in the old days. One roll is perfect purchase size (I still have a ton leftover). You cut the stuff into small strips, mine were about 1/2- 1/4 inch wide. Grab a small bowl of water and dip the strips, one by one, into the water and layer them over each other. Overall, it took me 1 hour to wrap the entire thing to my liking, and 2 hours to dry (speed increased with the help of a hair dryer).

Step 4: Spruce that bad boy up with some color! I used acrylics for this project, and then let the mask dry overnight.



Hubby: "It looks like a misshapen Batman Batarang!"

Step 5: Decorate it! You can use just about anything with a hot glue gun. I used a ton of stickers that were designed for scrap booking but they looked so awesome! A few feathers, some lace, and a little glitter glue. If you're into fabrics then you can use those as well or whatever floats your boat. I definitely recommend a hot glue gun! I love the thing for projects. And wa la!


Now commenter's my questions: What was my theme for the mask? Do you love masked parties?
*One lucky commenter will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card*