How to Make a Cardboard Animal Head That Is Hollow Inside

Make an animal head costume piece out of a cardboard box.

If you're planning to dress as a sly fox or fluffy rabbit this Halloween, don't settle for a face mask purchased from a store. Instead, make a full cranium headpiece to complete your animal transformation. Make an animal head using a cardboard box and a paper mache technique. Your finished headpiece ensures you have a unique costume that can't be found on the shelves of a store.

Things You'll Need

• Small cardboard box
• Newspaper
• Bowl
• 1 cup glue
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• Scissors
• Paint
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Find a small appliance box, like a toaster box, that is big enough to fit over your head. Cut the top flaps off the box.

2. Tear up a few dozen strips of newspaper and set aside.

3. Mix 1 cup water, 1 cup flour and 1 cup glue in a bowl to make a paper mache paste.

4. Dredge the strips of newspaper in the paper mache mix and drape over the mix. Use The damp strips to sculpt a rounded top to the box, like a cranium.

5. Create a nose at the center of the front panel of the box. Mold the damp paper to make a nose shape, using your hands to shape the paper like you would modeling clay.

6. Create ears at the top of the box by shaping the damp paper into the shape of the animal ear you are making.

7. Let the box and paper dry.

8. Cut out eyes from the front panel of the box.

9. Paint the headpiece using acrylic craft paint and a paintbrush. Use a paint color to match the animal head you're making, like brown for a bear. Let dry.

10. Add extra details with the paint, like whiskers coming from the nose and black for the tip of the nose. Let dry.

References

• Cockeyed: Easy, Illustrated Instructions on How to Paper Mache