How to Make a Lion Mask From Plaster
Making a lion mask from plaster is a great pre-Halloween project for an afternoon. Man has long admired the long-maned king of beasts, although most of us are happier admiring them in zoos rather than seeing lions in the wild on the plains and jungles of Africa or India. Plaster is a good strong material for making a mask. Plaster cast tape is usually found at medical or educational supply shops. You will need a friend or child as a model for the mask. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plaster bandages
- Scissors
- Towel
- Petroleum jelly
- Bowl
- Warm water
- Modeling clay
Instructions
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Make the Basic Mask
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1
Cut out plaster bandages in 4- to 6-inch strips. Cut a variety of lengths and cut enough strips to make three or four layers for the mask.
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2
Pull back the hair and smear a coat of petroleum jelly all over the face, wherever the plaster bandages will touch the face. Especially coat the eyebrows and around the hairline. Hardened plaster when removed will take out any hair stuck in it.
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3
Dip the plaster strips in the bowl of warm water, enough to get them wet. Start laying them over the face.
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4
Smooth the plaster strips onto the face to make them even on the face. Avoid the eye, nose and mouth areas. You’ll be making a lion’s snout a bit later in the process, so leave a hole for it in the mask.
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5
Continue to add the plaster strips, overlapping them, until you’ve applied two to three layers to the face. Make small holes in the sides of the mask for yarn or string to hold the mask on.
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6
Extend the mask over the forehead to accurately place the lion’s ears, which you’ll be making. If necessary, cover the hair with plastic.
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7
Allow the mask to dry on your friend or child for about 20 minutes. Avoid laughing and talking during this time, so it dries properly. When it is dried to the point of being sticky, gently remove the mask from the face, trying not to break it. Trim the excess bits off the mask and allow it to dry completely.
Add the Lion Features
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8
Use the modeling clay to shape a lion’s snout. Find a good facial shot of a big male lion, and mold the clay into the shape of the broad nose for the lion’s face.
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9
Insert the snout from behind into the plaster mask. Rub petroleum jelly on the clay snout and cover the snout with several layers of plaster strips, attaching it to the face of the mask. Allow it to dry for 30 minutes.
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10
Dig out the modeling compound from behind the mask. Do not let the clay dry in place, or the mask will be too heavy to wear.
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11
Form lion’s ears with the modeling clay and apply the plaster bandages over them in a few layers to make the lion’s ears. Let the ears dry for 30 minutes. Dig out as much clay as you can. Position the ears on the top of the mask to the sides and apply enough plaster strips to attach them to the mask.
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12
Allow the mask to dry for 24 hours before further decorating the mask with paint and whiskers.
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Tips & Warnings
Remove the petroleum jelly from the face by first toweling it off with paper towels. Then wash the face with warm, soapy water. Dry the face and apply moisturizer if needed.
Make the lion’s mane out of yellow or orange yarn.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
