How to Make a Mardi Gras Butterfly Mask

Mardi Gras is a yearly celebration where people wear masks in a variety of shapes and colors. Not everyone can go to Mardi Gras, but you can have fun at home with your family by making a butterfly mask similar to those worn during the festival. This mask can be made quickly and inexpensively.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Craft foam
• Elastic
• Stapler
• Craft glue
• Feathers
• Sequins
• Glitter

How to Make a Mardi Gras Butterfly Mask

1. Take a piece of construction paper and draw the outline of an eye mask large enough to fit your face. This will be a base for making a butterfly mask. Cut out the base mask and hold it against your face to make sure it's the right size.

2. Draw eye holes. Then fold the mask in half. Fold in half once more, this time in the middle of one eye. Cut along both sides of the eye. Unfold the mask and hold it up against your face to make sure the eye holes are big enough.

3. Lay the base mask on a sheet of craft foam, two inches above the bottom of the sheet.

4. Trace the outline of the base mask and the eye holes onto the craft foam. Put the base mask away. Next, use a pencil to draw the top and bottom wings of a butterfly on one side of the traced mask. The butterfly wings can be as big or as small as you want.

5. Fold the foam sheet in half lengthwise so the sides and bottom are even. Carefully cut out the half butterfly shape. Next, unfold the butterfly mask and cut out the eyes.

6. Measure the amount of elastic needed to hold the mask to your head. Bend one end of the elastic under the mask and staple to the side. Do the same for the other side of the mask. Try the mask on to make sure it fits.

7. Decorate your butterfly Mardi Gras mask by gluing on colorful feathers, sequins and glitter. You also can add beads or lace and paint it.

Tips & Warnings

• The base mask can be used to make more Mardi Gras masks.

References

• How to Make a Masquerade Ball Mask