So I love myself some paper flowers but Cosplay will always be my first love! So in honor of my Cosplay beginnings & Halloween, I wanted to share with you a paper face mask that you can create without any special tools or fancy paper cutting machines. This mask will make such an impact that you can throw on some black clothing & call it a costume plus it’s so much fun to make. Happy Hauntings!
What you’ll need:
- 5 sheets of 12x12 Solid Color Cardstock
- 4 different colors for feathers and 1 black for the beak (I created an ombre effect using yellow/orange/red tones but any color choices will do)
- Cardstock Warehouse Cardstock Papers in this project:
- Lemon Drop 100# Pop-Tone
- Orange Fizz 100# Pop-Tone
- Tangy Orange 100# Pop-Tone
- Red Hot 100# Pop-Tone
- Wild Cherry 100# Pop-Tone
- Black Licorice 100# Pop-Tone
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- A Pencil
- ½” Ribbon (about 2 ft)
- Popsicle Stick (I used a large one)
- Scrap Paper
Optional:
- Exacto Knife or small scissor for details
- Hot Glue Gun
- Tape Measure
Step 1:
- The first step is to create a template for the base of the mask on scrap paper. To ensure the final mask fits your face, start by measuring out the space from eye center to eye center, from temple to temple & from your browline to the tip of your nose. Find these measurements using the tape measure or you can simply use the ribbon to find these lengths.
- Start by folding your scrap paper in half. Then mark off your ½ measurements on the paper to ensure the masks’ will for your face. Then draw in pencil an oval from temple to temple with a diamond shape covering the nose area & extending it at least an inch past for the beak (see image for reference)
- Draw your eye holes (about 1” circles) using your eye measurement.
- Cut out your newly draw mask base with your scissors, then trace & cut this mask out on black cardstock.
- Draw & cut a diagonal line from the base of the beak upwards toward the bridge of the nose to separate the “beak” template from the “face”
Step 2:
- Take the mask base and trace it in pencil in a corner of each colored cardstock pages ( see image)
- Cut out each mask shape you just traced & don’t throw out your scraps! You will need those scraps later!
- Choose the order of the color layers on your mask & start with the uppermost layer of color
- Use your popsicle stick to trace a feather pattern about ¾” from the top of your mask shape
- Cut out the feather pattern you just created & glue it to the next layer of colors & repeat the process moving downward on the mask, working around the eye holes & beak shape, strategically overlapping to cover edges.
- Cut out the eye holes.
Step 3:
- Using your colored scraps of cardstock paper, draw 4 freehand feather shapes, one shape per color.
- Cut out the shapes drawn & trace a 2nd feather in that same color (except for the feather you want to use in the center). Don’t worry so much about perfect edges as we’ll be adding cuts.
- Make slits & triangle cuts at a downward angle towards the bottom of the feather to create depth.
Step 4:
- Cut your ribbon in half & glue each half to the black cardstock mask base, starting from the outside edge of the eye hole to the outside temple edge of the mask. (see image)
- Take the diamond-shaped beak template & trace on to the center of a scrap piece of the black cardstock. Cut about ¼” larger all around of the diamond shape you just traced. Soften the bottom beak edge by rounding the corners. Then cut tiny holes as nostrils on either side of your beak.
- Once cut, use your pencil and softly curl the center upwards & the edges out (see image)
- Glue your curled beak over the beak area of your black cardstock mask base. To keep the curl in the beak, simply add glue to the outside corners & leave a gap between the beak & base. (using a hot glue gun for this will allow you to work quickly, if using a glue stick, let beak dry 1 hour before continuing)
Step 5:
- Glue the your layered color feather base (from step 2) to your black base to cover the beak & eye-hole edges as well as securing your ribbons. (If you have a hot glue gun its best to use that here. If not, allow glue stick to dry overnight before continuing.)
- Glue your loose feathers starting from the center of mask to create a headdress effect
- Curl feathers upward on face & inward on headdress to create movement.
You’ve now made a pretty impressive Bird Mask! Feel free to switch up colors & details to customize your mask or to make it bird varietal specific. The possibilities are endless! Happy Halloween friends.
For more tutorials & fresh paper ideas follow Cardstock Warehouse on Facebook or Instagram!
Happy Paper Crafting!
-Daphny
PS- Looking for more Halloween inspiration? View all of our Halloween blogs HERE!