How to make paper mache alien masks

Fabricating alien masks has long been a sought after skill amongst children and adults alike and have always been part of popular Halloween costumes. Creating these masks can often take some practice and is a rather time consuming craft. However, you can sometimes use some common household materials to help you out.

Listed beneath this senetence are some hopefully helpful tips that will enable you to manufacture a mask that will spook all your cohorts at any Halloween gathering:

Items you will need:

• One inch newspaper strips
• Grey or "alien colored" paint
• awl or an ice pick
• some sort of cord
• strings or ribbons (these will be used as ties)
• masking tape
• yarn, hair or fake har
• a paper mache paste

Directions for making an Alien Mask:

1. Cover the table or surface you are working on to prevent damage to the table, desk or floor. If you can, working outside on concrete, while uncomfortable, might be ideal in some instances.
   
2. Get your glue or paste ready by combining three tablespoons of salt, one cup bread flour with two cups of water. Combine/mix until you wind up with a extremely thick goop.
   
3. Use two layers of aluminum foil and, if possible have someone help you in putting pressure against the foil on your face so you can get a plaster mold of your facial features. This is so that you can get an accurate position for your nose and eyeballs.
   
4. Take care in removing the foil from your face using a wadded up newspaper under the aluminum foil to support the impressions, being careful not to ruin them, placing the foil under the surface you are working on.

Paper Mache Alien Mask Construction:

 When assembling the alien masks, dip some thin strips of newspaper in the paper mache goop that you made earlier, making sure they are well soaked and placed with presicion ion the aluminum foil individlually, covering the entire surface with foil. Do not push too hard when placing the newspaper stips onto the foil. After this, set it to the side and allow this layer to dry adequately.

You can try to use various materials to manufacture the alienlike shapes and attach them on the mask. Cut out shapes from household kitchen items like foam, spongs, foil and paper Chicken wire works too, as does toilet paper. Cardboard from paper towl rolls or boxes, paper cups, emptied juice boxes or juice packs can add variety and interesting effects to your alien mask. Then, use masking tape to help everything stick.

Add 2 more layers of paper mache goop to help form your face. Let each layer dry throughly before placing another layer. Use your paper mache mix to smooth out and put in the finder details of your mask and use your imagination to make alien ears, eye sockets, creases, eye brows, exotic lips, etc. Once YOU are pleased, let the mask again, dry thoroughly.

Use acrylic paints on the mask. Glow in the dark or goo paints work well. You can always go for the standard gray alien paint. Really, you can be quite versitile in this. Remember, you can always paint over an area if it didn't come out as you liked. If you don't want a bald alien look, use the hair, yarn or other scraps to add character.

Finally, use an ince pick or knife to cut out the holes for the eyes, mouth, ears and string used to tie the mask to your head.

Buying Alien Masks

Has all else failed and you just want to buy an alien mask? Sometimes, home arts and crafts projects don't come out as we intend. There is nothing wrong with admitting defeat and just chucking out some money for a mask. Luckily, there are some affordable ones out on the market.