Mardi gras masks

Fun Mardi Gras masks!

These Mardi gras masks are not so hard to make, just a little labor intensive.

Materials you'll need (to make blue mask) :
Blue poster board
3 Ostrich feathers (white)
Assorted matching sparkly ribbons and glittered tulle strips;
about three yards long each, different widths (cut off 1 yard of at least 6 or 7 of the ribbons to use for bow)
Stringed beads...metallic (silver or gold)
Blue glitter
Assorted embellishments
Honeycomb metallic ribbon (for ruffle around mask)
Glittered curly reeds
Stapler and staples
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
White glue
Small paint brush
Florist wire
1/2 inch diameter wooden dowel cut down to 18 or 20 inches long
One 10x10 inch square of black felt
1 small amount of black acrylic paint

All of these supplies may be purchased at Michaels, Hobby Lobby or Floral Supply Warehouses.

Draw a mask shape of desired size on blue poster board. Cut it out including eye holes (do the same with the black felt for use later). Use small paint brush to apply white glue all over the front of poster board mask, cover entire area with blue glitter, tap excess glitter off, set aside to dry. (may need a couple of hours to dry) Clean paint brush and use it to paint the dowel black.
Meanwhile, gather all the ribbons, stringed beads and glittered tulle and fold in half lengthwise, secure with a 10 inch length of florist wire.
Make florist bow with the ribbons that had been cut and set aside before, attach the gathered ribbons to the back of the bow with the wire used to make the florist bow and set aside.
Now, back to the mask, after the glitter has set and dried then you may begin to embellish it. Click on above picture to see close up. To make the ruffle around the mask, you will need to take the honeycomb ribbon (as in the picture) or other ribbon of your liking, gather it into a ruffle, securing each ruffle with a staple until you get the length to go around the mask. Glue the ruffle all around the BACK of the mask, making sure it shows prettily from the front of mask. Glue the curly reeds first then the feathers also to the back of the mask (see picture for placement), then embellish the front of the mask to your hearts content, use white glue or hot glue to attach items until you get it just the way you want it. You may also glue embellishments on the feathers. After your mask is decorated just the way you like, take the painted wooden dowel and place it on the right or left hand side of the back of the mask next to the eye hole and hot glue it down. The dowel is used for holding the mask up to your face. Take the black felt mask shape that you cut out at the beginning and glue it to the back of the mask, covering the back entirely (except, of course for the eye holes), leaving the back of the mask neat and clean. Now attach (glue) the bow and ribbons to the dowel right below the mask.
And there you have it...a beautiful Mardi Gras mask that you made yourself!! ENJOY!!