08/11/2025
Part 2 of the Mask Making Mini Series! Our mask theme is Mothman! Below are the full instructions so you can follow along. If you get lost, just let me know! (Any videos mentioned can be found on my TikTok page, also I said replica but meant costume)
🪶 Shredding & Soaking
1. Grab a bucket or tote.
2. Grab your cardboard (old boxes work best).
3. Tear the cardboard into small pieces and drop them into the tote.
4. Once you’ve got a small pile, fill the tote with hot water just enough to submerge the pieces.
5. Let it soak for 20–24 hours, until it’s soft and soggy.
🪶 Blending
6. Once soaked, grab a strong blender. I like using a blending attachment or paint-stirring attachment on my drill.
7. Blend until the cardboard breaks down into very small pieces.
8. Strain out the water (I place mine into a bag it makes mixing easier).
9. Set the pulp aside for later.
🪶 Face Plate
1. Measure from your chin to the top of your head (mine is 10 inches).
2. Measure from temple to temple for the width (mine is 8 inches).
3. On a piece of cardboard, mark the full height measurement, noting where your nose falls (mine is between 4–5 inches).
4. Mark your width measurement, centered on the nose (mine is 8 inches total, so 4 inches on each side).
5. Sketch a rough head/face shape mark where your mouth, nose, and eyes will be.
6. Cut out the mask shape.
7. Fold it in half so you have an inside and outside.
8. While folded, make small cuts:
• Below the eyes
• Above the eyes
• In the top center of the mask
• A “bubble T” cut around the mouth, starting just past the nose
9. Crinkle the cardboard gently to make it more flexible.
10. Tape the cut sections back together to create a rounded mask shape. (Cut nose and mouth holes now if you want.)
🪶 Making Features
1. Use foil, paper scraps, or anything else you have to build up facial features.
2. Glue them to the mask base.
🪶 Mixing the Pulp
1. Take your bag of pulp and mix in small amounts of glue. I use Mod Podge it dries faster and is lighter.
2. The pulp should feel like chunky oatmeal wet enough to stick, but not too wet.
🪶 Applying the Pulp
1. Place the mask on something sturdy so it keeps its shape (wet pulp can warp the cardboard).
2. Thumb on small amounts of pulp until the mask is fully covered.
3. Sculpt any features like eyelids or ridges using a knife, stick, or sculpting tool.
🪶 Drying
1. Let the mask dry completely for 2–3 days before moving on to painting! I will see you in part 3!
