Carol and her guests, Heidi Niedermeier, Sherri Smart and Umesh Patel, demonstrate how to cast a mold to create a mask. For this project, two people are required since one is the "victim" whose face is covered with plaster, and the other applies the material. Here, Umesh receives the plaster facial from Carol.
Materials:
petroleum jelly
plaster impregnated gauze or cloth
water
scissors
terry cloth or pieces of T-shirt material
Mod Podge
acrylic paint and other desired embellishments
Steps:
- Slather a good amount of petroleum jelly on the face to be covered.
- Cut plaster impregnated gauze or cloth into 5-inch or 6-inch lengths with a 2-inch width.
- Cover the eyes with terry cloth or pieces of a T-shirt.
- Dip the gauze or cloth in water. Starting on the outer edges of the face, place the gauze or cloth on the face with the plaster-coated side against the skin.
- Cover entire face, leaving the nose holes open.
- Wait about 20 to 30 minutes for the mask to dry. Make sure the mask is dry before you try to remove it or it will stick. The mask will come off easily when it is completely dry.
- Trim away any excess cloth or gauze from the dry mask.
- Coat the mask with Mod Podge, and decorate it using acrylic paint or other items, including feathers, pompoms, beads, etc.
Plaster Tips:
- It takes about three layers of plaster impregnated gauze or cloth for a good mask.
- The actual size of the strips you cut is not important as long as you cut gauze or cloth to a size that works well for you.
- Very thin strips may be used to cover the underside of the nose (as long as your subject can breathe easily).
