DIY Animal Masks

Appropriate for grades:
Subject areas: Visual and Performing Arts


Cultures all over the world integrate masked processions with celebrations. Some celebrations mark seasonal changes, others religious occasions or historical events, still others, spontaneous revelry.

In Mexico, masked beings represent real and mythical people who express the shared beliefs of a community. Some of the characters include a jaguar or tigre, an old man or viejito, a monkey, a clown. Masks take a variety of forms; some are helmets worn on top of the head, others are half-face masks which cover either the top or bottom portion of the face. Miniature masks, no more than six inches across, are worn as well as masks that cover only the back of the head. Some masks have moveable jaws and some combine human and animal forms.

You'll need:

  • construction paper, 2 sheets
  • scissors
  • markers
  • pencil
  • glue
  • long popsicle stick or any other stick

 

Procedures A grouping of images that showing the steps of how to make an animal mask using two sheets of construction paper and a popsicle stick.

  1. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half.
  2. Draw the shape of half of an animal face using most of your construction paper. Think about the animal that you want to make and what shape that animal’s head would be.
  3. Cut the outline of the shape keeping the paper folded.
  4. Use the scraps of the construction paper or a new sheet to create additional shapes, like horns, beaks, ears, tusks, etc., and attach them to your mask with glue.
  5. Add any additional details using markers.
  6. When the mask is almost complete, glue a long popsicle stick or any stick you have available to the back of your mask.

 

Download Lesson Plan