Barneblad: Paper Plate Animal Masks
Photo: Heidi Håvan Grosch
You can be any animal there is, or even a creation of your own! For more ideas, google “making paper masks” or “paper plate masks.” We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Heidi Håvan Grosch
Sparbu, Norway
Halloween costumes don’t have to be scary. Halloween costumes don’t have to come from a store. Halloween costumes don’t have to cost a lot of money. Halloween costumes can be fun to make with things you probably already have around your house! Here is an idea for making animal masks from paper plates. These masks are nice because you don’t have to cut out holes for the eyes.
These masks were a great success at a recent Barnas Verdensdag (World Children’s Day) celebration. BVD was started in Oslo by the Rikskonsertene (concerts Norway) in 1999 as part of the Oslo World Music Festival. Since then, every state or province in Norway (fylkeskommune) has a day dedicated to children and their families. In Levanger, in North-Trøndelag, it is on the last weekend in September. There is music, drama, dance, and art from all over the world, in all types of styles, and for young and old alike to try and watch.
Photo: Heidi Håvan Grosch
You can find some pictures at www.rikskonsertane.no/om-bvd or google “Barnas Verdensdag” and find videos on YouTube.
Mask-making time!
You will need:
• Paper plates (cheap ones are best because they are more flexible)
• Scissors
• Tape
• Stapler
• Glue stick (optional)
• Pencil or pen
• Crayons or markers
• Colored paper (optional)
• Yarn or elastic
Photo: Heidi Håvan Grosch
Steps:
1. Decide which animal you would like to make.
2. Draw a half mask on your paper plate with a pencil or pen. Remember to draw the line so that the mask will go over your nose and above your eyes. Any shape will work. Remember, this is a half mask (although you might use a bit more than half your paper plate). You don’t need to cut out holes for your eyes because the mask goes above them.
3. Cut out your half mask.
4. Decide if you want to have any “extras” like a trunk (for an elephant), ears (for a rabbit), or a beak (for a bird). You can use the extra parts of your paper plate (or a new paper plate) to cut out these pieces. Staple or tape them to your mask.
5. Color and decorate! You can also glue colored paper to parts of your mask or to make dog ears that hang down.
6. To attach your mask, punch a single hole on each side. Tie a piece of string or elastic to each side through the hole. Tie the two pieces of string or elastic in the back to make the correct size for your head. You can also attach your mask to a wooden fondue stick so you can hold it up to your face instead of wearing it.
7. If you are going to use your mask for Halloween, find clothes that match the animal you want to be.
And the most important step of all? Have fun and be creative!
Send your mask pictures to: naw@na-weekly.com
This article is a part of Barneblad, a monthly feature by Heidi Håvan Grosch to share with kids and grandkids.
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 23, 2015, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly.
