How To Make A Venetian Mask

Whether there’s a masquerade party to attend or you want to be a masked vigilante looking to save the city from a bunch of hoodlums (only a pun); Venetian masks are your best call. Let’s bifurcate it a little for the sake of those who’re unaware; Venetian means a resident of the city of Venice and mask, of course means mask. Putting them together makes it Venetian mask. If you were to unmask the history of Venice, masks are what you’ll get, for they take us long back into an era when they were being consistently used by many Venetians to avoid being judged by concealing their identity and social status. They were made of paper mache and were distinctively decorated with gems, ornaments, fur, and ribbons. And after being declared illegal by the Catholic Church, they came out from the underbelly and eventually gained acceptance again and were further popularized by the carnival of Venice. So much for the introduction! Venetian masks are now used during Halloween, in masquerade parties, and even as a decorative to hang on walls. From simple ones to intricately decorated masks, the market today is literally flooded with various varieties. But this carnival time, instead of buying a mask from the market, make one yourself. Not only would that add a personalized touch to your mask, but also help you save your greens. The further part of this article will instruct you how to make a Venetian mask. Read on!

Making A Venetian Mask

Get hold of the things you’ll need - white flour, water, old newspapers for paper mache, white tempera paint, sandpaper, scissors, craft glue, silk or satin fabric, chopstick or elastic string, color spray and decorative items (ribbons, feathers, gems, glitter, and whatever else you can think of).
Create a paste by mixing white flour and water. Make sure that there is enough water to make a runny paste.
Now, dip a piece of that old newspaper into the paste and apply on to the face. Spread it across the face and let it dry a little. Avoid contact with eyes! After the first layer has dried up, apply more layers of it in the same way.
Let the paste dry on your face before you take it off; lest you deform its shape. Take it off and keep it aside. Let it dry completely before you proceed further.
After it has dried up, it’s time to scrub the unevenness off the mask by using sandpaper. Don’t scrub it harshly but gently till the face of the mask is smooth. Now apply the white tempera paint over the mask and leave it to dry itself.
The mask is now ready to be decorated. Give it a background by covering it with silk or satin fabric. Apply some craft on the face of the mask (do not spread it) and lay the fabric over it. Let it get a firm hold! Now trim the extra fabric off the edges.
You can proceed to decorating your mask in the way you want. Take the feathers and spray them with color. Using craft glue, stick the feather on top of the mask (on any side). Stick other decorative items and give the mask your own style.
Now depending on whether you want to tie the mask or hold it using a stick; make two holes on each side of the mask and tie the elastic string together using craft glue.
Leave the mask for the night. Let it dry out completely before you start to use it.

Go impress the people at the party with the self-made Venetian mask and earn all the accolades!

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