KS1 / KS2 Design and Technology: Making masks

The thing I love about designis that it's great funand something that's actually quitesimple to make can look amazing.For example, mask making.It's thousands of years oldbut it's still really popular today.Just think of Hallowe'en. Grrr!

Now, masks have always beenreally popular in theatre,from the time of ancient Greece……through to Japanese Noh……right up until the modern day.Now, some of the simplest of thesehave been used to conveydifferent emotions, such as comedyand tragedy or happy and sad.If you want to make your own mask,all you need is some coloured card.You could also use plain cardand colour it in with you felt-tipcrayons or pens.A paper plate for stiffness on yourmask, some glue for sticking,scissors to cut out the eyes,some string or elastic to fixthe mask around your head, and thenloads of different accessoriesto decorate your mask with.Just make sure they're not too heavyotherwise they'll fall off.

I thought making maskswould be a great fun projectfor Catherine and Susie,who both love the theatre.

Now, basically,I've done these as examples.If you're doing a lion-basedperformance,you could make something like this.Or I've done an elephantas another example.They're really, really simple to makeso do you fancy having a go?

Yeah. Cool.

So, Catherine, what kind of thingdo you fancy making?

Maybe like a theatrical mask.

Brilliant idea, and perhaps you coulddo some type of veil on it as wellbecause we've got loads of differentcolours of material here.

Suzanne, what do you fancy doing?

Alien.

First of all, choose your cardand then we can draw out some shapes.In the centre of your mask,you're going to have two holesfor the eyes so just make surethe shape is nice and large.Now, in the centre,you're going to do two eyeholes.You're going to have to judgewhere you think you're goingto be seeing through.Obviously around the centreof the mask. Do two.If you have a look at this oneand this one you can seethe shapes that I've done for theeyes but be creative with it.The alien, you might want different,crazy-shaped eyes,so just have a goand see what you can come up with.

We've got your basic shapes now.What you're going to do nextis cut out your template.So grab some scissorsand cut around them.Try not to cut too muchinto the template.You want to make sure thatit's still nice and big.Third thing is, we need to reinforcethe masks so if you see on this one,all I've got is a paper plateand stuck it to the backof the cardboard.It just means that when you actuallyhang it on your face, it stands up.It's nice and sturdy.You're going to get your maskand put it on top of the paper plateand just flatten it down.What I'm going to do is grab a penand draw around the insideof the eyes like this.When you take this away,you're going to need to cut out thesecircles so that you can properly see.Once you've cut out the eyes,stick your paper plateto your mask using a glue stick.Are you happy with that, Susie?

Is it all stuck down? Yeah.

Do you want to try it out,see what it looks like?

Right. Let's go on to the next stagewhich is the fun part - decorating.It doesn't matter how youdecorate your mask becauseit's all down to your personal taste,and what you think looks good.

Oh my gosh, I love those antennae,they're brilliant.

So, the very last stage ofthe whole process is sticking onthe elastic so you canproperly wear it.I've got just some normal elasticand what's a good thing to do ismeasure it around your head.I've got quite big hair so mine willprobably be a lot bigger than yours.

I'll do it around your head.From your eye to your other eye.It's probably about that lengthand what I normally do is adda bit extra because you are goingto tie a knot on each end.If you cut there for me. Brilliant.

If you're with a friend, ask themto help you measure your elastic.

Then, poke two holes in your maskwith a penand thread the elastic through.

Finally, tie a knot at each end.Well, the only thing leftis to try the masks on.Let's see what they look like.

They are brilliant.

When you're not wearing them, theylook great as wall art too, hung up.