Gourd Masks for Halloween
If you have ever wondered how to make a mask from a dried gourds, then you are going to love this simple project!
Older kids, like teenagers, should be able to make their own masks from gourds. With a little prep work small children can paint their own gourd masks.
To Make a Gourd Mask You Will Need:
1 Dried gourd
Jig saw
Paint
Power drill
Elastic or ribbon
Paint brush
Dust mask or bandana
Go ahead and put on a dust mask. You will also want to work outside.
Use a jig saw to cut the gourd in half to create two equal halves. If you cut carefully you really can get two masks out of each dried gourd.
Now, in the middle fo the left and right cut edge you need to go ahead and pre drill a hole through the dried gourd half. This will allow you to add a ribbon or bit of elastic to hold the gourd mask on.
You will also need to drill eye holes and possibly a nose or mouth hole. If you are planning on wearing the gourd mask for a long time or for a party, then the mouth and nose hole swill be useful.
Now, I like to prime out the front of the gourd mask next. Simply brush or spray on a coat of your favorite primer. This will help you paint stick and make it look better.
Once the primer has dried you are ready to start painting on details. An oil based paint will have more shine, but really any acrylic pain twill work well also.
To age the paint you can rub on some wood gel stain to coat the gourd mask after the paint has dried.
Now, Tie one piece of ribbon or elastic in each hole on the gourd and you can tie it on!
Some other fun ideas for making a gourd mask is to cut your gourd in half so the long thin part of the top of the gourd is the front of the mask. You can make a cool nose this way!
You can also glue on details like a tuft of hair on top, fabric eyebrows, and more.
Kids will love this gourd mask craft and so will adults! They are fun for Halloween masks, masquerade party masks, and even art on the wall.
