“Dolly” Mask

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one mask

I normally craft my own mask and costume for each haunt to correspond with the theme. Working on a haunted house in 2017 presented me with the opportunity to costume not only myself, but a collection of scare-actors. To achieve this, I made several doll masks for each one to wear and help unify the motif.

• One plastic doll mask
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in au natural*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cherry cobbler*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in spice brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in steel gray*
• One yard of brown yarn
• One yard of burlap
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the mask three coats of gray paint. I used three coats, but you may want more or less depending on your desired coverage.

2. Detail the mask by building up layers of smudged steel gray, au natural, and spice brown paint around the eyes, mouth, nose, and along the edges of the cracks. To enhance the mask’s visual impact, move from light to dark. Finish the initial painting process by applying a flecking of black. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

3. Accentuate the features with black paint. You want to trace the lines of the cracks. If the mask you purchased has preformed marks in it, use these as a starting point to create your own patterns and achieve the amount of breakage you desire.

4. Use a sharp knife to cut the jaw off the mask. For visual interest, create jagged edges. To make this process easier, trace the outline of your cut with a marker first.

5. Using a darning needle, sew the jaw onto the mask with the yarn. You want the needlework to look messy and uneven. Likewise, you do not want the edges to match-up exactly, so skew the jaw and trim portions.

6. Cut a swatch of burlap large enough to cover the back of the mouth area and glue it in place. If you want further detail, distress the fabric with black and brown paint or adhere plastic insects to the cloth so they faintly show through the mouth’s opening.

7. Use cherry cobbler paint to write dolly across the mask’s forehead. You want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell the word. Keep in mind, though, that the word needs to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

8. If the mask did not come with tie strings, you can fabricate some with extra yarn or replace the existing elastic band with a makeshift twine version for additional creepiness.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.