Ancient Egyptian Death Mask Directions

The following includes my directions for creating an Ancient Egyptian Death Mask.

Materials needed:

Foam board

Paper mache' mask (mine were from orientaltrading.com)

(I think a plastic mask, such as the ones Michael's carries, might also work)

Elastic cord for mask (if mask doesn't come with one.  Ours didn't but we had a few from another project.)

Gold acrylic paint

Blue acrylic paint

Black acrylic paint (for details)

Light blue and red acrylic paints (for female mask details) 

White card stock (for beard on male mask) 

Supplies needed:

Box cutter or large x-acto knife (box cutter was easier to use)

Large piece of cardboard (to use as cutting board under masks)

Masking tape

White glue

1" foam paint brushes

Thin paint brush (for details)

Other various paint brush sizes (for female mask details)

Pencil

Directions:

Draw an outline of the paper mache' mask in the center of the foam board.  (The paper mache' masks I used had a lip all the way around so I drew another outline about 1/4" - 1/2" in from the original outline.

Free hand the basic shape of a death mask with a pencil around the paper mache' mask outline. 

Lay cardboard under the foam board when cutting to protect your work surface.

Use a box cutter to cut around the death mask shape and smaller center area.

Use white glue to glue on paper mache' mask and secure with masking tape.

If making a male mask, make a cone shape out of white card stock.  Glue with white glue and secure back corners with masking tape.

With a pencil draw lines for sun rays.

Let glue dry overnight.

Paint paper mache' mask and every other penciled line on foam board with gold acrylic paint using a 1" foam brush.  Start painting lines at the top so that the top middle section is gold.  It may take 3 to 4 layers of gold paint to cover gold areas completely.

Fill in the remaining areas with blue acrylic paint.

Let paint dry overnight.

With a small tipped paintbrush paint on details around eyes, eyebrows, nostrils and criss cross pattern on beard (for male mask) with black acrylic paint.

For female mask use appropriate sized paint brushes to paint eyelids with light blue acrylic paint and lips with red acrylic paint.

Let paint dry overnight. 

This project probably took about three hours total, not counting drying times.  Plan for this project to be completed over a three day period due to the drying times.

Foam board with outline drawing.
(This was my second one so I was able
to trace from the first one and start at the top
to cut down a little of my cutting time.)

Foam board cut out

Foam board cut out with mask from front view

Foam board cut out with mask from back view

Foam board cut out with lines drawn - female mask

Foam board cut out with lines and beard - male mask

Painting sun rays - female mask

Painting sun rays - male mask

Painting details - female mask

Painting details - male mask

Completed masks

Kids with their completed masks