Alternate Identities: Masks

I know a 7 year old that loves to dress up. She rarely wears her star covered, super hero cape to school these days (peer pressure). She does continue to pop out of her room on a Saturday afternoon dressed in a cobalt blue, sequin covered leotard, felt crown and flower twirl skirt to prance around the house and then heads out to hang from the monkey bars in full frilly attire.

October is the month for her, planning Halloween costumes weeks in advance. Last year’s mummy outfit was drawn and re-drawn many times in the design phase. I was given detailed instructions when it came to my part of sewing and construction. It had to have a pink bow so everyone knew it was a girl mummy. The mask was the key to the entire suit. She loves to conceal her identity. This year’s diagram mapped out a vampire from head to toe. Each part labeled with colors.

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Scary. Funny. Shocking. Disgusting. Evil. Silly. Horrid. It is fun to hide behind a mask. Join in. Dress up. Run around acting out a story. Disguise your voice. Pretend for a bit. Masks can be as simple as an eye patch, a little makeup or an over-sized animal nose. It magically takes very little to alter who we are.

What to Collect

The fun of dressing up and make believe need not end on November 1st. Carry it through the year by keeping a dress up corner or a bin with masks, funny glasses and hats.

• Paper in all colors and sizes.
• Paper plates for starter masks.
• Elastic string for headbands.
• Colored duct tape by the roll (it also comes in sheets for crafting).
• Basic craft store eye masks to embellish.
• Box of feathers.
• Ribbons and yarns for mask hair.
• Paints and glue.

Resources

Online

• Paper Plate Animal Crafts – Some of these are not intended as masks but it is an easy step to cut out holes for eyes. An elastic strap can be added or a wooden paint stir stick as a handle.

Books

• Making Things: The Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Wiseman
• Complete Book of Paper Mask Making by Michael Grater
• Maskwork: The Background, Making and Use of Masks by Jennifer Foreman
• Pop-Up Design and Paper Mechanics: How to Make Folding Paper Sculpture by Duncan Birmingham
• Dazzling Disguises and Clever Costumes by Angela Wilkes
• Halloween Fun: Great Things to Make and Do (Holiday Fun) by Abigail Willis
• Fun-to-Make Crafts For Halloween from Boyds Mills Press

Knitting Patterns

• Skeletoque
• Hallowig
• Garter Stitch Beard
• Incognito
• Jackyll & Hide
• Halloween Scream Balaclavas
• Lion Hat
• Knitted 3D Glasses
• Das Monster Tights (This one is not a mask, but toddlers can’t wear masks easily.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie St. John

Carrie was born, raised and attended university in Michigan. As a child she rode bikes and explored her rural neighborhood freely with siblings and neighbor kids. Mom and Dad never worried. The kids always made it home after hours wading in the creek and climbing trees in the woods. After college she moved to Kyoto, Japan to study traditional Japanese woodblock printing. In 1995, she began a career at a small Chicago firm designing maps and information graphics. Life brought a move to Northampton in 2001. Carrie completed her MFA at UMass in 2004. Her little love, Sophia, was born in 2005. The two live in downtown Northampton where they constantly make things, look forward to morning walks to school and plan each spring for additions to their plot at the community garden. Carrie is a licensed family care provider and continues to do freelance work for clients in Chicago.