Making A Paper Mache Hat Or Mask
A hat or mask may be the perfect accessory to make a costume really work.   What follows is a how-to-guide for making a hat.  The exact same principles apply to masks.   Remember, many masks aren't worn, they are mounted on a dowel and mostly held in your hand, and placed in front of the face occasionally for effect.  Hats and headdresses are generally worn all the time.  Neither uses much paper mache, so the amount of materials and time is minimal.
Make This
Cat-Ears
Hat
What's Needed:
1. Some sort of form - for head or face.  This can be head-shaped foam or just a bowl that's about the right shape.
2. Two paper shopping bags.
3. One cup white flour.
4. Two-quart bowl for dipping your paper strips in the flour paste.
5) Corrugated (cardboard) material for ears, nose, etc.
6) Latex wall paint for cover coat - seals against perspiration, squirt guns
7) Tempera or acrylic finish paint, feathers, fabric, etc.
8) Cord or ribbon for the tie-on.
How To Make A Hat
1) Lay out newspapers on a large working surface.  You may wish to position your work in a large cookie sheet pan to minimize spills and run-off of paste onto the floor.
2) Tear or cut your paper bags into 1" X 6" strips.  Cut half of these into "1" X 3" strips.
3) Put 1 pint of water into bowl and add flour while beating with a whip or eggbeater.  
4) put your paper strips into the mixture and mix thoroughly.   Let this stand for 15 minutes. 
5) While the mixture is soaking, cut ears or other elements out of cardboard.
6) Cover the form with wax paper or plastic bag to aid in eventual removal.
7) Begin laying the larger strips down on your form.  Use as much as necessary to get several layers down.
8) Add cardboard flourishes and lay down additional paper mache strips to attach them on solidly.
9) Place your work in a well-ventilated area to dry - takes about 24 hours depending on thickness of the piece.
10) Remove the piece from the form. If you need to trim edges or add a bit more paper mache at this point, go ahead.
11) Paint the piece with latex wall paint.  Allow to dry.
12) Paint the piece with tempera or acrylic paint.  Allow to dry.
13) Add fabric, feathers, and tie-on cord. 
14) For a mask you may wish to glue a liner layer of felt or fabric to the inside.
Cut out ears, noses, etc. from
corrugated
to main
costume page
Put aside to dry for 24 hours, then paint, cover with fabric.
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