https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/making-a-pumpkin-mask-pt-dot-1-the-form • Posted by brooke M.
Hello, The pumpkin head masks are fairly simple to make they just require a lengthy process. So I'm going to break it down in a few tutorials. The first one is about making the form. This is the base that you will use to build the mask from.
Hello, The pumpkin head masks are fairly simple to make they just require a lengthy process. So I'm going to break it down in a few tutorials. The first one is about making the form. This is the base that you will use to build the mask from.
Get your materials together; newspaper, plastic bag, twine, tape, tp roll, etc. Crumple LOTS of newspaper. It usually takes more than you think it will so just make a big pile. After you have a pile and put it in your trash bag. (Some of my photos are taken from a smaller pumpkin and use an orange plastic shopping bag. If you want this to be used as a mask though, you should use at least a 13 gallon bag.)
Fill your bag with paper. Check what the final size will be by pressing out the air. Keep filling and checking until you have a size that looks like it will fit comfortably over your head.
Once it's big enough, squeeze out the air and tie off the top with a rubber band. The next step is similar to making a fabric pumpkin.
Take the twine and tie it around the form to create segments. I like to go around the rubber band on the bag and cross the twine on the bottom. I knot the twine on the bottom center and around the rubber band on top to add support to the shape. Sometimes it takes some wrestling and smooshing to get the shape you want. I've also started taping up the corners on the bottom of the trash bag so it will look more round. Once you get the desired amount of segments, you will reinforce and add a stem.
I was out of masking tape when I made this one, but I prefer masking tape for this step. Go over your all of your twine with tape. I sometimes also do a second layer of twine over the tape, but not always, it just depends on how defined the form is looking. At this point, I add the stem. Take the toilet paper roll and put the loose bag end through the center. Wrap it around the rubber banded top and fold it over, tape in place. This will be your pumpkin stem.
Now you have a form to build on. Since this will be hollow and has to be "gutted" later, I turn the form over and use a marker to make a circle in the center (usually trace around a bowl). This is where your head will go into the mask later. The circle doesn't have to be the final size for the opening because this will be used as a guide for applying the paper and the final hole will be cut later.
You should have something similar to this photo now. It might look better, it might look worse. Part 2 will be about applying the paper.