Grab & Go Activity: Paper Mache Animal Crossing Costume

Celebrate Halloween in style as a character from Nintendo’s best selling game of 2020, Animal Crossing! Grab & Go Activity kits for this project can be picked up from the library’s east entrance on Wednesday, October 14th, from 12 to 1PM. With a few more basic materials from home, and the following instructions, you’ll create your very own paper mache costume!

MATERIALS

In Your Kit:

• Newspaper strips
• 2 small containers of Elmer’s Glue
• One large balloon
• Two small balloons
• Animal Crossing face templates
• Ribbon

What you'll need from Home:

• Scissors
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Acrylic, tempura, or craft paint
• Tape (masking or duct works best)
• A jar or container for paper mache paste
• Box cutter
• Something to make your costume’s hair out of; tissue paper, felt, paint - get creative!
• A place you don’t mind getting messy

INSTRUCTIONS

SET UP

1. Plan your design - by looking at the Animal Crossing face templates and character creation options below, decide what you want your mask to look like. Character Creation Options guide is from IGN - see more options at  https://www.ign.com/wikis/animal-crossing-new-horizons/Character_Customization_Guide
   
   
2. Blow up the large balloon so it is large enough that your entire head would fit inside. This will be the base for our bobble-head mask. Then blow up the two small balloons until they are large enough that your fists would fit inside - these will be the base for our Animal Crossing hands. 
   
   
3. Hang your balloons from the knot with tape or string at a height that is comfortable for you to work on them. Place a drop cloth or old newspaper underneath to catch any drips of paper mache.​
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4. In a cup or jar you don’t mind getting messy, mix your containers of Elmer’s Glue with 1.5 cups of water to make your paper mache paste. Ideally, your container should have a lid to prevent your paste from drying out between layers.

PAPER MACHE
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1. Add your first layer of paper mache to all three balloons. To paper mache, dip your strips of newspaper in the paper mache paste before smoothing onto your balloon, one piece of newspaper at a time. Newspaper strips should overlap slightly so none of the balloon is showing.
   
   
2. Wait for each layer of paper mache to dry before adding another. To provide enough structure, you will need a minimum of three layers on each balloon. The more layers you add, the smoother the surface of your costume pieces will be. To make your paper-mache even smoother, tear your newspaper strips into smaller pieces. Keep your leftover paper-mache paste - we’ll use it later!
   
   
3. After your final layer of paper mache has been dry for at least 24 hours, pop your balloons by poking the tip of your scissors into the small opening at your balloon’s knot. Your balloon may stick to the inside even after it has deflated- that’s okay! Don’t pull on it, or your sphere may collapse.
   
   
4. Trace a circle using a bowl on the bottom side of your large paper-mache sphere to create an opening for your head. Repeat this process using a cup as your stencil on your small paper-mache spheres to create an opening for your hands. Ideally, these holes are large enough to slip your hands inside, but small enough that the small paper-mache spheres won’t fall off when you hold your hand as a fist. Cut your circles out carefully.​
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5. If your paper mache spheres are not as stiff as you would like, paint the entire surface with a thin layer of craft glue (Elmer’s, Modge Podge, etc.) and allow to dry.

MAKING YOUR FACE
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1. Paint the entire surface of all three paper-mache pieces a color similar to your skin tone. *If you are using a lighter color like our example mask, you may want to paint your paper mache pieces white first so the newsprint is not visible under your paint.
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2. Pick a nose, eyes, and a mouth from the Animal Crossing face templates included in your kit. Color these in with crayon or colored pencil - don’t use a marker, or your colors will run later! When you’re finished, cut them out.
   
   
3. Once the paint on your paper-mache bobble-head mask is dry, place your face pieces on it to decide where they will go. Mark where each piece will go lightly with a pencil.
   
   
4. Dip your face pieces in your leftover paper-mache paste, and gently smooth them onto your bobble-head mask where you had marked.
   
   
5. With help from an adult, use an Exacto knife to carefully cut out the pupils of your mask’s eyes once your face pieces have completely dried. This is how you will see while wearing your mask! Younger kiddos might want to let an adult complete this step.
   
   
6. To allow the mask to sit on your head rather than down on your shoulders, we’ll make a ribbon cross-section inside the mask that can be clipped to your hair. In a place that will be hidden by your mask’s hair, make two vertical slits about 4” apart on each side of the mask, a little higher than your mask’s eyes.
   
   
7. Thread your ribbon through as shown in the diagram below, and gently tie the loose ends together inside your mask with a bow. Try placing the mask on with the ribbons on top of your head. Your vision will never be great inside this mask, but if you like how it fits, secure your ribbon by placing small pieces of tape over the slits where the ribbon comes in and out.
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8. Add hair to your mask using whatever materials you’d like; yarn, felt, paint, craft foam - get creative! For our example mask, we glued on four layers of streams to create a bob that would cover our ribbons.

Doing this activity with younger kids? Make things a little easier by skipping the paper mache! Use a paper plate and popsicle stick as the base for your mask instead, and skip down to the "Making Your Face" portion of these instructions.

Wear your costume! Visibility is limited, so make sure you have a friend to watch out for obstacles. Using a hair clip or two to clip the ribbon inside your mask to your hair will help stabilize the mask. If you take a photo, please tag @BasaltLibrary - we’d love to see what you made!