# Scarecrow mask help



## Katster

I would get just a basic mask that just fits the front half of your face and using a glue/water mixture apply the burlap to it while pinching the wrinkles into it in the right places cut out the eye holes. Make sure there is enough material to cover the back of your head and stitch it up with twine making it loose enough to fit over your head. Once dry coat it with one more layer of the glue mixture then antique it up with stain and watered down dark paint and seal it. Just don't put any thing to stiffen the back part or you won't get it over your head but you can still antique the back with the paint or stain. The top hat is pretty easy just a circle for the top a donut shape for the brim and a rectangle cut to size for the main part.


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## creeperguardian

like those white hafe mask?


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## Katster

creeperguardian said:


> like those white hafe mask?


Absolutely as long as they cover from forehead to chin and to the front of your ears. You can use the glue water solution and some bunched up paper towels to add extra bulk for the cheek bones, chin and bridge of nose for a more pronounced look before you add the burlap. Just let it dry first.


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## UnOrthodOx

Well, here's how I did it: 

First, took a quick and dirty cast of my boys head (and mine). That's a saran wrap bald cap, yeah. Plaster wrap used to make the cast. Quick, dirty, cheap. Vaseline there at where the seam will be. 


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Coat the inside with vaseline when your done, duct tape the mold together and fill with plaster.










With a head to work on, break out the slip latex, and put a layer down so the burlap won't be itchy. I'm also glueing on a cowl for the back of the head and shoulders here.










Chese cloth, cotton balls, and more latex to build up a basic shape:










glue down the burlap:










Paint.










Here's just after gluing down the burlap on mine that year:










Never got a good pic of the final on that one...


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## UnOrthodOx

The year before that, I didn't have the heads to work with, I did try the glue/water to very mixed results, but using latex and pinching the burlap into place while it dried worked very well. (i' used safety pins to hold the 'pinch')


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## Kyriotes

I've had a small amount of success with polycrylic. The pleats stay a bit. I actually emailed the guy behind Grimstitch Factory, Cameron. He gave me this info on stiffeners:
"There's no trade secret cuz really there are many ways to stiffen burlap; fabric stiffeners, resins, shellac, watered down fabric or wood glue... take your pick depending on what look and stiffness that you want. Even using Rust Oleum's two-part spray "Never Wet" water shield (to protect the mask in rain) will create surface stiffness."
I'm staying away from shellac at the moment due to working in an apartment."

I can't seem to get that great of an armature going on. It seems like I have to sculpt deep eye recesses or Cameron is just that good of a painter. He did admit to "strategically cut-out & shaped under padding in select areas to further define the anatomical shape." What I have tried to use is little bits of old hardware bendable foam. I haven't a way of keeping it in the mask though. Or I haven't thought of one. Wood glue is all but useless.


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## OMGDan

a friend of mine who's a member on here made his own from burlap a couple halloween's ago. and it won first prize at a costume contest so i've msg'd him this link so he can share


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## thatguycraig

OMGDan said:


> a friend of mine who's a member on here made his own from burlap a couple halloween's ago. and it won first prize at a costume contest so i've msg'd him this link so he can share


I'll post better pics if I can find them... And an explanation tomorro.... But here is the costume /mask Dan mentioned


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## thatguycraig

this year im building a whole new one. gonna start soon so i can make it look good. the ones above i did a few days before Halloween, so were a bit rushed


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## djinker

I know I am a day late and a dollar short but this is awesome, thanks for sharing.


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## Wolfman

A few years back, I did zombie makeup using LIVE MAGGOTS. They were actually meal worms ( available in Pet Stores, lizard food) stuck to my face. I used Super Glue. They'd start dying after about 90 minutes and needed to be replaced. But it was a VERY effective look. In fact, some people couldn't bring themselves to look at me. I'm sure it would work on your mask.


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