I love instructables and Halloween. They go together hand in hand (whether it be a ghoul hand, a zombie hand, a monster hand or a yellow and red robot hand.)
Every year, I get caught up in the spooky season and try different projects.
For example two years ago, I was inspired by:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Velociraptor-Statue/ and spent about 30 hours making my own monster creation and a good old BP Oil spill costume https://www.instructables.com/id/BP-Oil-Spill-Clean-Up-Costume/.
And last year, I was Steve Jobs.

This year, I thought I would go a few steps further with my costume creation and get all "Baned up." The project took about 30 hours to complete and the mask was a pleasure to build during my spare time. What inspired me to do it was the complexity of the mask and of course the trendiness of it.

Now that it is complete, I am happy to say that I can fit the mask tightly up against my face and it does not obstruct my view too much. But, I will likely trip a few times on Halloween night.

Materials Used:
Tent mattress ($10)
Container ($1)
Glues ($10)
Paints ($5)

Enjoy my instructable!

Step 1: Pattern

I drew up this pattern by taking a few simple measurements of my face. I measured from the bridge of my nose and across just below my cheek bones to create a cross. From that "T" shape, I was able to draw out some of the specifics of the mask from an image that I found using Google Image search. I was specifically concerned with the locations of where the pipes would enter the mask.

I eventually had to correct the height of the straps as they were too low. They had to be raised nearly and inch and the pitch was also adjusted so they could cover my ears.

Step 2: Cutting

Once I was happy with my pattern, I traced around it onto the tent mattress using an Ultra Fine Sharpie. Then I was able to cut it using a very sharp kitchen knife. The sharper the better! I used two different knifes to cut everything. I tried using a razor blade knife but I found it too cumbersome and imprecise.

Step 3: Basic Shaping

Once cut, I notched a few areas of the mask to be able to fold it over. I used Elmer's Spray Adhesive (very sticky stuff) to bond the notched areas. Later on, I used hot glue to attach high tensile areas securely.

WARNING:
***Don't use hot glue from the start. It is hard to cut and was the source of a few frustrations. The spray adhesive does not offer any resistance when cut.***

HOT TIP:
***Spray the glue onto a paper surface and then dip your glueing areas into the glue.***

At this step, I also, removed a bunch of the material to get the correct profiles.

Step 4: More Shaping and Piping

With the basic shape cut from the mattress material, I now had to add pieces of foam onto the mask to create the pipe couplers. Carving with the knives was not enough and I had to use a pair of scissors.

The pipes were actually quite easy to form. I was worried that I would abandon the project once I got to this step but with extra attention to the angles, I cut the basic shapes of the pipe and used scissors to cut out the 90' angles of the profiles. In other words, once the rectangular shapes of "pipe" were cut (and I was happy with the angles,) I created a rounder look to them by removing the 90's resulting in 2 x 45' angles. This step of the project took a lot of time and I wasted a few pieces of "pipe."

I also found that I had to remove a few millimeters of piping in the center of the pipes to get them the right length. Hot glue held these pieces together a lot better then the Elmer's.

I also attached the top strap at this step and reinforced it by glueing it, not only directly onto the mask but also from the inside with a thin piece of foam (doubled up.)

I also added the velcro so that I could put on the mask and walk around handsfree and practice my Bane voice.

Step 5: Paint

I used many layers of paint to get the effect that I wanted. I started by painting the entire mask in a metallic silver. Then I layered on black except for on the pipes.)
I was happy to see that the paint filled in some of the foam bubbles in the material. With all of the layers of paint, they aren't very noticeable but in retrospect, I wish I would have experimented with a few materials to try to fill in them in. I was just excited about getting paint on the mask.

I also airbrushed some green on top of the black and silver.
Again, I repainted the pipes silver...
These steps may have been unnecessary but it smoothed over the holes.

Step 6: Final Touches

After taking a break for a few days, I added black lines on the pipes using a fine point Sharpie to make them look corrugated.

Once the pipes were Sharpied, I airbrushed another coat of paint. Light and dark brown to cover up the hardness of the Sharpie lines and to accent some of the corners and make them look roughed up and dirty.

Finally, with black paint, I brushed the small plate (located on the forehead strap) that covers part of the corrugated pipes. I also dabbed a bit of here and there for more accents.

Step 7: Coat

To finish off the project, I purchased a $10 leather jacket that I found at a second hand store. I looked and looked for one that matched the one used in the film but, I could not find one. After several trips to the store, I figured, I should just be Bane and find one that Bane liked. "I'm Bane, which coat do I like?" and found one pretty quickly. Bane paid the lady at the front and was polite and said thank you.

I also airbrushed the fur on the inside of the coat to create contrast with the mask. This really finished off the costume.

So now, my question is: Do I shave my head and get completely "Baned out?"

Please don't forget to vote for me (top right of the page) in the Halloween Costume Contest.

Thank you for reading my instructable!