Hardened-leather Mari Gras mask

Hardened-leather Mari Gras mask
Make your own Mardis Gras mask out of water-hardened leather.
 
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Step 1Material

Material
Start with vegetable-tanned (also known as saddle-skirt) leather. I picked mine up at a local Tandy Leather. Get 5/7-weight leather (that is, between 5/64" and 7/64" thick). Thicker is OK, though you'll get more shrinkage (less soak-time may help that). Thinner won't harden as quickly, will be brittle and won't hold a shape very well.

You'll also need paint suitable for leather (fabric paint usually works).
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22 comments
Dec 13, 2010. 5:39 PMfelixneko7 says:
do you have any tips for making a form to shape the leather around? I'm doing a pauldron for a LARP, and want it to form around my shoulder. Should I just find a way to keep it on my shoulder until it's stiff enough to hold it's shape? Or would a form be easier? This tutorial was very helpful though, thank you.
Apr 24, 2010. 4:00 PMvernors says:
how do you soften the lather and keep it soft?
Aug 8, 2009. 2:22 AMTenz says:
will this work if i want to make a harden sheath?
Mar 7, 2009. 7:44 PMcoronis3 says:
Sweet! Thanks doll, I'm gonna try some of this :)
Jul 28, 2006. 2:32 PMGauthier says:
Since visiting Venice, making my own mask has been on the long ToDo list - thanks for the clear Instructable.
Feb 25, 2009. 11:40 AMMacGyver1138 says:
Yeah, when I was in Venice, I noticed that they had some crazy masks all over the place. (Also, delicious pizza!) Those masks were the first thing that jumped into my head when I saw this instructable.
Mar 8, 2007. 1:50 PMwhiteoakart says:
I bet some leather manufacturer has scrap bits and pieces for sale cheap. Have you looked into that.
Feb 24, 2009. 11:25 PMthepelton says:
I have seen scrap leather at American Science and Surplus. In Colorado Springs, there happens to be a leather store at 208 South 22nd.
Dec 22, 2009. 7:50 PMcuchulain92 says:
Has it occurred to you to try using oil instead of water? As I understand it, hardened-leather armor was called cuir-bouille in the Medieval period.
Feb 24, 2009. 9:22 PMshortone says:
I totally made one of these! I used 4-weight leather and just got it wet, after cutting out my design, and plopped it onto a plaster face cast and worked it with my fingers :D for paint, i used acrylic with a layer of pearl ex powder on top (SHINY!) turned out beautifully
May 18, 2008. 6:55 PMsumguysr says:
if the leather is dyed before will this work? will it hurt the dye? can it be dyed afterwards?
Feb 24, 2009. 4:12 PMMissChiff says:
You can definitely dye leather after it's been stretched and dried like this. Any kind of leather dye will work, and you can mix some great colors. Just be careful to paint the dye on and not over-saturate the leather, or it will become soft again. To make sure it stays in shape, you can coat the back with varnish. Then not even the rain will ruin your fun!
Feb 29, 2008. 12:25 PMmrfoltz says:
Very informative... Can you sculpt with this process or is there a different way to soften the leather in order to manipulate it??? For example to make original roman armor? I sculpt female and male life sized torsos with fiberglass but would like to learn how to do leather torsos? Thanks...
Sep 14, 2007. 2:51 PMCloset_RAt says:
Great instructable! (take that Firefox spellcheck!) Quick Questions... What duration of hot water soak do you recommend for a durable mask? 60 seconds or 90 seconds? And is it possible to attach two or more pieces of these together (using rivets or something?) Thanks for your help and keep on crafting!
Mar 8, 2007. 1:49 PMwhiteoakart says:
I had no idea you could do this. I will be sure to pass this on to interested parties. thanks.
Jun 7, 2006. 12:44 PMxenobiologista says:
Does leather have a grain or does it shrink evenly in all dimensions?
Feb 18, 2006. 1:25 PMjifblumoon says:
thats awsome

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