How to Make the Skull Mask From Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Here’s what you’ll need:

- Cintra PVC foamboard(3mm thick)

- Paper Clay

- Hot glue gun

- Acrylic paint - white and burnt umber

- Sand paper (Medium)

- Scissor, X-acto blade, and a mark making tool(I ended up using a looped clay tool)

- Scrap paper and board

- Elastic band

Step 1: The Pattern

First draw out your cartoony skull shape on paper. It’s not really necessary to draw the whole thing out at this point. Just make sure you are happy with one half. Mark a line in exactly the middle.

Fold along this line and cut out your pattern. Use an x-acto blade for the eyes.

Unfold. Enjoy the purtifulness.

Use your pattern to trace out your design onto the cintra.

X-acto that sucker out and voila. Also cut out the teeth separately.

Step 2: Rough It Up

Roughly bevel the edges with the x-acto blade. Sloppiness works for this mask. Gives it a damaged and aged look. Also use the blade to cut out chunks from the surface. Use sandpaper to round out any jagged edges. Continue to rough it up with whatever mark making tools you have.

Step 3: Boil It Up

Boil some water. Preferably bigger than this, so you can actually FIT your mask inside. Place your cintra into the pot until malleable. Remove it quickly and try not to burn your hands off. Curve the mask by hand. Be quick, since it hardens soon after leaving the heat. If you don’t like the shape, throw it back into the water and try again.

Step 4: Attach Teeth

Reattach the teeth by hot gluing it from the back. To hide all the ugly bits.

Step 5: Ears(Horns?)

Use your board or cardstock to cut out two identical horn-like doodad thingies. Hot glue your board horns to the mask. Make sure they are bent out like so.

Bulk up the horns with paper clay. Blend the horns into the cintra as best you can. They get heavy so you will need to prop them up while they dry. Once completely dry sand down the surface. Leave it somewhat rough though.

Step 6: Paint!

Paint a base coat of white paint over your entire mask(even if your cintra is white). Once dried go over with a very watered down coat of burnt umber. Let sit for a bit and then use some fabric to dab some texture into the browns.

Step 7: Strap and Enjoy!

Hot glue the elastic band to the back of your mask. I made mine pretty tight. You might want to make your elastic a bit longer than shown. Let dry and go be a classy skull-faced mo fo.