Hello!

This is a skull mask, modeled more or less after a wolf skull that can be used for things such as cosplay or halloween costume purposes.

For some background information that will be useful, plus it's what I modeled this project after would be this skull mask tutorial and worblapie tutorial. It is a good idea to watch them before proceeding since I mostly based this process on these tutorials.

Step 1: Making the Base

What you'll need:

You'll want to make this cardboard base out of, well you guessed it, cardboard: specifically cardboard from things such like cereal boxes! It's thin, and easy to work with and won't make your base super heavy.

Masking tape: so you can tape everything together, and hold it in place.

Paper mask: which you can find at your local craft stores. It'll allow you to put the mask on your face and hold it in place, also where to judge to put the eye holes later on in the process. You will then want to cut off the jaw line of the mask.

Scissors and sharpie: so you can draw patterns and cut them.

I have also bought a foam head so I can mount the mask and work with the skull easier. To make sure you have the right dimensions, however, I recommend measuring the circumference of your own head, and also the foam head so you know if you have to make your cardboard base bigger. (As for me, I was basically the same circumference as the foam head). But, due to the later steps, I recommend making the cardboard base at least a half-inch bigger than your head for wiggle room, or your mask will be tight and squeeze your head which will cause uncomfortable headaches.

First Image: patterns

For the nose ridge, and the nose it self.

The other two patterns next to it are for the side of the head and snout.

I made mine about 8-10 inches long.

Second Image: teeth

This will be the base of your teeth. Like most wolf teeth and skulls, they have their canines, more rows of sharp teeth, then another row of flatter teeth behind. Then there's a ridge where the lower jaw bone is supposed to fit.

Third and Fourth Images: putting it on the mask

The flaps on the pattern allow you to fold them behind the nose area in the pattern to make a 3D snout-like shape. I also took cardboard and put "arches" around the the top of the head and the back of the head as a frame.

I taped the frame of the snout to that frame.

Step 2: Covering the Base

All you'll need is just some newspaper that you can pick up from your local grocery shops, or wherever you can find newspaper and covering the frame to make a 3D shape/helmet.

I also have cut eye holes in the newpaper base, in the shape of a skulls eyes, then also widened the eye holes on the mask underneath so you can see better.

((As you can also tell in these pictures, I have re-made the pattern of the teeth to make them bigger. This was mostly because I wasn't satisfied with the previous base))

Step 3: Making Worblapie

Please watch the video that I linked earlier in the intro for the background information.

But I will post my own little recipe for an easier time after a couple of failed batches.

What you'll need:

Instamorph

For this mask, I used about 60 Oz of instamorph.

Fine grain flour. I used basic white flour that you can find at your local grocery store. I liked using this because it gave me the perfect bone texture and colour without any painting!

Recipe:

1/2 cup of instamorph

1/8 cup of flour

Mix it together in a container

Pour it in a glass baking pan

Flatten it a bit to make an even pie shape, you want the instamorph and the flour to generally be even throughout the pie

Put it in an oven at 275 degree F for 15 minutes

Take it out, proceed to mush the worbla pie, ball it up, squeeze it to basically try and morph it into one homogeneous pie (be careful though, it will be very hot so use gloves or some kind of flattening tool)

Put it back in in the oven for about 5-10 minutes so it can reheat

Take it out and use a pinwheel to flatten out into a piesheet

Step 4: Covering the Mask With Material

I used modelling clay that you can find at your local art store to make some teeth. I made little teeth and used Gorilla Glue to glue it in place. Later on, you'll see, the worbla we'll apply will take shape to the clay and give the entire shape more depth.

Use a heatgun or a hairdryer to reheat the worbla and apply it to the mask base. I also used Gorilla Glue to glue the worbla onto the base, but once the worbla cools down it should make a very hard and sturdy cover.

I added horns to my mask, so if you're going to do the same, make sure you leave an area open to attach horns later.

Step 5: Making and Attaching Horns

I will recommend looking at the video this is modeled off of for how to do the horns, because the process is the same.

take several sheets of newspaper (the same type you covered the mask in) and scrunch it up. You will want to move, manipulate, bend, and twist it until the desired horn shape. You will also need your masking tape to keep certain bends in place, then you'll cover the entire horn in the tape as well.

For transportation purposes, the horns will be re-attachable.

I usedSmall Neodymium Magnets Disc for this, and Loctite super glue to glue it in place.

Use cardboard that you've been using for frames of the mask to make a base where you'll insert the horns. Then tape and glue it to the mask itself.

I cut holes into the base of the horn, and glued the magnet discs into them. Make sure they are all facing the same way polarity wise! After that, I stuck them into the base and attached the magnets to the outside of the base, the magnets should be strong enough to be attracted to the magnets in the horns and you'll know where to glue the second set exactly.

After that, you basically have your re-attachable horns!

You can proceed covering both with worbla.

Step 6: Finishing Up

I used black mesh fabric for the eye holes. It should be easy enough to see out of, but at a fair distance no one will be able to see into it. An 8x8 inch square should be enough.

I used brown acrylic paint to paint the base of the horns and the horns itself.

And that's the top half of your skull!

Step 7: Making the Lower Jaw

I used craft foam that you can find at your local craft store to make the pattern of the lower jaw. It's easier to do this after you made the top half of the skull so you can make sure it aligns well.

I also covered the lower jaw in worbla.

To attach the lower jaw to the costume, I attached it to a ski mask around where my jaw is. However, upon covering the lower jaw with worbla it actually became too heavy to the ski mask and would not stick, I had to use a combination of disc magnets, loctite, and gorilla glue to get it to stay.

So, unless you want a stagnant jaw that doesn't move, I may recommend just getting craft foam and painting the jaw with acrylic paint (a mixture of cream + white coloured paint).