Bali Mask
What You’ll Need:
- scissors
- one-gallon plastic milk jug
- sandpaper
- paper towels or brown paper bag
- bowl
- water
- glue
- paint
- hole punch
- yarn
How to Make It:
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With an adult’s help, cut off the spout of a clean one-gallon plastic milk jug. Cut the jug in half from the top to the bottom so that the handle is in the middle of one of the halves. The half with the handle will be the mask; the handle itself will be the nose.
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Cut a hole for the eyes and a hole for the mouth. Use sandpaper to smooth all rough edges of the mask.
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Cover your work area. Tear paper towels or a brown paper bag into small squares. Soak them for a few minutes in a bowl containing a half-and-half mixture of white glue and water. Squeeze the excess glue from the pieces, one at a time, and place them on the mask. Cover the entire front of the mask and all of the edges. Let the mask dry completely. (It may take a day or two.)
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Paint the mask and let it dry, then hang it on a wall. You can also punch holes in the sides (with an adult’s help), tie a piece of yarn to each hole, and wear the mask as part of a costume for a made-up drama.
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| These masks—a frog and a monkey—were made on the island of Bali. |
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The Balinese people of Indonesia have produced decorative masks for many ages. These masks are part of elaborate costumes used in religious ceremonies and dramas. In their dramas, the Balinese use recurring characters, such as heroes and heroines, animals, and spirits. The mask carvers—the undagi tapel—are very skilled. Balinese masks are carved from wood and are painted with a minimum of forty layers of paint.
