Introduction: Zebra Mask

By Support me!
About: I am a queer, transgender, nonbinary, and mixed-race picture book writer/illustrator. As a young person, I didn’t have the words to explain the big feelings I had about my identity and relationships. It is so …

Last week I made a tutorial for a much simpler mask that can be made with regular printer paper. This one is a little bit more complicated, but super cool. This instructable doesn't cover either design or screen printing, but rather focuses on putting together the mask linked as a PDF (and PNG above). As with the other mask, this was done in collaboration with the UW- Madison Arts Institute and Madison Children's Museum. Special thanks to Laura Anderson Barbata, Laurie Rossbach, Jennika Bastian, and STRUT!

Materials needed:

  • 20x30 cardstock/poster paper (or smaller/larger if desired)
  • Hot glue, stapler, and/or tape
  • Newspaper
  • Scissors
  • Ability to screen print or access to a large format printer (or print through Walgreens, Kinkos, local print shop)

Attachments

Step 1: Putting Together the Mask

These were screenprinted for us and unfortunately I don't know how to screenprint, so that part of the process isn't included. If I had to make this myself, I would probably print on a large format printer or place that does poster prints. There are several local print shops near me, but Walgreens and Kinkos also do poster prints.

The first image shows in red marker areas to cut, in addition to the larger outline. Dashed lines are folds.

  1. Start by cutting out both sides of the mask and the two ears.
  2. Cut each of the red lines (duplicate for the other side)
  3. Match up the top of the heads of both zebras.
  4. flip upside down and tape along the top of the head as shown in figure 5.
  5. Move the snout/muzzle so the side parts overlap, and fold the top part of the muzzle over the folded sides. Staple or hot glue. (See pictures)
  6. Fold and staple(or hot glue) ears so they have more shape.
  7. Fit into slot on the side of the head.
  8. With the cut red line going all the way down the face beneath the lines, fold the white part under and staple or hot glue to make the mask more three dimensional.
  9. Fold the neck together and staple or hot glue.
  10. If you'd like, you can either just staple/hot glue the head hair part together, or you can cut newspaper and into the seams and staple it that way for more body.

Step 2: Rock That Mask/hat

You could wear this as either a hat or a mask. Visibility as a mask is somewhat limited, so a hat might be a better option for some.

Enjoy! And please post pictures if you make it.