thanks a lot! good luck on your mask :D

Hi! I've just finished the mask and it looks really good :D It's all thanks to your tutorial so thank you so much for making something like this available on line!

I agree that the paper clay has such a lovely finish to it and my mask didn't crack at all when I applied the clay. I guess it's because I made mine really thick, which meant it took longer to dry but it also meant that there weren't a lot of cracks.

I want to send you some photos of the mask and the robe when I finish to show you how it looked (not as professional as yours but still lovely in its own way). Would that be ok? :D

Thanks again XXOO

your welcome! when i decided to make this mask, it was very hard to find a good tutorial, so i wanted to share how i made mine :)
i would love to see yours! if i get more feedback from viewers, would you mind if I shared your mask on my page in the future? :)

Yes I got everything from Michael's, a craft store. they always have coupons such as 40% off an item. The clay cost the most, it was around $4 each pack after coupon. Paint and foam cost a few cents each.
I guess it's a little hard to explain, but basically, when craft foam is heated, it can be easily manipulated and bend. If you hold it in place, it can cool down that way. You can also have an oven in low heat to try to soften and bend it, maybe if you had a glass bowl to lay it over. But I used an iron, so that i can use my hands and shape it as I go, making the foam mask shaped into a bowl almost. Hope that helps a little better.

Thank you for replying. I went to a few different craft stores and the only foam I could find that looked like yours in the square sheets and that was actually slighty bendy to begin with, was in the model train section. It's 5mm thick and it's 11 1/2 by 11 1/2. Do you think this would be okay?

Yes I think that should work fine :) im not too sure if mine could have been the 5mm or 6mm since the recent ones i bought are not labeled. But either one should be sturdy enough to hold the shape (and layers of paper mache). Its the thin ones (2mm) that would be too flimsy.

Just wanted to keep you updated: i struggled with the foam just because I wasn't quite sure what I was doing or how high to have the iron. With my iron, I found that a steady medium heat worked the best once I finally got the hang of it. I did crack a few places in the foam which I fixed with some awesome Hello Kitty duct tape. I ran the iron very quickly over the duct tape to have it melt into the foam a bit, to make it smooth. The paper mache went really smoothly and easy; I put about 3 layers on. Now I'm onto the clay. It's cracking a bit but nothing I can't fix. Now I'm working on the robes and everything is going great with that except that my cat decided to pee on it :/

lol! sounds like its going well. Yes I had problems with cracking from the clay too. easily fixable with extra clay and water to blend it in. If you upload any pictures of your costume, i would love to see it :)

thank you for your comments! I agree it does appear like that, which is why I experimented with a clay shell. if you find another medium that works well in making the mask, i would love to hear about it :D

It was my first time using paper clay, I decided on it because it seemed easy to use because it is air dry. I am not sure about classical clay since I have not used it for prop making yet, but you can try testing it out! But if it needs to be baked, I would not suggest that since the foam can deform. I think this mask would also look great without the clay at all. You can sand down the paper mache til it is smooth and paint directly on it.

He is 6'2, so he was pretty tall. There will probably be some doors that will be hard to get through, will have to bend down. But for the most part, most conventions have a lot of open spaces and high entry ways that it won't be much of a problem.

Hi, I am so sorry, I repied to this comment but it looks like it never went through. Hopefully you found a way to make it. But this is the foam I use, craft foam from the craft store (Michaels), foam sheets that come in 9x12 in 6mm, that is soft and moldable: http://www.michaels.com/M10390268.html?dwvar_M10390268_color=Black
They usually have a lot of the large sheets (12x18) in stock but they are thinner. And if you mean EVA foam as in gym mats, those are thicker than these. But Those would work too! You might not even need any layers of paper mache or clay. Just paint layers of Gesso, Wood Glue, or PlastiDip to harden it.

Hi, I didn't use styrofoam. I used regular craft foam you find at craft stores. They usually have a variety of colors in the large 12x18 size, which are thin. But some stores also have this one: http://www.michaels.com/M10390268.html?dwvar_M10390268_color=Black
Which is what I used, 9x12, 6mm thickness. Craft foam is still soft and modable so it is easy to lightly heat up and bend its shape. I would NOT try that with styrofoam or foam boards, because those will melt when heated. Foam boards also do not bend the same way. You could use it for the mask, but it will be a flat mask. Since it is hard already, you can directly paint your mask on it. The paper mache process is to harden the weak craft foam. If you have any other questions, just ask here^^

The paper clay takes a few days to dry, so if u need it done quick, about 5 days, use plaster strips (paper mâché) on top of the newspapers those steps need about a 1-2 to dry.

yes the newspaper mâché is on both sides. if you add paper clay, I only did it on the top and wrap around the edges. But if u use plaster strips instead, I cover both sides (2-3 layer on top, 1-2 on bottom)

Sorry I am responding so late! I haven't tried it, but if you plan to make the mask curve up, it'll be a little difficult. I would suggest adding some sort of hook (for wall hanging), or even create a a metal loop, insert it in place at the top of the mask when you cover the clay (or paper mache) layer. After it hardens, the hook should stay in place. You can then hang it as you would with a nail on the wall.
Another suggestion, You can have a thin flexible wire (florist wire) or even string, going from left to the right of the mask (somewhere between the top to the middle of the back of the mask), have it dry in place when you do the clay (mache) part. Hopefully this string in the back of the mask would hang on a nail. And this way it wont be visible.

Hope I explained that ok or helped give you some ideas.

Sorry for the late reply, I didnt see the comment until now. If its not too late, the size is 9x12 inches. Its a very large mask that ends up about 11x17inches big.

Sorry for the very late reply, I didn't see the comment. Check out part II of this blog tutorial: http://mycutebow.blogspot.com/2013/08/part-ii-no-face-and-chihiro-costume.html

Hi! Unfortunately, this is the only way I've been able to figure out adding height to above the head, and styrofoam is the lightest thing ive found that worked. But I do understand its hard to balance and you have to constantly keep hold of it :/
A method i've seen for adding height to a cosplay is wearing stilts (adding height to your feet).

Hi Haley! I'm so glad this tutorial was able to help you on your cosplay! Thanks for checking out my blog :)

It is directly over the dried newspaper mache and wrapped around the edges (press firmly on the back since it can get loose). I only used the saran wrap on the top and bottom of the clay when using the rolling pin on the clay so it doesn't stick to the surface area I am working on and the rolling pin. I remove it when done. Sorry it wasn't explained too clearly through the pictures. Hope that helps.

*5mm thick

Hi! I was just checking up on my comments and saw this! Thank you for the wonderful comment, I'm so happy to hear it came out well. I also make versions of the mask with plaster strips and I found one that was 12 inches wide. So after I covered the mask in large strips, I usually make the final front layer the size of the entire mask, and it actually comes out very smooth, especially after some sanding and priming. I'm glad your dad helped and found a method for you.