Making an Easter Bunny Mask

Print Outs

Many family craft websites offer free printable templates of a bunny caricature—bright eyes, tall ears, whiskers and a button nose.  These masks may need to be enlarged to fit the bunny impersonator.  They can serve as traceable outlines or as a basic mask to decorate with fabric, sequins, ribbons and more.  A quick survey of templates may provide fun variations and details to borrow for an original, free-hand mask.   

Paper

Given that the printouts of bunny masks start as paper, it may be easiest to stick with that material. Choose a slightly stiff decorative paper at a stationery or craft store.  Draw or paint the lashes and whiskers. For a fancy look, glue on sequins, beads, gems, glitter and other trinkets.  The ears can stand up by creasing the paper vertically, and the mask can be held in place by ribbon, string or a band of paper.

A more traditional and easy bunny mask relies on paper plates.  The ears can be fashioned from another plate and attached to the round face.  A cute bow tie can also be made from a plate, ribbon or pleated paper dinner napkin.  Crayons and markers work well on the plates, and like the basic paper described above, this mask can be secured with ribbon, string or a band of paper.  

Fabric

A soft and comfortable bunny mask can be made of felt, velvet, flannel or other fabric.  A vibrant pink jacquard or fuzzy yellow fleece festooned with pipe cleaners, cotton balls and glitter glue create a visual treat.  The ears can stand up with the help of more pipe cleaners or sturdy paper. Whiskers might also be yarn, plastic string or twine, and they can sprout from small buttons, beads or puffy balls sewn on the fabric.

Foam

A stiff but soft material to carve into the shape of the bunny mask is foam.  Craft stores sell foam sheets in a variety of colors.  The foam is easy to cut and can be layered to fashion whiskers, a nose and ears.  The foam keeps its shape no matter how many times the mask is removed and replaced.  Shiny items like stickers and metallic markers contrast nicely with the flat foam surface.

Paper Mache

By far, the most interesting bunny mask is composed of paper mache that is painted and sealed with acrylic spray. Start with a cardboard frame or wire mesh skeleton and layer the paper mache on two or three times, making sure that it dries thoroughly after each application. The final layer can be tissues, toilet paper or another thin, gossamer material that presents a soft and slightly fuzzy surface.  Lacy ribbons and costume jewelry dress up this bunny mask like it's going to a ball!