Make Your Own Felt Raccoon Mask

A gal I work with volunteers at the Audubon Society every week and they were having a fun activity last week where all the volunteers were supposed to dress up like their favorite animal. She asked if I could help her create a Raccoon mask for her costume and this is what I came up with. It is super easy, inexpensive, and can be whipped up in about 30 minutes!

To make your own Raccoon Mask you will need:

Felt sheets: Grey, Black and White
Scissors
pen/pencil for tracing
fabric glue or needle and thread
Elastic or string/ribbon
Raccoon Mask Pattern

Start by printing out the pattern and cutting out the pieces. Arrange them on your felt squares and trace with pen; or pin them down to the felt and cut around the pieces if you find that easier. To make a true to life looking raccoon the base piece should be grey, the middle piece should be white and the eye/nose banding should be black. You can jazz it up for the kids and make any color of raccoon for them though - I think I might make some to send my nieces and nephew for Easter!

Once you have all of your pieces cut out, sandwich them together so the eye holes match up. You may have to do a little extra trimming to get the edges of the eyes nice and neatly matching up. Pin all 3 pieces together and stitch the outline of each eye. This will hold all of the pieces together so fewer pins are needed when stitching around the outer edge of the black and/or white pieces. If sewing isn't your thing, use fabric glue to stick your pieces together. Allow plenty of time for your mask to dry before wearing.

Once you have stitched the pieces together, it is time to add some elastic or ribbon so it can be tied on and worn. You could also make an adjustable strap using more felt strips and some velcro. I opted for some bright ribbon, I just think it looks cheery and fun :)

Then you are ready to show off your new mask around town. These are easy enough to whip up as party favors for your child's next birthday, but still look nice enough to be part of a special costume. If raccoons aren't your style, don't forget to check out my pug mask here, modeled after my Cousin's pug, Tottie.

Happy crafting!

Tottie the Pug Mask

After the media whirlwind of Tottie's Halloween costume, I joked to my coworkers that I was going to be Tottie for Halloween. After thinking about it a little bit, I decided that it actually wasn't a half bad idea! I used some felt to create this Tottie the pug mask! You can download a free .pdf pattern for the mask here.

To create your own Tottie the Pug mask for Halloween, or a dress up accessory for the kiddies, you will need:

Scissors
fabric glue (you can also hand sew the pieces if you prefer
felt in at least 3 colors (I chose an oatmeal color, dark brown and black)
piece of elastic (you could substitute string to tie it on, but elastic is preferred)
the printed out pattern pieces

Start by printing out your pattern and cutting out all of the pieces carefully. Next, trace each piece onto the appropriate colored felt and cut them out (or pin the paper pieces directly to the felt and cut around them). I wanted my pug to look as much like Tottie as possible so I used the oatmeal color for the main face cutout, the black for her nose, and the dark brown for all of the other pieces. If you want to make a pug that is special to you, pick out felt colors that resemble your own pug!

After your pieces are cut out, arrange them onto the main face portion of the mask. Once you are satisfied with the placement, use fabric glue to glue them in place (or sew them on if you prefer). Last, attach your elastic band (one end attached to each side of the mask). I usually hold my mask up to my face (or the face of whoever will be wearing the mask) and see where the elastic will best match up with their ears so I know where to attack my elastic so it will be comfortable. I also trim my elastic so it doesn't require tons of stretching to fit around my head, if it stretches too much it will wear out quickly and the elastic will need to be replaced well before your mask has been worn out.

A few tips: If you are making a mask you intend to keep a longer period of time, you may want to cut out 2 pieces of the mask base (main face) portion of the mask and sew them together with a tiny bit of stuffing. This will give your mask a sturdier base to attach your other pieces to. Sewing your pieces together rather than using glue will also make a more permanent attachment that is longer lasting (and using a blanket stitch along edges can smooth them out and make them look neater if your cutting left something to be desired).

Enjoy your new pug mask!

Zombie Makeup Tutorial

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would share this tutorial with all of you on how to apply your very own zombie makeup.

I myself am not exactly gifted with the whole makeup thing, so I had to pounce when my cousin, Carli, posted it on her tumblr. Try not to be intimidated, she has step by step photos and instructions to help you out (Though I am sure her amazing skills as a comic book artist don't hurt in the drawing/makeup department).


For those of you in Wisconsin, specifically the Green Bay area, Carli and her sister, McKenna, can both be seen spooking you out at Terror on the Fox.