Making the face mold

• 1). Roll a ball of clay in your hands and knead it several times until it is soft and pliable. Use any color clay if you plan to paint the piece, or a flesh colored clay otherwise.
  
  
• 2). Dust the face mold lightly with cornstarch to prevent the clay from sticking.
  
  
• 3). Press the prepared ball of clay into the mold, pushing it into the recesses for the features. Do not fill the face mold as you would to make a head. You want the mask to be just the front of the face.
  
  
• 4). Wad up a small ball of aluminum foil to fit into the mold. Place the ball of foil gently into the molded face. This will keep the mold from collapsing while baking.
  
  
• 5). Pop the clay carefully onto a baking sheet with the foil ball attached. Alter the face, if desired. Open the eye sockets by gently poking the clay with a toothpick to create the eye shape desired. The foil ball will support the face while you do this. By opening the eyes, the miniature mask will resemble a full-sized mask. Dust off any corn starch residue.
  
  
• 6). Bake according to the directions on the clay's package for the thickness of the clay. Since the molded face is thin, it will require minimal baking time to set. Watch carefully during baking to prevent burning. Allow to cool.
  
  
• 7). Sand any rough edges with a nail file or light sandpaper.
  
  

Decorating the Mask

• 1). Paint the surface of the face with acrylic paints. Use white or a flesh color or any color that suits your design.
  
  
• 2). Paint patterns and facial details on the face with markers or paints. Paint swirls and designs around the eyes, lips and cheeks. Use glitter paints for sparkle.
  
  
• 3). Add embellishments to the mask. Glue gems, beads, feathers and silk flowers on with a cyanoacrylate instant glue. Add thin ribbon streamers or gathered pieces of lace or fabric to suit your design. Add strings of tiny pearls or beads or individual gems to the design.