Red Ted Art - Make crafting with kids easy & fun

Cute & Easy Crafts for Kids

Where the Wild Things Are – Paper Bag Mask Craft

Oh we have a fun Where the Wild Things Are Mask craft for you today! If you and the kids adore this classic book my Maurice Sendak, you HAVE To have a go at this Easy Paper Bag Mask Craft!

Perfect activity to while away an afternoon.. or if you are getting Halloween Dress Up ready and need something easy and fun.. do have a go!

Lucy from Flisat Fun kindly shared some of their photo makes with us! I love seeing reader photos. Thank you for letting us share them!

Easy Wild Things Masks for Kids - collage of kids and crafting

This post was first published in February 2012

You may have seen the magazine craft challenge a couple of month’s ago, now there is a fabulous Paperbag Craft challenge by Tinkerlab. I always get into a creative tizz when it comes to Tinkerlab’s challenges, as all the blogs taking part have such wonderfully creative ideas. This makes a great addition to our Crafts for Boys as well as World Book Day Costume ideas too!

After much pondering, we finally came up with our paperbag craft. I knew we wanted to make a paper bag mask of some sort, just not which.

Then one day… Red Ted, Pip Squeak and I were sitting on the sofa and reading one our much loved books and the idea came to me – A Paper Bag Wild Things Mask. This also doubles up nicely as a No Sew Halloween Costumes for those that are reluctant to dress up! We also have some fabulous  Paper Halloween Craft for kids that you may wish to explore!

The Book

Where The Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. I am a HUGE Maurice Sendak fan – ever since I had his nutshell library as a little girl.

Needless to say I am chuffed that the children adore Where the Wild Things Are. We do like a good rumpus. And as luck will have it Pip Squeak is currently “reading” this book at nursery too.

If you don’t know the book, then you really must get hold of a copy – a real childhood classic. Max is a little boy who has been sent to his room for being naughty and rude to his mother (without any supper). Once up there he begins to day dream and goes off into the land of Wild Things, where he is the wildest of all and becomes king. Eventually, he misses home and his family so he returns, to find that his mother has brought up some lovely supper for him.

Fabulous Sendak illustration and quirky drawings. Highly recommended.

Easy Wild Things Masks for Kids - collage of kids and crafting

Photo by Flisat Fun

The Craft

I decided that paper bags are perfect for masks. They fit so neatly over one’s head. We had snaffled 3 paper bags from my mother in law, as they are not that common here in the UK. And two were perfect for the craft.

Materials: One paper bag per mask, acrylic paint (it won’t crumble), scissors and glue. For Max’s crown, we also used a bit of very thick felt that came from somewhere random.

If acrylics are not your thing, why not use coloured card or felt?

The Wild Thing:

were the wild things are craft

1) We first made our wild thing. I shaped some horns out of the top of the bag and secured it with tape. This serves two purposes – 1) we have some horns and 2) the bag fits Red Ted a little better. Of course you can just glue some horns on and cut the paper bag down a little!

were the wild things are craft

2) Then we “located Red Ted’s eyes and cut some holes.

paper bag crafts
paper bag crafts

3) Now the painting and decorating started. Some big yellow eyes, a big brown nose. Triangles for teeth…. We painted some extra paper dark brown for the shaggy hair and beard. Then cut strips and stuck them on.

paper bag crafts

Done!

Easy Wild Things Masks for Kids - collage of kids and crafting

Photo by Flisat Fun

For Max 

paper bag crafts

1) I trimmed the bottom part of the paper bag off – this is to create a better fit for Pip Squeak. I kept this paper and we painted it gold, to be used as a crown later.

wild things crafts

2) Using Red Ted as a guide, I cute a “face shape”.

maurice sendak crafts
paper bag crafts

3) Then we painted it all white. I pinched and glued down the sides down a little to make the “Max shape” (rather than have a square face).

where the wild things are costume

4) Cut the crown and cello tape it to the top and add your piece of white felt (or use paper or use cotton wool)!

where the wild things are costumes

Done!

Easy Wild Things Masks for Kids - collage of kids and crafting

Photo by Flisat Fun!

This is what Pip Squeak thought of it all (she was napping whilst we were crafting)

where the wild things are costumes
paper bag craft ideas

What do you think? Do you like Where The Wild Things Are crafts? What have you made? I wonder what everyone else’s paper bag craft will be!!!

Need some more No Sew Halloween Costumes? Check out the full set:

No Sew Costume Ideas - ideal for Halloween

Happy Trick or Treating!

Comments

  1. Rachelle | TinkerLab says

    Oh — my — goodnes!!! Maggy, these are adorable! I love Where the Wild Things Are, but my kids not so much. It\’s great that you were able to bring the characters to life for your kids, and have them play a part in the process.

    Reply

  2. Red Ted Art says

    Oh thank you Rachelle! So lovely of you to say! Yes, can see why not all kids like the book (it is a bit like the Gruffalo – why would you like big ugly monsters??)… 🙂 Can\’t wait to go off now and see what everyone else made. Such a fabulous challenge! Thank you for organising!

    Reply

  5. Red Ted Art says

    @Vanessa would love to see what you make

    @ Liz – Aren\’t they just? I am very lucky that for now they like posing!!

    Reply

  10. Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

    You know what I think about these already, but of course a comment is nice too…so they are GORGEOUS!! So impressive and I can\’t wait to do something similar when C is a bit older. Wonderful results and very happy adorable children 😉

    Reply

  15. debbie clement says

    I predict that 15 years from now, the picture of your two WonderPeeps together will be one that melts your heart. It\’s one of those classics that will make you sigh, as they\’re getting ready for graduation festivities and it catches your eye on the mantle place.

    KUDOS. Such a treasure.

    Debbie Clement

    Reply

  18. Red Ted Art says

    @Debbie you say the nicest things!
    @Jill oh yes indeed.. mine are very good at Rumpusing!!!

    Thank you for all your very kind comments! I think we need to go off and play Wild Things again now.

    Reply

  30. creativejewishmom/sara says

    Love your paper bag masks, love the book too! Thanks so much for sharing this and all your projects on Craft Schooling Sunday! Could you please send me a large version of the last photo of the post (with the 2 kids) so that I can feature this? Thanks so much!

    Reply

  34. Liz says

    Thank you for sharing this great idea! One of the dress-up days for March is Reading MOnth at my kiddos\’ school is dress as your favorite book character. These masks will be perfect.

    Reply

  39. Rachel says

    You’ve saved my life, thanks. My child’s Grade 1 class are doing “Where the Wild things are” for the school concert, and I was stumped for costume ideas..these will be prefect, thanks.

    Reply

  41. doro K. says

    i like it, too. perfect for little boys.

    I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!

    doro K.

    Reply

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