Pattern for Lion King Headdress Mask - Grown-Up Nala and other

adult lionesses.

Finished size: About 10 inches (25.4 cm) high, 9 inches (22.86 cm) wide and 12 inches
(30.48 cm) deep. Instructions for taping the pattern pieces together begin on page 12.

Questions?

I’m happy to answer any questions you have. You can reach me by email at:
[email protected]

Please put “Lion King Mask” in the subject line so your email isn’t accidentally deleted.

You can also leave a comment on the Daily Sculptors page on my site, if you’d like some
feedback from my helpful readers, too.

Have fun!

©2019 Jonni Good. You may print this pattern and use it to make a mask for your own personal use or for a play, but you
may not sell the pattern or publish it without the express permission of the author. Some Amazon affiliate links are in this
file. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links, Amazon will give me a small commission. You can also simply do a
search for the same products if you prefer.

Prepared exclusively for [email protected] Transaction: 0048633865

 Instructions Begin on Page 12

You will need:

● Printer
● Copy paper or full-sheet labels
● Glue stick if using copy paper for pattern
● Cardboard from 5 standard-sized cereal boxes*
● Sharp scissors for cutting cardboard
● Tape, both clear plastic tape and masking tape
● 1 ½” (4 cm) Styrofoam ball, cut in half
● Aluminum foil
● Glue gun
● Paper strips and paste (or use Titebond III wood glue, like I did - recommended)
● Spray primer - black for the back, and white or tan for the front
● Acrylic paint and matte varnish
● Black felt. I had to buy a package of assorted colors, but one sheet of 8” x 11” felt is
enough for several headdress masks.
* If purchasing cardboard in place of the cereal boxes, it will be sold as “light chipboard.”
The thickness will be about 24pt or 1/41 of an inch. Medium or heavy chipboard is too stiff
to bend well.

Helpful Videos:
Be sure to watch all five videos on this page:
https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com/LionKing

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

 1 2

6
5
8
7

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 10
9

Ea
r–
11
12

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 16
15

r–
13

Ea
14

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 17

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© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

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20

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© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

 Temporary Mask Stand

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Getting Started
Collect four cereal boxes, at least 8 inches (20.32 cm) wide and 11.5 inches (29.21 cm)
high. Cut the front and back pieces out of the cereal boxes, and recycle the sides, top and
bottom. You will now have eight large flat pieces of thin cardboard for you mask.

Print your pattern:

You can use one of the following methods

to print your pattern and attach it to your
cardboard:

1. Print the pattern on plain copy paper and

attach it to the pattern with a glue stick.

2. Print the pattern on full-sheet labels and

stick them to the cardboard. This is the
easiest method, and the one I always use
now - but it’s more expensive.

Cut your pattern pieces:

Use sharp scissors and cut as accurately as

you can. If you’re off just a little, don’t
worry - the paper mache will cover any
slight gaps.

Prepare the eyeballs:

Use a serrated knife to cut the Styrofoam

ball in half. Use a rocking motion instead of
a sawing motion for the cleanest cut.

Tape the Pattern Pieces Together

Pieces 1 and 2: Tape the long darts togeth- Then tape the two pieces together along
er. the center seam. This may be easier to do
from the back first, to line up the curves.
Note - most pieces will have darts, and
they will always be taped first.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Piece 3: Tape the upper edge of piece 3 to Then turn the pieces to the front, and rein-
the lower edge of pieces 1 and 2. You’ll force the mouth seam with more tape. The
need to do this from the back first, one photo below shows you how the chin looks
side at a time, as shown above. like from the front.

Piece 4: Tape the darts on the front edge,

and then tape piece 4 to the upper edge of
the nose and muzzle.

Pieces 5 and 6: Tape the curved edges

of these pieces to each side of the
muzzle.

Pieces 7 and 8: Tape to each side of the

muzzle, as shown.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Pieces 9 and 10: Tape to pieces 7 and 8 on Pieces 11 and 12: After taping the darts,
each side, to create the cheeks. tape these two pieces together as shown.

Do the same for pieces 13 and 14.

Tape pieces 11 and 12 to the head, as shown. Your lioness’s head will look a little strange
at this point, because it won’t hold its
Add pieces 13 and 14 the same way, and shape until the back is added. We’ll do that
tape the center seam. soon, but we need to do a few more things
first.

Tape the ears, pieces 15 and 16, as shown.

There’s a small mark on the lower edge of

the ear pieces. Bend them at the mark, and
tape the short ends even with the longest
darts on the back of the head.

The rest of the ear is taped the to back

edge of pieces 11 and 13.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

The eyes:

Tear off a strip of aluminum foil about 1.5 Crumple the foil and then roll it on the ta-
inches (3.81 cm) wide. Then tear it in half to ble to make a smooth, tight strip about 1/8”
make two pieces 6 inches (15.24) long. (0.3175 cm) thick.

Use narrow pieces of masking tape to at- Make sure the foil is behind the cardboard,
tach the foil around the entire edge on the and not covering the eye opening. This
inside of the eye. Cut off any extra foil. would make the eye appear smaller.

Put hot glue on the inside of the foil strip Quickly turn over the lion’s head and press
and press your foam eyeball into the glue. the edges of eye against the foam ball, so
the foam ball is held on securely. When the
glue is cool enough to hold, Do the other
eye.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Nose and ears:

Loosely crumple two pieces of foil into balls Use hot glue to attach the balls of foil to
about .5 inches (1.27 cm) wide. the inside of the nose. When the glue cools,
turn the head over and press your fingers or
a rounded edge of a pen into the nose, to
create an indentation for the nostrils.

Crumple strips of foil, about 4 inches (10.16

cm) wide, and use hot glue to attach the
strips to the inside edges of the ears.

Cover the foil on the ears and the nose with

masking tape.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

The cap:

Tape the long darts on pieces 18 and 19, and Tape the darts on pieces 20 and 21, and
then tape them together along the center then tape them together along the center
seam, which has two small marks. The tabs seam, the one with two small marks. This
will form a “V” shape at the front. creates the back of the cap.

Tape the front and back together along the

seams with three small marks. Fold the
tabs as shown.

These pieces can be awkward to tape, so it

helps if you support them on your knee or
an upturned bowl.

Have the actor try on the cap. If it’s too large, cut the tape along the center seam at the
back and overlap the two pieces, as shown on the right .

Note: If you’re using felt on the bottom inside edge (recommended) be sure to leave a lit-
tle extra room so the felt won’t make the cap feel too tight.

Also check to see if the cap rubs on the top of the ear. If that happens, cut off part of the
bottom edge of the cap to make it more comfortable.

If the cap needs to be larger, cut the seam as shown, and add a triangular piece of card-
board across the opening.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Put a dab of Titebond III Wood Glue on one Make sure that the “V” of piece 17 is tight
of the center tabs on the cap. The glue goes up against the crease you made when you
on the outside of the tab, as shown. The folded the tabs.
glue will make sure the entire assembly,
with both head and cap, will stay firmly at- Keep adding glue to the other tabs, and
tached. Press the “V” shape of piece 17 be- hold them on with masking tape. Let the
hind the tabs, and use masking tape to hold glue dry for an hour or two before going to
the glued tab securely until it dries . the next step.

Note: Watch this video to see how the cap is attached to the mask.

Bend the tabs and the long edge of pieces Put the two pieces together so the tabs on
22 and 23 to form tight creases. Then put a both pieces are facing outwards. Use a few
thin line of wood glue along the un-creased pieces of masking tape to hold them to-
curved edge of one of the pieces. To see gether until the glue has a chance to dry.
why you should only glue the curved edge,
see the photo on the bottom right of this
page.

Mark the center on the back of piece 17.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

 Put glue on the tabs of pieces 22 and 23,
and along the back of the folded straight
edges.

Press the straight edges firmly against piece

17, and the curved tabbed edge against the
center line on the cap. Push them in as far
as they can go. Pull the sides into a wedge
shape to make a wider base for support.

Press down with your fingers so the tabs fit

tight against the head, and the straight fold-
ed edges fit tight against the flat back
piece.

Use masking tape to secure them until the

glue has a chance to dry.

Reminder: Watch this video to see how the

cap is attached to the mask.

Attaching the cap to the head:

Use tape to attach the back, piece 17, all
the way around the edge of the head. Also
use tape on the back of the ears.

Your mask is now ready for paper mache.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Adding paper mache:
You can use any paper mache paste recipe,
or even the paper mache clay recipe on my
site.

However, for the strongest and lightest

mask, I recommend using one layer of
brown packaging paper (like the kind they
use in packages from Amazon.com), and
use a good wood glue instead of paste. Your
mask will be dry and ready to paint within
12 hours, and the wood glue and paper will
reinforce all the seams for a very strong
and lightweight mask.
You can see how I added the paper and glue to the Simba mask (shown in the photo) at
https://youtu.be/t9oL1ZZfs5E

If you want to smooth off the edges of the paper, you can use a very thin layer of drywall
joint compound, applied with a rubber spatula. Watch this video to see how. The video
shows the method being used on dry paper mache clay, but it works just as well over pa-
per strips and paste.

Temporary mask stand:

Use a scrap piece of corrugated cardboard The cap will slip over the cardboard piece
and the pattern on page 12. Use several piec- and hold it while you add paper mache and
es of masking tape to hold it to the top of a paint. In the photo above you see Scar,
quart jar. You might want to add some sand young Simba and grown-up Nala resting on
or a sealed bag of beans to the jar first, to their temporary stands.
add some weight.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

Adding felt for a comfortable fit:
A felt strip will give the headdress a tight, comfortable fit. In fact, if it’s snug enough you
may not need any elastic or cords to keep the headdress from falling off. I added my felt
after my Simba mask had been painted, but it is much better to do it as soon as the pa-
per mache is dry. That way, you don’t have to worry about scratching the paint when the
mask is turned upside down.

Cut felt in narrow strips, about 1.5 inches The felt I used came in sheets 12 inches
(3.81 cm) wide. Add wood glue to the ends (30.48 cm) long, so I needed to use several
and edges of the felt. strips to cover the entire inside edge. If
there are any loose edges or corners, go
back and add additional glue.
Painting the lioness:
Before you paint the mask, seal the paper mache with a spray primer. As you can see in
the photos above, I used a black spray primer for the back of the head and the cap, so it
would disappear on stage. When the black is dry, cover it with a plastic bag and spray the
face with white or tan spray primer, and let it completely dry before adding acrylic paint.
Do a Google image search for Lion King masks to see
what style you like best.

I painted my lioness very simply, with fur made with a

yellow-tan craft paint mixed with white. Any warm tan
color will work, so you can go to your local art store or
Walmart and choose one you like best.

If you’d like each lion mask to have slightly different col-

ored fur, you can adjust the tan with the addition of
Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna or Cadmium Yellow.

I used Black for the outline around the eyes, the nose
and mouth. The muzzle is lightened with white paint,
dry-brushed over the tan. You could give Nala a pink
nose, if you prefer.

I used Burnt Umber, mixed with water, to create a shad-

ow behind the muzzle and below the cheekbones.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com

 I painted the eyes the same color as the
fur. I used Golden brand Soft Gel Gloss to
seal the eyes. When it was dry, I applied
the gel coat thickly, and placed a round
‘pupil’ cut from tissue paper over the gel
coat and moved it into position. Watch this
video to see how it was done.

When the gel coat was dry, I mixed Burnt

Umber with gel coat for a thin transparent
shadow at the top of the eye. Then a white
reflection was added.

After all the paint was dry I put a coat of matte acrylic varnish over the face, except for
the eyes, which are shiny because of the Soft Gel. If you aren’t using the gel for your
mask, you can make the yes shiny with clear fingernail polish.

To keep the headdress mask secure, drill or

punch two holes on each side through the
cardboard and felt on the back of the mask.
You want one hole in front of the ear, and
one hole behind the ear. Have the actor try
on the mask so you’ll be able to get them in
the right place.

Thread a cord through the holes on each

side, as shown. I used a blue cord from an
old sweatshirt so it would show up in the
photo, but you’ll want to use a black cord or
ribbon so it doesn’t show. Tie the cords to-
gether below the chin.

© 2019 Jonni Good https://www.UltimatePaperMache.com