How To Make a Gourd Mask - Making Gourd Masks

How do I make a gourd mask? I will share some of the techniques I use for making gourd masks

I am so glad you asked that question! While gourd masks are absolutely gourdgeous and everybody loves them they certainly are a lot of work...but so much reward when you have finished. I will get to some of those details but first will talk about why they are so expensive and the process I use for creating each mask.

Gourd masks are amazing and slightly reminiscent of the masks seen at Mardi Gras. A gourd friend in Louisiana said add some purple, green and gold and it would be a Mardi Gras mask. I'm not sure who started this fantastic gourd art form but it has been inspiring.

One common thing I found when I started making them is that they are very labor intensive AND the materials really start adding up...the beads, feathers and other embellishments, wow, it's mind boggling. It really was an eye opener.

Because I now know first hand why they sell for so much money I wanted to share that with you so you have a better understanding of the process involved in making a gourd mask and why it may seem expensive to you, the buyer.

To skip all the rest of stuff on this page and go straight to the good stuff you can click on the link at the top of the page or click here to go to my Gourd Mask Gallery.

Why are Gourd Masks So Expensive!

Now you wonder why gourd masks can be so expensive let me give you some idea why. While gourd masks are gourdgeous they can be very expensive to make. A big part of it is the feathers but masks are very labor intensive. In addition to the feathers, which can cost well over $100 there are the embellishments that might be used such as inlaid beads, buttons, concho's, and other accessories.

Put all the feathers and embellishments together along with the work involved in designing and putting it all together and you might understand why the artist is asking for what seems like a small fortune to you. The average gourd crafter is lucky to make minimum wage but as an artist that person can command a higher price on their work.

As a gourder becomes more well know and establishes a reputation they have probably gotten their work in galleries and they can command a lot more for the art work. It may take years to get to this level but there are many fine gourd artists out there who have established themselves in the art world.

The average person creating a gourd mask is usually selling them for less than they are really worth but it's a way to improve their skills and get their work out there in the public eye.

Gourd masks can range in price from $35 to thousands of dollars of course depending on the size, the time involved to make it as well as the materials and of course the artist who made it. Put this all together and the price will vary as much as the artist who creates it.

I had no idea when I started making masks just how much work is involved. The painting is the easy part. it's the challenge of coming up with some wild designs, finding just the right feathers, embellishments and accessories to make it work (and it might take a lot of shopping to find just the right embellishments to pull it all together). To me the important part is tying it all together so that everything pulls together. Once the face itself is designed and painted then the hard part begins. You have to lay out and arrange the feathers, measure and drill holes to ensure proper placement. Some people opt to leave the back of the mask and not do anything except add some leather or wire to hang it. I prefer a finished look so I either paint the back black or add fabric to cover the back and then attach a leather hanger or a hook on either side with framing wire to hang it. It leaves the mask with a nice finished look which is appealing no matter how you look at it. Definitely a lot more challenging than just decorating a gourd.

What I discovered about making gourd masks is that you really need to open up your mind and let it get a little crazy. So, if you are inhibited and afraid to step outside the box gourd masks are not for you. You have to get wild and crazy. Something I thought I had forgotten how to do but it's all coming back to me, one gourd at a time!

Each gourd mask is a unique work of art and make great gifts.

Care and feeding of the feathers in your gourd mask feathers and crafts

I started collecting Kachina dolls when I first moved to New Mexico more than 25 years ago and each one is covered with feathers. Eventually they collect dust...duh! Well, I had no idea how to clean them so I did some research and talked to some "feather experts". I also had several Kachina's damaged during our last move back to New Mexico and I was devastated. Unable to find someone who know how to repair them I went on a quest to find out how to do it myself.

How to fix a "ruffled" feather: First, if you need to repair any feathers that have been "ruffled" or bent use a clothes steamer and then with your fingers spread them out along with the natural growth. I learned this from the "feather ladies" who I have been buying my mask feathers from. I used this technique to fix some of the feathers that were damaged on my Kachina dolls.

Supplies you will need to clean the feathers: a vacuum that blows out as well as in or a hair dryer with a cool setting; a damp cloth and some patience.

The first thing to do is blow off the dust. You can do this with either the vacuum (blowing out) or a hair dryer on a cool setting.
Using a damp cloth (no dripping water please) put the feather (if possible) in the palm of your hand and very gently wipe the cloth over the feather. This will remove any dirt that did not come off by blowing it with the hair dryer or vacuum. Continue this until all dust and debris have been removed.
Use the blow dryer to VERY carefully dry the feathers or you can just air dry them since they should not be very wet.

Helpful hints and Precautions

Never use the blower close to the feathers and be sure to keep it on the lowest setting. If you use a high setting or get too close, you could actually blow the feathers off or you could singe them.

If a feather does fly off use some glue (I use CA glue but you can use tacky glue), carefully re-attach it. When I use feathers on my gourd masks they are almost all inserted into holes and then glued so they are pretty secure but in some craft projects the feathers may just be inserted inside a bead or cone. In these cases it is very possible that the feather comes out and needs to be secured again. Using a drop of CA glue will secure it and will probably not come out again.

If your craft piece is one that hangs on the wall you can leave it hanging and do the steps above and you will find it much easier to do the clean up by leaving it on the wall.

The main thing to remember when cleaning feathers is to be careful and very gentle and make sure the cloth is not WET, just damp with no water dripping. In this case, less is better.

The heat from a hair dryer can be very hard on feathers; so keep it on the lowest setting and be sure you put it on the lowest setting. If the dryer has a "cool" setting this is the one to use.

These instructions are good for real feathers that are not dyed or painted. If your piece has painted or dyed feathers (such as imitation eagle feathers) avoid using a damp cloth and do not use a hair dryer with any heat. Using a damp cloth could cause the dye or paint to run. It is also best to use a blower with just cool air.

How I Make a Gourd Mask

Learning from my first mistake I have now got things down to a system so I'm a bit more organized and have a good idea how to do my feathers so they are not too close to each other and not too close to the wall. As they say, practice makes perfect. Each person has their own way of doing things but this is what I have found that works for me.

choose the gourd
select the beads and embellishments (not the feathers)
sketch the design in pencil
burn the design
lay out the larger feathers
drill holes for the larger feathers and do any carving or cutting that is part of the overall design and where beads will be inlaid
I paint the back of the gourd with black paint mixed with polyurethane for a 1 step color/finish
do all the painting on the face with dye inks, metallic or regular paint, metallic ink, etc.
apply polyurethane varnish to the and allow to dry
inlay any beads and/or attach other embellishments such as pins/tacks

Once these are added I cut off the sharp tips of any pins or tacks that are on the back. If these can't be cut off I use some hot glue to the ends to prevent someone cutting their hands on them.

learning the hard way (feathers too close to the wall) I now start my first row (in the back) about 1/2 inch from the edge of the gourd but lay the feathers down to make sure they will not press up against the wall when it hangs. If that is the right distance from the back of the gourd I start marking where I want to drill the holes for the first row and lay out the next row allowing enough space between rows and feathers so they don't hit each other. It's hard to say exactly how much spacing but I drill a row, add the feathers and then plan the next row with the proper spacing. I mark where each hole will be with a pencil to ensure the hole is drilled in the correct place. Make sure the hole is slightly larger than the quill but not too large. You don't want to break the quill pushing it in the hole but you also don't want it moving around.

with the gourd flat on my work table I work from back to front inserting the feathers. Larger ones in back and inserted first. I use a hot glue gun or a medium CA adhesive to hold the feathers in place. Hal Sager, a wonderful gourd mask artist suggested adding a spacer behind the feathers in the back. This will keep them in the right position away from the wall until you they are glued in place.

once I start laying out feathers often I end up having feathers go at an angle so the drilled hole has to be at the same angle I want the feather to go.

once all the larger feathers are added I will begin working on the very small front and accent feathers. For this I use a pin vise to drill the small holes as I add each feather. Each feather is laid out, holes marked and then the holes are drilled with the pin vice.

On larger gourds with lots of tacks I have been known to add a black fabric backing to the entire gourd when it's finished to protect from getting cut on the sharp pins.

the final step is to add something to hang the mask with. On larger gourds I add a hook to either side and use picture wire. On small gourds I use a piece of leather lacing and create a hook.

The feathers used in every one of my gourd masks and other gourd projects are real feathers and are not dyed or painted.

Nedra Denison signature.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

No portion of the printed book "Pyrography 101" or the web pages containing "Pyrography 101" or "Gourd Pyrography 101 Safety Tutorial" may be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner, Nedra Denison.

Material from this site may not be, in part or in whole be distributed, redistributed, published, republished, copied, reproduced, altered or modified and sold or otherwise made available to others in any form for any purposes whatsoever.