Mardi Gras Masks for Barbie from Tinsel Pipe Cleaners-DIY Tutorial

These Mardi Gras Masks for Barbie are a fun little project that can be as simple, or extravagant, as your imagination (and craft supplies) allow! They start with a pipe cleaner and then can be embellished with anything, more pipe cleaners, feathers, ribbon, beads, foam cutouts, sequins, etc. I made one that gets held in Barbie's hand like opera glasses and one that sits on her face like reading glasses. My picture tutorial shows how to make the reading glasses, but they are both similar. Ken's selfie of the girls sitting on his lap...

  Looks like the girls are all set for some fun during the Mardi Gras parade too😎

A close-up of the mask detail:
I started with the green glasses and glued the purple and gold on.

 And the second one...
Gold glasses with gold, purple and green feathers and a heart rhinestone glued on.

Mardi Gras Mask for Barbie:

Create the top of the frame of glasses by bending both sides of the pipe cleaner down at 90 degree angle.

The center should be about 1 1/2-1 3/4" long. 

Having a doll handy is helpful, hold the pipe cleaner up against her face to gauge the size of the glasses.

 Begin to shape the lens of the glasses.

I wrapped it around my finger, then twisted the pipe cleaner up over the top of the frame. 

You can see the excess sticking out to the right, that will be the part that goes over her ear.

Do the same for the other lens.

 At this point the mask looks like glasses😎

   Bend the two sides back so they slide over her ears. 

~Or~ leave them long so a girl can twist them behind the dolls head so they stay on better while playing.

Decorate the mask any way you'd like. 

I wanted to show you how I make Barbie size feathers from craft feathers: 

Simply cut the tip off and trim as necessary.

Hot glue works best (and the fastest) for sticking items to the mask.

And finally...
Ken says: Remember, what happens in Nawlins, stays in Nawlins😃

~Mardi Gras is all about big colors and big fun!

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