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Orangutan Mask Pattern

For Paper Mache

$12

This orangutan mask is fun and easy to make.

You can put those crazy cheek pads on your orangutan. Or leave them off to match some of the characters in the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie.

The pattern makes all the shapes for you, so you can focus on adding your own flair. Go all out with a store-bought wig and textured skin, or keep it simple with paper for the hair—it’s totally up to you.

No matter how you choose to finish it, your orangutan mask is going to be a showstopper. Then, whether you wear it or hang it on your wall, you can proudly say, “I made it myself!“

How to Make Your Orangutan Mask:

Put the pattern on cereal box cardboard and cut out the pieces.

Tape the orangutan mask pieces together, following the instructions that come with the pattern.

Use some foil for details (optional) and then add a layer of paper mache.

Bring him to life with acrylic paint and your own imagination.

Finished size –
About 9.5 inches (24.13 cm) high, 7 inches (17.78 cm) wide without the flange, 8.75 inches (22.3 cm)
wide with the flange. 10.3 inches (26.3 cm) deep for wearable mask, or 6” (15.24 cm) deep for wall
display mask. It will fit an adult head, but the size can be changed by printing the pattern larger or
smaller.

My downloadable PDF Patterns come with full instructions.

There’s no waiting for your pattern to arrive, and no shipping costs, so you can start on your project right away.

Note: If you’ll be saving your pattern to and iPhone or iPad, those devices like to hide your downloaded files. You can scroll down this page to see how to find them.

And remember – if you have any problems downloading your files or putting your pattern together, just let me know. I’m always happy to help.  🙂

$12

Watch These Videos to See How to Make Your Orangutan Mask:

Taping the pattern pieces –

The pieces go together pretty fast, whether you’re making a wearable mask, or one you can display on your wall. You can also choose to use the flange/cheek pads or not, because some male orangutans have flanges, and some of them don’t. It’s totally up to you. :_)

Adding foil details –

If you’re using the flange pattern pieces, you’ll want to add some crumpled foil to make them look thicker. You can also use crumpled foil to change your orangutan’s expression.

Finishing a mask with a textured flange and purchased red wig –

Maybe I got a little carried away when I finished this mask, but I’ve never used a wig on a mask before, and I thought it would be fun. I also found a great way to make the bumpy texture on the flange with hot glue and paper towels. The spray paint was easy, though. 🙂

Finishing a mask without the cheek pads and with paper hair –

I went the ‘minimalist’ rout with this version of the orangutan mask. I left off the flange so it would look like the orangutan character in this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes poster. The hair is made out of cereal box cardboard and the beard is brown paper from amazon boxes that I painted with orange spray paint.

To make your orangutan mask you will need:

• The Pattern
• Access to a Printer
• Copy paper or full-sheet labels (I always use the labels)
• Glue stick if using copy paper instead of the labels
• Cardboard from 3 standard-sized cereal boxes or 6 letter-sized sheets of light chipboard.*
• If you’re making a wall sculpture, you’ll need a scrap of corrugated cardboard at least 6″ x 8″ (15.24 cm x 20.32 cm).
• Sharp scissors for cutting cereal box cardboard, and a box cutter for the corrugated cardboard, if you’re using it.
• Clear plastic tape and masking tape Note: Don’t use disappearing gift wrap tape – it isn’t strong enough.
• Aluminum foil
• One 1″ foam ball if you’re making a wall mask and you want painted eyes
• Glue gun
• Paper strips and paste or paper mache clay. I recommend paper strips and paste only for the cap of a wearable mask, because it’s more flexible than paper mache clay. (Find recipes here)
• For the hair and beard, you can use a purchased wig or spray painted cereal box cardboard and brown paper like I did, or get creative and use yarn, raffia, or just get creative and find something around the house that you think would work.
• Acrylic paint and varnish
• Shoelaces or elastic straps to hold the mask in place, if needed

*If purchasing cardboard in place of the cereal boxes, it will be sold as “light chipboard.” Medium or heavy chipboard is too stiff to bend well.

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When you finish your orangutan mask…

We would really love to see how it comes out. Please visit the Daily Sculptors page and upload some photos. 🙂

Do you have a question or need help with your pattern?

There are two ways to contact me: The fastest way to get an answer is to leave a comment below. I read all comments and answer them as soon as I can, usually within a few hours. One of my readers might also chime in to help – we have a very supportive community here on this site.

If you prefer to reach me privately, you can send me an email.

I get a ton of spam and I don’t want your email to get lost, so please put “paper mache” in the subject line so your email won’t be accidentally deleted. If you don’t hear back from me within 24 hours, assume the cyberspace gremlins ate your email, and try again.