Fold the construction paper in half and cut an oval that measures 10 inches long and 4 inches wide and yields a 10-by-8-inch oval when unfolded. White card stock, which is thicker than construction paper, is a suitable replacement. The fold marks the face’s center line.
Keep the paper folded and cut a narrow triangle off the fold section at the top of the oval that is a ½ inch wide and 2 inches long. When you open the mask, it will yield a triangle down the forehead that is 1 inch wide and 2 inches deep.
Cut another triangle that is ½ inch wide by 2 inches long above the mask’s projected temples and pointing downward toward the eye location. Cutting the mask while it is folded in half results in equal cuts on both sides of the face.
Cut an additional triangle of the same size at the mask’s cheekbones. Slant this triangle slightly downward so it points towards the tip of the mask’s nose.
Add a final triangle cut up the bottom of the mask over the fold that is 1 inch wide and 3 inches deep. The deeper cut on this triangle creates a more defined chin when the mask is assembled.
Cut half a banana shape about an inch under the large bottom triangle’s tip. This shape is the mask’s mouth so angle it upward to create a smiling mouth.
Make a ½-inch vertical snip that is perpendicular to the fold about 1 inch from the tip of the bottom triangle and 2 inches from the top of the mask’s mouth. This opening is for the nose; the nose protrudes once the mask is folded up.
Pierce the scissors into the anticipated eye area and cut out and around to create a circle through both sides of the mask. Making the eye openings large allows children with a range of face shapes to see out of the mask.
Hole punch a hole through both sides of the mask across from the eyes. Attach one end of a pipe cleaner to each hole. This feature secures the mask around a child’s head.
Open the mask so it lays flat. Close the triangle gaps by pulling one side over the other and taping the overlap on the underside of the mask.