Carnival Mask

I find masks fascinating - and have collected a few gorgeous pieces from all over the world. I even started to make them myself out of paper mache, but this time I thought I try to make one using bricks instead. Somehow I ended up making two...

To make them wearable I tried various building techniques, and finally ended up with using technic connector pieces that gave me a light but sturdy base that fits my face comfortably. I have added a few pictures showing the inside of the masks to show how the frame is set up, from there it is really a quite simple design. There are lots of ways to attach pieces to the frame: bricks with axle holes, clips, ball joints, tow balls, etc.

I love the botanical collection - they make wonderful gifts, that my friends always appreciated, and I think masks would make similarly great gifts. The piece count is relatively low (these two combined use about 800 pieces), and there are thousands of ways to decorate them. As my inspiration for these were the carnival masks I used plant and flower parts to decorate them - but I think they would look great with many other decorating styles as well (minifigures, weapons, accessories, fruits, animals), so I have my fingers crossed that I will get to see many personalized masks in the future.

The model is digital - I don't have all the parts in all right colors - but I did make a test build to see if they really work: the larger one is a bit heavy so it is best to wear it using a handle, but the smaller one is light enough to to be worn with a simple ribbon attached to the frame.