Recycled Masks of On and Off Invisibility
In the Libby & Dish story, “A Remarkable Discovery”, Libby and her mother are taking their new neighbors, the Cortez family, a housewarming gift. Libby is excited to pick out the perfect gift for Juan Paco, but she also wants to discover the answer to the mystery she and Dish have been attempting to solve: What kind of pet lives with Juan Paco and his family?
Libby knows she needs to be prepared for their visit, so she consults her adventure checklist before she and her mother leave. While she puts on her Cloak of Safekeeping, she initially decides to keep her Mask Of On-And-Off Invisibility in her bag. When she steps out into the busy hallway of her apartment building, though, she's suddenly not so sure.
I think even most grown-ups can understand how wonderful it would be to be able to become invisible. But, for kiddos, that goes double. When you're little, even the hallway of an apartment building can be overwhelmingly full of noises and questions. It's easy to see how being able to hide behind a mask could make you feel safer.
And after all, all masks are at least somewhat about being able to see without being seen. All masks make their wearer at least a little bit invisible.
This week's craft is inspired both by Libby's Mask Of On-And-Off Invisibility and by Libby's housewarming gift to Juan Paco—it's a recycled Mask Of On-And-Off Invisibility.
My kids loved this one. Something about the combination of the fun-shaped, egg carton masks and the open-ended invitation to paint really inspired them. And since I had most of the materials on hand, it was a very easy project to throw together. Big creative payoff, low parental prep time—what are you waiting for? Dig an old egg carton out of your recycling bin and let's get started!
Recycled Masks Of On-And-Off Invisibility
Materials
Empty egg carton
Scissors
Craft paint
Paint brushes
Popsicle sticks
Glue
A few clothespins or binder clips
Directions
Use the scissors to cut the lid off the egg carton and save it for another use.
Now, over a covered work surface, paint the egg masks. Try a few solid colors, consider stripes and polka dots—whatever you like best.
Allow the masks to dry, then use the scissors to cut out the bottom, center of each egg cup to make an eye hole.
I found that it was helpful to gently use my finger to expand the eyehole after I had made the initial cut with scissors.
Once the eyeholes are cut, put a generous dab of glue on the outside of one of the egg cups. Attach a Popsicle stick—so that the mask can be held up like a pair of fancy opera glasses—then use a clothespin or binder clip to hold the stick in place until the glue dries.
Remove the clothespin and enjoy your new ability to become invisible.
If you liked this tutorial, here are others you might enjoy:
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
