Pigeons are commonly associated with cities and urban areas. Over time, they’ve become dependent on humans and the food and shelter we create in highly populated places. Originally native to Europe, pigeons were brought to North America in the early 1600s. Homing pigeons have been used as messengers throughout human history and are still kept today by farmers and hobbyists. Mourning doves and the white doves you might see in a magic show or at a wedding are also related to pigeons — they all belong to the Columbidae family. Follow along below to create a mask inspired by your favorite type of pigeon.
Supplies
- Paper plate
- Snow cone cup or paper plate
- Paint
- Scissors
- Glue
- Construction paper
Instructions
Step 1: Paint the bottom of a paper plate to look like a pigeon’s head.
Step 2: Put the unpainted side of the plate up to your face and mark approximately where your eyes are. Remove the plate from your face. With an adult’s help, poke a hole and cut out circles around the marks for eye holes.
Step 3: The paper cone will act as the beak of your pigeon. Position it where you would like it to go on the plate then trace its base. Cut out a circle slightly smaller than the traced edge of the cone.
Step 4: Slide the pointy side of the cone through the hole you made and glue the rim to the unpainted side of the plate. If you are using a hand rolled paper cone you can cut even notches in the wide end to create flaps for gluing.
Step 5: Paint the beak and add any final details, like feathers, to the surface of your mask. Tip: If you would like it to stay on your face without holding it, use a hole punch and string to add ties to each side of your mask.
To watch this process, visit youtube.com/PeabodyEssexMuseum
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