Another follower!
this post is for a-drowning-mans-thoughts and plague doctor appreciation, and mask-making Questing through dollar stores in late September or early October, one should eventually come across a mask much like the one below. I've got a stack of four---the set cost about eight dollars. Peeling the trim and decals off is tedious, but not really difficult.
The hot glue is a little stubborn, so you'll have to pick it off bit by bit, unless you were lucky enough to find a plainer 'beaky' mask.
The beaky masks are very broad. You can tie them tightly to fit, or trim them down (using tinsnips, pruning shears, or something similar) if the plastic is soft enough to be cut without cracking---it's more comfortable.
The size difference is pretty dramatic, but once you've trimmed the mask, you only need to paint it and attach new strings. If you'd like a lower half on the mask, you can attach a plain full-face mask and cover the seams with modeling foam, which would also be a good material to build the lower beak out of. I find the half-mask works well with make-up, though---my voice isn't as muffled as it would otherwise be, I can sneak food and drink, and people of all ages are sufficiently frightened.
'Sufficiently frightened' being 'frightened enough to fork over candy.' Lots of it.
