Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be hunting online for face mask tutorials to make for myself and family, but that's life right now. The new normal is weird but hopefully temporary... I think I'm about to go into TJ Maxx and Target withdrawals. With the current social climate being so precarious, I'm taking to precautions to be as safe as I can when I do have to venture outside of my home (these excursions are few and only for necessities).
I wanted to make these masks as a way to protect myself as well as those I may come into contact with.
When looking for a pattern to make I had a few boxes I wanted to check. First, I wanted a simple sewing pattern with only a few steps. I'm no seamstress and only have basic sewing skills but I found this pattern very easy to figure out. I'm self-taught, so sewing is a learning game for me.
Second, I wanted to be able to add and remove a liner. I found the pattern I used on Hobby Lobby's website here. This site has both the PDF pattern with instructions and an easy to follow video. Here are the instructions:
Simple DIY Face Mask Tutorial
SUPPLIES:
- 1⁄4 yd. fabric
- 14" elastic (I used 1/4" elastic but you could use fabric ties, ribbon, or elastic cording)
- Straight pins
- Iron for pressing fabric
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
STEPS:
- Cut 15" x 8" piece of fabric.
- Fold fabric in half and sew in 3 inches on each side, leaving open space in middle for filter.
- Cut two 7" pieces of elastic. Place a piece of elastic between layers of fabric on each side of mask, pinning ends at corners.
- Sew edges.
- Turn piece right side out and press.
- For pleats: Place pins, starting 1" from bottom on either side. Continue placing pins with the following spacing: 1", 1⁄2", 1", 1⁄2", 1". These pleats are important, because they help the mask expand completely to cover your nose and chin.
- Fold pleats and match up pins.
- Sew around piece, close to edge.
Step 2
Step 6
Step 7
All Done!
A few things to note, pressing the mask with a hot iron before each step makes sewing go smoother. If making the mask for children, I would reduce the size of fabric in step 1 to probably 13" or 14" by 7" to 7 1/2" and the elastic length in Step 3 to 5" or 6". I did not do this so the masks were a little too big for my 8 and 4 year old. I ended up making a little insert that they can wear on the back of their heads that helps the mask fit snuggly. I remember seeing this idea for nurses whose ears were raw from wearing masks that go around the ears. I used a 3" x 4" scrap of fabric which I folded and sewed together on the inverse then flipped right side out pressed, made sure the ends were tucked in, and then sewed closed. I added two buttons which the mask could attach to and it worked perfectly.
My son's mask with the back of the head attachment
There you have it. I made four and it took me about an hour and half. I think I'll be faster the next time but I was a little slow making sure I followed everything in order to do it correctly. Even though it took a little while, I really like how they turned out.
Let me know if you make them and how they turn out for you.
