Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know that the CDC has recently recommended that people leave the house with facial coverings. While there are a bunch of people that are still doubting the effectiveness of a cloth mask, it’s one of the recommendations that the CDC is making. Many people I know have sewing machines that they don’t use so go ahead dust that baby off so you can follow this super easy cloth mask tutorial.
5 Minute Cloth Mask Tutorial
This tutorial is for the easiest mask to make which is the accordion style. This style fits both adults and children and after watching numerous videos, I also covers the N95 masks with ease. This mask also features:
- Two layers of cloth
- A pocket opening for filters
- Straps that tie
Materials:
- 100% cotton
- Twill/Bias tape/Long piece of t-shirt material
- Thread
- Sewing Machine
- Pins
- Clips (optional)
- Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Directions:
Cut your fabric to measure 15 x 10.
Fold over in half with right sides together and mark 3 inches from either end (at the 3in & 7in spots).
Sew the bottom piece leaving the 4in open. This will create our pocket.
Flip the right sides out and have the pocket facing up.
Create 3 pleats on each side and pin in place. Your mask should measure 2.5 inches now.
Sew these pleats in place by stitching from top to bottom. Clip these ends with shears.
Fold the short edge over creating a casing for the ties. Sew in place and repeat with the other side.
Press the mask.
Insert the ties by threading the tie from the top down and the down up.
All done! Your mask is ready to wear!
Where To Source Materials
Right now, materials are suuuuper hard to come by. People are buying cotton, elastic, bias tape like hot fire. I got the twill used in this tutorial from So Sew English and last I checked they had hundreds of yards left in stock. You can also use elastic hair ties or shoe laces too. I’ve been cutting my ties at 45in minimum for adults and a yard for children.
How to Use and Care For
It’s important to note that these masks are will not protect against viruses at all. They provide a barrier making it harder for it to reach you but these masks should not be used in place of the recommended social distancing when you are sick. These masks work great for cutting grass, allergies, and normal dust by themselves. To add an extra layer of protection and filtration, HEPA filters are a great option to cut up and put inside of them.
Please make sure to wash your masks often as these will store germs. They should be washed between wears and handled with clean hands.
Not sure if making them is for you? Check out my listing for purchasing them.
