If you’re reading this during the COVID-19 outbreak, then you know just how important these face masks are right now. The CDC now recommends that everyone wear a mask anytime they are out in public places. Healthcare workers are requesting these masks to put on top of their hospital issued masks so that they will last longer. This post is a face mask tutorial to help you make your own face mask at home!
There are so many awesome patterns and face mask tutorials on the web for DIY masks. I’ve tried a few of them and eventually came up with a pattern and technique that works for me. I’m throwing this out there because it’s what I’ve done to make masks easier and more efficiently and perhaps it will help you, too!
I’m going to go ahead and make the disclaimer that THESE ARE NOT SURGICAL MASKS nor hospital grade masks.
Materials:
- Fabric –
- You’re going to need FOUR 9x6inch pieces of fabric for this face mask tutorial.
- I have found that I like doing two pieces that are “cute” and two pieces that are white.
- Hospitals in my area will not allow nurses to wear the masks if it doesn’t have four cotton layers. Check with your local hospital to see if this is required.
- 1 3/4 inch x length of the fabric for the ties
- Sewing Machine
- Thread
- Iron
- Scissors
- Optional: Cutting board, rotary cutter, and acrylic ruler.
Step one: Cut your fabric
You are going to cut four pieces of fabric 9×6 inches. You can make a pattern if you don’t have a rotary cutter to make it easier.
Step Two: Cut your bias tape
Grab your white fabric and cut a 1 3/4 inch strip the entire width of the fabric. A rotary cutter makes this super easy and quick!
You will notice that my fabric doesn’t look very wide. That’s because I’ve folded the fabric in half a few times to make less cuts. The FIRST TIME you do this, you’ll have to make a straight edge on both sides. After that, as long as you don’t crinkle up the piece of fabric, you should be able to cut it just once. This is helpful if you’re making multiple masks.
Step Three: Iron your bias tape
You’re going to iron the tape in half first, and then open it back up and fold the two outside edges toward the middle crease.
Step Four: Layer your fabric pieces
For this, you’re putting this together inside out.
So, Start with putting your pretty pieces of fabric facing each other with the back to the outside. Then, put a white piece of fabric on the back and on the top. See picture above.
Step Five: Sew around the outside of your fabric rectangles
Start in the middle of one of the long sides.
Sew all the way around the fabric layers until you’re about 1 inch away from the place you started. STOP when you get one inch away.
Step Six: Snip off the corners
To make your corners sharp and not rounded and thick, snip off the edge of the corner.
Step Seven: Flip the rectangle right side out
For this step, you want to make sure you find the two layers you want to be on the OUTSIDE of the mask and flip the pattern right side out. You’re wanting the two white pieces to be on the inside.
Step Eight: Push the corners out, iron, and sew around the outside
So, that’s kind of like three steps, however, I feel like it’s not too much to handle.
To push the corners out, I use a paintbrush or crochet hook to maneuver as much of the fabric to the corner as I can without poking a hole in it.
Iron the piece of rectangle to make it nice and flat. Remember, there’s an open inch or so – be sure to iron that so it’s folded as you’d want it to be when it’s finished.
Sew a stitch super close around the outside of the long edges of the rectangle. This gives the top and bottom a nice finished look and sews that raw edge shut.
Step Nine: Iron pleats in your rectangles
This step isn’t VITAL, however, it helps when you’re making the pleats for your mask. I have a picture of what the ironed pleats look like at the end in case my written explanation isn’t very good.
First start by ironing the rectangle in half. I put the front of my mask face DOWN to iron it in half. Then, grab the top and fold it to the middle crease. After that, you’re going to do the third pleat by flipping your fabric over and then ironing it. Again, look at the picture above step 9 to help you get a good visual.
Step Ten: Pin the pleats
Use the creases that you made in step 9 to create three pleats on the mask. I try and pin a bit away from the edge so that I can do step 11.
Step Eleven: Pin the bias tape on the mask
So, technically, you could sew the pleats first and then do this step. I, however, want to have as few stitches as possible to make it look cleaner. That is why I sew the pleats and the bias tape all at once.
Measure 16.5 inches from the end of your bias tape. Start pinning on the mask once you reach 16.5 inches. Then, pin it all the way across your mask and measure an additional 16.5 inches from the spot that the mask ends and snip it off.
Step Twelve: Sew the bias tape to the mask
First, snip the end of your bias tape and then fold it over to make it a clean edge. (See picture below). Then, sew the bias tape, the pleats, and the other end of the bias tape at one continuous time.
Repeat for the other side!
Be sure to share this face mask tutorial on Pinterest and Facebook so that your friends can make masks for others as well. Let’s all pitch in and do what we can to help in this crazy time of need!!!
Love to sew? Check out my T-Shirt quilting basics tutorial!
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