How to make a face mask 

It looks like facemasks are here to stay for awhile. So it makes sense to have more than one. The silver lining, I like to think, is that cloth face masks give you an opportunity to show off some of your personal style. Personally, I’ve seen some beautiful fabrics, funny quotes, eye-catching graphics, and so much more. So, if you’re going to follow my DIY face mask instructions below, try to have a little fun with it.

Your first step is to choose a fabric. If you’re using cloth, I strongly recommend organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown safely, processed without toxic dyes, and isn’t treated with chemicals. Remember, this is going right over your nose and mouth after all. Chemicals used to treat non-organic cotton have been linked to environmental contamination and can even accumulate in the human body. That may impact the nervous system or even impair thyroid function.

You’ll be ready to go as soon as you have your fabric on hand. There are many ways to make a mask, but I like this one because it’s simple and doesn’t require a sewing machine. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 10-11 inches of organic (preferred) cotton fabric

• 2, 6 inch pieces of elastic or rubber bands or hair ties

• A plate, or something round to draw around

• Needle and thread

• Scissors

• Pins

What to do:

Place your material face down on a flat surface. Place a plate, roughly 10-12 inches in diameter on top of it. Draw around the plate and cut out your circle shape. Once it is cut out, fold it twice so you get four curved triangles on top of each other. Then cut down the sides of your triangles so you have four separate shapes. Next, place one shape face up and another face down on top of it, so the wrong side of the material is now on the outside. Pin it together and do the same with the other two shapes. Stitch along the curved edge of your fabric with a needle and thread, making sure there aren’t any gaps. Once that’s done, unfold your triangles to reveal a dome-like structure. Place the domes on top of each other, front sides together. Then pin in place and sew around the edges of your face mask, leaving a small gap at one end. Next, pull th ematerial through the gap carefully until you have the front sides of your material on the outside of your face mask, then stitch up the small gap. Now it’s time to insert your ties into your mask. Fold one of the pointy edges of your mask over itself and then sew down. Then do the same on the other side. You should’ve created a little pocket, or him, to insert the ties. You can insert them using a safety pin or needle and thread through the hem. Tie up your elastic and you’re finished!