DIY Face Mask with Pocket Tutorial

We are living in crazy unprecedented times. The Coronavirus has changed the way we live and has probably changed it forever. It has brought out the bad things in us (like hoarding!) but it has brought good things, too. People are looking out for one another more than ever and coming together in so many ways. With mask shortages everywhere, sew-ers of the world have come together to start making homemade face masks. And when I was asked by my local volunteer sewing group to make some, I quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Thus my DIY Face Mask Tutorial (with Pocket) was born! I know, I know, there are like a million face mask tutorials out there by now but I just couldn’t help myself.

Before I continue any further, please note that THESE FACE MASKS ARE NOT MEDICAL GRADE but wearing any cloth face coverings in public can help slow the spread of the Coronavirus.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

I started with this YouTube DIY Face Mask Tutorial: How to make a DIY reusable fabric face mask (with filter) that was recommended by the volunteer group. It’s a great video that quickly shows you how to make one of these. This is fine for every day use for people not working in healthcare, like me. Because these were for nursing care facilities, I had to make sure to maximize their features and quickly found ways to improve upon it. Of course I would. I always do that with recipes, so why not for sewing?

Here’s one last pattern that was designed for a specific hospital in Ohio.  While it takes a little more fabric, it’s a little quicker to make so definitely worth a look, too! I loved this video because it taught me a new technique for sewing enmasse: chain stitching. Basically, just sew continuously from one piece to another without cutting your thread. It’s a time savings by not having to lift/lower that presser foot every time and cut thread. When you cut between the pieces, there aren’t any loose ends to trim. Plus, there are just two long threads to cut when you’re done! Coolest part is you end up with a really banner of masks when you’re done, see?

If you’d prefer to just buy some of these masks instead of making one yourself, be sure to check out my new page: My Handcrafted Adventures for a variety of quality face masks and other craft items.

Fabric

The CDC recommends using tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. Cotton t-shirts would work, too.

It’s also important to use TWO different fabrics to make these masks. So I use a patterned one on the outside and a plain white bed sheet for the face-side. This is important if you take your mask completely on and off frequently throughout the day. Because with TWO different sides, you can easily determine which side touches your face and which side goes out. You certainly don’t want to make the mistake of accidentally putting the germy side on your face! It may add a few extra steps, but worth the trouble.

Additional Filter Pocket

There are some easy options for adding additional filtering to your mask, if you’d like. A coffee filter, a paper towel or a 5″ x 5″ ish square from an unused t-shirt can all help at least a little. They say the more layers the better, but even a single layer bandana is better than nothing! Adding another layer will make it a little harder to breathe through, though, so be sure it works for you, especially in warmer weather!

Adjustable Ear Straps

As a person with a pretty big head (physically), haha, I know one size hats do not fit all! The same goes for face masks: ear straps should be adjustable especially if you’re making them to donate. Your mask shouldn’t be too loose or too tight. It should be comfortable so you won’t have to constantly adjust it. Additionally, you really want to avoid touching and messing with it too much. I’ve found that about 6″-7″ is a good length to give good adjustability while not wasting valuable materials.

I’ve been using 1/5″ elastic and found that 6.5″ is a great length. If you’re using thicker elastic, then 7″ might be the way to go for you. Just be sure to test it out on one before you pre-cut a large amount. Using elastic is ideal so it can still stretch over your ears, but with elastic harder to find these days, get creative. Use old fabric to make straps, binding tape, thicker washable yarn, etc. Now that I’ve run out, I might even have my girls grab their Rainbow Looms!

Form-Fitting Nose Bridge

To make the nose bridge form-fitting, straighten a standard paper clip and curl the ends. Floral wire also works great. Cut 6″ pieces and curl the edges with needle-nose pliers so it doesn’t poke through the fabric or you! If you don’t have any, pipe cleaners or long twist ties work well. Just remember to bend those edges back, too. You can even try straightened bobby pins but those are pretty stiff. I’ve found that if you use a paper clip, it’s sturdy enough to go through the wash, but floral wire is more delicate and won’t last as long ,which is why I do the next step.

Removable/Replaceable Nose Bridge

Since this is a reusable mask, I thought it would be nice if you could remove the nose wire if it should break or before washing it, so it would last longer. So I added a little gap or extra long stitch along the topstitch of the outer/patterned layer of the mask. You can skip this step to reduce time or simplify this pattern.

Pattern Simplicity

I really tried to keep it as simple as possible while including all the features I thought were most important. Remember: IRONING is the key to making things fit nicely, though it does take a lot of extra time, but it’s worth it!

Test the Pattern Out

Lastly, if you plan on bulk sewing, be sure to just make a few to start, one at a time, not like 50 all at once. lol. Based on personal experience, it’s absolutely no fun to pre-cut 10 pieces only to find that they’re too big or too small. It’s SO maddening, especially if you end up wasting precious resources! So be patient and just cut one set first. Test it out and then make another, maybe even third until you are SURE you’re happy with the final product. THEN, you can dive right in and sew efficiently!

The Pattern

PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS

Equipment:
Sewing machine & thread
Iron & ironing board
Scissors
Cutting mat & rotary cutter (optional)
Ruler (Cutting mat or regular)
8 clips, pins or paper clips

Materials:
2 – 8″ x 8″ squares (1 solid color, 1 patterned) of pre-washed tightly woven cotton, like quilters fabric or bed sheet

4 – 6″ to 7″ long pieces of 1/4″ or 1/5″ wide elastic or ties (6 1/2″ has been working best for me with room to enlarge if necessary with minimal waste). *update 5/15/20: I’ve streamlined further and recently have been using 1/5″ wide elastic and cutting it into 2 13″ in pieces which reduces the amount of cutting. I’ve found that 1/5″ is easier to work with and fits more comfortably around the ears.

1 – 6″ long piece of floral wire, standard sized paper clip, pipe cleaner, twist tie all with the ends bent so it doesn’t tear the fabric or poke you, straightened bobby pin, etc. *Actually, I just found that a regular straightened paperclip makes a really great nose bridge! It’s only 3 inches long but it still works fine.

Instructions:

Step 1. With right sides together and all edges aligned, sew along bottom edge using 1/4″ seam.

Step 2. Iron out seam. On both long sides, fold fabric over 1/2″ and iron.

Step 3. On both ends, fold in 1/2″ from the edge and iron. Fold over another 1/2″ and iron again. Then fold both sides in half, wrong sides together and iron one last time.

Step 4. On the white fabric side, stitch along the fold, staying close to the double-folded edge, about 3/8″, leaving enough room to slip in the elastic later. If you are NOT making your nose bridge wire removable, repeat stitching on the patterned side, too, and skip to Step 6. If you are going to include it, proceed to Step 5.

Step 5. To make the nose wire removable, add an opening about 1/4″ – 1/2″ long, about an inch or a little more from either end of the mask. Be sure to reinforce the gap by sewing back and forth once on either side of it. You can make the gap by either cutting the thread and starting up your stitch again after it or simply by lifting your needle, presser foot, moving your fabric 1/4″-1/2″, lowering the presser foot and starting again. Reinforce the ends, too!

Step 6. Tuck 2 elastics 1/2″ into each side of the bottom folds. Secure together with pin. Slip the 2 remaining elastics 1/2″ into the top fold of the white fabric one on each side, tucked in about 1/2″ pin.

Step 7. Make 3 evenly spaced DOWNWARD facing pleats, pinning after each one. They don’t have to be perfectly even, though. My first one ends up at around 1 1/4″ down from the top, then 3/4″ from the bottom of the first pleat then 1/2″ down from the second one, leaving the last bit measuring around 3/4″. Mask measures roughly 3.5″ x 7″.

*I’m so excited to report something. I recently, saw a video where some woman was making pleats on the fly but without pinning and using a seam ripper instead! Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me because mine was a mini. BUT, I realized that I could just hand place them on-the-fly very successfully and my sizing was surprisingly consistent! Once you stitch up one side, the other side is easy because it just kind of lines up with the other. I guess this is just a sign that I’ve made WAY to many of these and I’ve finally “transcended” the pleat pinning.

Step 8. Sew 1/4″ stitch along the one side, removing pins a you go, across all the elastics and pleats, reinforcing over the edges, elastics and pleats as you sew down to the bottom. Repeat down the other side.

Step 9. For removable nose bridge, insert nose wire through gap, trim loose threads and then tie the elastic ends together.

Finally, you are finished and I really hope you;re happy with your end result!

BONUS Step: At this point, you can go one step further and insert your filter. I used a standard paper coffee filter, folded at the bottom up by about 2 inches and then tucked it into the mask. Consequently, with the filter in it, it actually stands out a little away from your nose and mouth for some breathing room!

Lastly, here are some pictures for you to see how it fits. I modeled it myself instead of using one of my girls to show you that it fits large heads pretty comfortably because yes, I have a large head!

Here’s some background history of my fabrics because many of them stories behind them. This endeavor has been such a fun stroll down memory lane!

Ok, one more thing – below is a little blurb I’ve been including with my masks:

Here’s some info about this Pleated 2-ply Reusable Face Mask with Pocket (to add another layer of protection):

Additional Filter Insert Options: coffee filter, paper towel, or roughly 5”x5” square cut from an unused t-shirt.

Adjustable Ear Straps: Be sure to adjust them to fit you well. If the elastic is too stiff or still a little too tight, give it a few stretches while holding it at the base where it attaches to the mask.

Removable/replaceable nose bridge wire: To remove, just slip it through the gap or long stitch along the face-side topstitching. It can be replaced with 6” of floral wire, a pipe cleaner, long twist tie with the ends curled or bent in, so it doesn’t poke you or through the fabric. You can also use a straightened bobby pin or paperclip.

Care: Machine wash in warm/hot water using mild detergent and machine dry. I suggest removing the nose wire before washing (for longevity). Be sure to wash those hands after!

Please note: THESE FACE MASKS ARE NOT MEDICAL GRADE but wearing any cloth face coverings in public can help slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html for more info.

That’s it, finally!! Please let me know if you have any question about how to make these masks and stay safe and healthy during these crazy times! Happy Face Mask Making!

As of 6/28/21 I’ve Donated/Gifted: 683 and counting…

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Christine, aka happyvballgirl : )

Once again, if you’d prefer to just buy some of these masks instead of making one yourself, be sure to check out my new page My Handcrafted Adventures for a variety of quality face masks and other craft items.

To check out items used in this post or some of my favorites, simply click here: “Products I Love“. Purchases made using these links earns me a little extra cash to support my bento habit, which Hubby really appreciates. So, THANK YOU, should you choose to purchase any of ’em!

 

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