Today I am sharing how to make a reusable face mask. As it has become mandatory in Ireland to wear face coverings on public transport and in shops, I thought I would put together a video sharing how to make a reusable face mask. I also wanted to highlight the issue of fit. Masks are like bras one size does not fit all. So, in the video, I am talking about making a template to create a shape that fits your face. I think that if we have better fitting masks, we will be more inclined to wear them.
Masks can be uncomfortable to wear. Whether your noes keeps slipping out, sore ears from too tight elastics and difficulty breathing from heavy fabrics, an ill-fitting maks can cause you to be irritated. Click play on the video below to see how I created these reusable face masks. I have added timestamps to the video, and you can skip ahead to the assembly part.
In the video, I shared three different measurements. Here are the dimensions again for your reference.
Size 1 Kids: 6 inches wide X 5 inches in length.
Size 2 Small/Women’s: 8 inches wide X 5 inches in length.
Size 3 Large/men: 9 inches wide X 6 inches in length.
These sizes are for guidance and you can lengthen or shorten them depending on your requirements. You can also adjust the elastics to better suit your face shape.
Although there has been more research into wearing face coverings, social distancing and hand washing are still as, if not more important. These reusable face coverings are not intended for medical use or used for DIY projects. Please use a proper respirator for any home improvement projects. You will notice that a lot of the masks being sold at the moment look like medical masks, however, when you read the box, you see that they are not for medical use. They are also single-use and I do worry about the impact of single-use masks on the environment.
These masks are so easy to make and you can make a batch of them in half an hour. I made myself a handful of masks and I keep them in my car and handbag and take them out as I need them. It is also advised to keep your clean masks separate to your dirty ones and to pop your used masks in a bag and wash them when you get home. I wash my masks at 60 degrees in the washing machine, you can also hand wash them too. If you want more information on the wearing of face masks, click here.
I also want to highlight the importance of understanding and empathy when it comes to masks. Not everyone can wear a face covering for various reasons. Sadly, there had been a lot of shaming in 2020, especially when it comes to peoples behaviour during the COVID pandemic. I encourage the wearing of masks in busy settings, however, they are uncomfortable to wear for some and I choose to avoid crowds at this time.
I hope you found this video useful, please share if you got some value from this post. Have fun getting creative with your mask designs and picking pretty fabrics. If you are a complete sewing beginner, then click here for more information on my online beginner’s sewing course.
Thanks for reading,
Chat soon,
Catherine.
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