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What you will need
This is what your face mask will look like when finished. To make this face mask, you will need:
- Fabric (cotton or something similarly breathable is best). You can have the same color fabric for the front and back of the mask, or different colors like this tutorial shows.
- Elastic
- Ruler and pen
- Scissors
- Printer paper
- Pins
- Sewing thread
- A sewing machine or a sewing needle if sewing by hand
- An iron (optional)
Once you've gathered all these items, you're ready to get started!
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Step 1
To make the pattern you will use for the mask, get a piece of paper, a ruler and a pen. Draw a rectangle on the paper with the following measurements for an adult mask: 9 inches X 6 inches. Now cut out this rectangle. You now have a mask pattern.
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Step 2
Pin the pattern onto your fabric (you can do both pieces at the same time) and cut around the pattern. Cut as closely to the pattern as possible without cutting the paper. This will ensure your fabric is the right size.
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Step 3
Place your two pieces of fabric together with the wrong* side facing out.
*All patterned or colored fabrics have a right and wrong side. The right side is more colorful and vibrant: it's the side that is meant to be seen. The wrong side is the underside of the fabric, or the side that was not printed on: it will not be as colorful or vibrant as the other side.
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Step 4
Now measure your elastic. For adult masks, cut two pieces of elastic 6 to 7 inches long each. Hold up the fabric and elastic to your face to estimate the exact length your elastic should be.
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Step 5
Fold back the top right corner of the top piece of fabric (it doesn't matter which side this is) and place one end of the elastic into the corner. Pin it in place. All of the elastic should be sitting on the rest of the fabric, with just the end poking out of the top corner of the fabric.
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Step 6
Bring the other end of the elastic to the bottom right corner with only the end poking out. Pin it in place. Now the elastic will make a curved shape from the top to bottom right corners. You will be sewing the mask inside out so the amount of elastic showing will be reversed when you finish the mask.
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Step 7
Attach the elastic to the left side of the mask too, making sure that only the ends of the elastic are poking out of the corners. Once both pieces of elastic are pinned in place, sew around the entire edge of the fabric except for one section about 1.5 inches long. This is where you will poke the fabric through itself to fold it inside out.
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Step 8
Start sewing by hand or machine. When sewing in the corners, make sure that the elastic is in the right position because you won't be able to change it after this. You want the elastic to be poking out of each corner at a 45 degree angle.
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Step 9
Sew around the rest of the edges, but remember to leave a space between the start and end of your stitching to poke the material through. A general rule in sewing it that it's best to leave a space of about 1 cm between the edge of the fabric and your stitching.
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Step 10
Once you have finished sewing, poke the fabric through the small hole you left.
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Step 11
Pull everything through until your mask looks like this. Flatten out the mask and the elastic. Note that the elastic will look very tight against the edges of the mask. This is because the mask hasn't been folded yet. If you have an iron, you can iron your mask flat at this stage to make the edges straighter.
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Step 12
When flattening down or ironing the edges, be aware of the part that you did not sew. Fold this down naturally with the rest of the fabric and pin it in place. You will sew this part later.
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Step 13
Now it's time to make the folds at the edge. Place the top color of fabric (the color you want on the outside) upwards on the table. On one side, make three folds about 1 cm in length. If unsure how to do them, check out this video. Pin down each fold.
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Step 14
Make three folds on the other side of the mask. This is what it should look like once the folds are pinned in place.
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Step 15
Once all folds are pinned, sew around the entire edge of the mask.
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Step 16
Go slowly when sewing over the folds, and make sure the stitching is an even length from the edge of the fabric the whole way around (0.5 cm is good).
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Step 17
Cut off the extra bits of thread from sewing the edges, and you're finished! This is what your face mask should look like.
How To Sew a Face Mask (Step by Step GIFs): Style Two
If you've decided to make your own face mask, you're in the right place. Fabric face masks are more environmentally friendly and stylish than disposable face masks, and who doesn't love a DIY sewing project. If you're new to sewing, this face mask is super simple to make. So gather your materials, and let's get started!
There are two styles of face mask you can make at home - see here to make the other style. Or if you don't know how to sew, we have two styles of no-sew masks too (see here for style one or style two). You can also check out the guide page we have for all our face mask tutorials.
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