In the new world we live in, you may always want to have a facemask or two in your wardrobe. So keep reading and get instructions on how to make your own mask.
Duke University physician, Eric Westman, and colleagues in the Duke Department of Physics tested 14 of the most readily available masks to see which ones worked the best to help protect.
Results were published August 7th, 2020, and the report stated that hand-made cotton face coverings provide good coverage and eliminated substantial amounts of spray from speech. Among the best coverings were N95 masks without valves. and hospital-grade coverings. Surgical or polypropylene masks also performed well.
Among the least effective were bandanas and neck fleeces. We also are aware that experts say that masks don’t work against Covid.
With all this in mind, Here are the instructions…
Check List: What you need!
- Closely woven, washable cotton fabric. 1/2 yard of 36″ wide fabric will make one to four masks. Plain white or printed. Tee shirt fabric will do.
- Scissors.
- Ball head pins or straight pins.
- Sewing machine. Although you can hand-stitch if necessary.
- Braided elastic 1/4″ wide. You need two 7″ pieces for each mask or four 18″ fabric ties (one for each corner) for each mask.
NOTE: Need Hand Sanitizer. Get our recipe now!
Using your fabric, cut one rectangle 8.5″ wide 16″ long. Plain or printed fabric. The tee shirt material is a good choice. Cut two 7″ pieces of 1/4″ wide elastic or four 18″ ribbon or fabric ties.
Fold the fabric in half and using a 5/8″ seam allowance, sew along the top edge leaving a 3 or 4-inch opening center top.
Between the layers of the mask, sandwich the elastic so the ends are at the corners as indicated. Pin in place and sew each side. If using four fabric ties, one goes at all four corners.
Using the opening at the top, turn the mask right side out. Fold three evenly spaced 1/2″ pleats. Pin in place and sew each side to secure. Pleats should all face the same direction.
Wear so pleats are facing down and wash frequently.
