A news story showed up in my Facebook newsfeed about a hospital in the area asking the public to sew these CDC-compliant face masks for the staff. They appear to be super simple to make. These masks are reusable and can be washed and sterilized. Are they legit? Well, a Health Care Professional friend of mine is already using them. (Update: the staff at my doctor’s office were excited to get a bunch that I made, enough for 3 masks each)
When we get our medical personnel taken care of, cancer and COPD patients would be grateful for these masks too. This would be a wonderful on-going service project for your church or volunteer group!
When I go to Walmart the next time to pick up a few groceries, I’m planning to grab some cotton fabric, flannel and elastic to make a bunch to donate. A bunch can be made for just a few bucks. The article said these masks are for men, women and children, and suggested using different colors and prints of fabric.
If my math is correct and the fabric is square, one yard of each the cotton and flannel (right sides together) of 45″ wide fabric would make 35 masks, plus 13 yards (39 feet) of 1/8″ elastic. (If I’m wrong, I’ll come back and correct it)
How to Sew a Medical Face Mask
The following video demonstrates how to make the masks, and a link to the pattern is below the video.
The face masks patterns for both children and adults are at the bottom of this page.
Update: I shared directions on how to make some NO-SEW super easy face masks that take only minutes to make in this post 5 Reusable Homemade No-Sew Face Masks Using CDC Approved Materials These are for personal use only, not for medical personnel.
Ya’ll know the drill . . . stay home, don’t touch your face and wash your hands!
Take care of yourselves, my Friends!
Haphazard Homemaker 
Robin, if you make some of these I’d like to buy some from you. I’ve never been a good seamstress. Let me know if you’d be interested.
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Deb, if I can get to the store soon, I’d be happy to. š
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Thanks so much! š
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I sent you a message on Facebook. š
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š
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This is fascinating! I wish I still had a sewing machine….
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Thank you š I just got a new one last year after going 20 years without one.
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Robin,
With the shortage, you could sell these easily online.
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Thank you. I might. I’ve had a few request already. š
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What a good idea. I am going to try and make some and to donate them to my hospital that is on its knees .
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Thank you Cathy! That would be wonderful to make some for the hospital. ā¤ Bless you!
Check that the design is approved by your local hospital and then make sure the masks are made exactly as described in the directions. Our hospital says the one piece of fabric HAS to 100% cotton and the other flannel.
Our county has a Covid-19 support group on Facebook and a couple of representatives from the hospital are making sure everyone is making the masks according to CDC standards.
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Can you provide the CDC link with the pattern? Also, not all hospitals are accepting home made face masks. Ours are not.
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The news report I read is linked at the top of the post. The pattern is linked at the bottom.
The hospital in the article is 2 hours drive from me. Our local hospital just approved accepting donations of these masks a couple of days ago. We have a couple of volunteer organizations and many individuals making masks now. Your local hospital may change their minds if they find out other hospitals are doing this.
Our hospital will only accept mask donations made exactly as described in the link to the pattern.
Thank you for your interest. š
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Elastic that you string beads on will work, and is much cheaper. (.8mm) You can buy at Walmart.
Ronda
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Thanks for the info. I haven’t checked the bead area at our local Walmart. š
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I have 70 masks cut and ready to go, but now I can’t find any elastic. We have three stores in town and they are all sold out. Can’t get from amazon until middle of May.
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Oh, no! If you are making them for friends, family or individuals, use 3/8″. If they are for the hospital, call and ask if 1/4″ or 3/8 will be accepted.
Let us know what you find out.š
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Check on Etsy. A friend found it this morning with 1 or 2 day delivery.
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With NO price gouging!ā¤
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You can use hair elastics for these. 30+ for less than $1 at target in neutral colors.
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That’s a good idea. Thank you š
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Someone on one of these articles said that bungee cords has a lot of elastic in them and it is 1/8 inch and they even showed a picture with one of them cut open. It would be worth a try to see if it works .If you do try it let us know .
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Thanks, will do. š
I finally found a source for a 100 ft roll on Etsy, but it won’t be here for a couple of weeks. A local friend gave me 30 yards today to get started.
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My daughter is going to start this . She just woke up this morning and said she is going to start making children’s face masks fro lower income family who are struggling. Think there are a lot of people who will be struggling with how the economy is now. My daughter said she wants to make them for children since they are carriers and have the hardest time remembering to cover their mouths with sneezing and coughing. Even though children are not as effected as the older when it comes to this virus they are the perfect carriers out there in the world. I told her I though that was a great idea. Thank you Robin for doing your part, so many good people out there. We will all beat this invisible enemy together. Stay safe out there, I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
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Thank you , my Friend. Your daughter is an Angel for making the children’s masks.ā¤
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I have started using 4 pieces of bias binding about 20 inches each . I stitch them up and the person can the tie them behind their head. I live in Belize btw. And i couldn’t find thin elastic.
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Hello, Kendra! That’s a wonderful idea! Thanks for information. š
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So proud to see a fellow Belizean online. My sis asked me to make some for her friend who works at Target, like a comment above, elastic so hard to find. Thanks for the tutorial
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Thank you Sophie. š We found the elastic online at Etsy.
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Thank you, I will share this with her, it will make her happy.
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For some reason I am not able to pull up the pattern. I see that it is a rectangle but I don’t know how big to make it or how long the elastic needs to be. I live in an apartment building that has an age restriction. Everybody is over 55. I might be able to talk a few into making some. But I need access to the pattern. Can somebody help me out?
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I’ll get them on here in a few minutes for you.š
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I hope you were able to watch the video. You might try just going on Google and searching for The Turban Project, then scrolling down to the mask project.
It’s important to use both flannel and 100% cotton. A cotton blend isn’t breathable. Pre-wash the fabric so it is pre-shrunk.
Adult size: cut a piece of flannel and a piece of 100% cotton, 6″ x 9″ each, and 2 pieces of 1/8″ elastic 6″ long. Pin the right sides of the fabric together, with the elastic in place inside and the elastic ends are at the corners of the two short ends of fabric. Stitch all around the rectangle leaving a small open spot (1.5″) on one of the long sides. Turn right side out. Pin 3 pleats on each short end (make sure the pleats on both ends are folded in the same direction. Top stitch all around the rectangle. twice. That’s it. š
For the child size, cut the two pieces of fabric 7.5″ x 5″
Hope this helps! š
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Robin what is the seam allowance
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I did almost a 1/4″. š
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Hello Robin,
How long do you cut your elastic for a child size mask?
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I’ve been cutting the elastic 7″ for both adult and child masks. š
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7inches by 9 for the fabric, elastic is 7 inches.
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I have also seen masks using the thicker pony tail rubber bands instead of elastic. The nurses I’ve talked to asked for ties, said the elastic rubbed their ears sore. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you! The ties and pony tail bands are awesome alternatives. š
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If anyone is needing elastic to make these masks go into your garage and take apart a bungie cord. There is your solution. We need to use everything we have on hand. Good luck sewing and stay healthy everyone!
Is interfacing with 2 pieced of 100% cotton okay for hospitals. I am wondering because it interfacing is not woven. It would hold up well too.
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Thanks, Sarah!
I don’t have any bungee cords left around here. I did find an old one and cut it open. It had a bunch of really thin rubber strands too, beside the 1/8″ pieces.
Our hospital hasn’t approved the masks with the interfacing for there use. But I have read that some have.
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I seen on you tube this morning a nurse showed cutting a t shirt in one inch strips then pulling tight makes it roll and perfect for tying over head, she does them for hospitals
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Pellon fusible interfacing is
the one sugested by another lady! It is hard to find also.
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Unfortunately there are shortages in masks supplies. š
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Thank you so much for sharing your patterns and instructions. And God bless you for what you do to help others.
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