Masks: How to Make Them and What You Will Need

by Tori Toh

Background

Before COVID was a topic the world ever considered as a threat to our lives, the idea of wearing a mask was pretty much non-existent to many people’s lives. Masks, worn previously to prevent particles such as dust, pollution or droplet transference from minor illnesses such as a cold, have now been on the rise for demand to play an even more important role in saving our lives and others by preventing the spread.

In many oriental countries such as Singapore, China and Hong Kong, the practice of wearing masks is very much normalised into everyday society with masks worn daily due to pollution levels. Although England has not issued the wearing of a mask to be compulsory, there is no harm to anyone to wearing a mask for their own protection and others and the normalisation of masks would be beneficial to all in light of our nation’s health. As many have expressed, masks that may be higher in grade should be first prioritised to those at the frontline with higher risk such as our NHS workers and those that encounter many people daily, thus the idea for creating your own mask out of resources we most likely all have at home, in order to reserve the best PPE for those at higher risk, is a great way forward.

There are multiple ways you can create a mask from what you have at home and there are many alternative pieces of equipment to use. Materials such as old clothes, pillowcases, worn-out materials from a curtain, bed sheets and other cuttable and breathable material can be used. Scarves and bandanas can also be used as a make-shift covering if necessary.

Criteria for a mask/covering

A cloth face covering should:

- Fit snugly on one’s face but comfortable against the side of the face

- Be secured with ties or ear loops

- Include multiple layers of fabric

- Allow for breathing without restriction

- Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to the shape

Use of a face mask

- Face coverings should be washed regularly depending on the frequency of use and should be sufficient to be properly washed in a washing machine.

- To safely remove a used cloth face covering, the most crucial part of safety steps, an individual must not touch their eyes, nose and mouth and should aim to remove the loops from behind their ears and fold inwards so the exposed side (outer side of the mask) is facing inwards. Once removed, you should wash your hands immediately.

There are two main options for creating a face mask; with sewing and without - below are some technique for sewing and without.

Materials required:

- 2 x rectangles of cotton fabric (usually cut to the size of 10” x 6” - can be from old clothes, pillowcases other breathable materials)

- 2 x pieces of elastic (usually 6” can be rubber bands, string, cloth strips or hair ties

- Needle and thread (or can be bobby pin) - if sewing

- Scissors

- Ruler

- Pins to hold the material in place when sewing if possible

- Sewing machine - if sewing

- (if possible, a filter type layer is great - can be at least a coffee filter, kitchen towel, antibacterial fibre fleece, high-filter vacuum cleaner bag, dishwashing sponge cloth or if possible, high-grade medical filters can be bought online for this which are relatively cheap. They are to be slid between the two layers for extra protection)

- Ironing machine

I find videos to be the easiest to follow when creating my masks so I have linked some useful videos and instructions for different types of masks:

I found this video to be one of the easiest to follow: