Ethan Rhodes
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and shields. In response, people have been making their own face masks and donating them to hospitals and healthcare workers. If you want to make face masks for a hospital, you should check with the hospital about their requirements. Homemade masks are not hospital-approved, so some hospitals will not accept them. However, there are sewing tutorials and guidelines from hospitals available online. It is recommended that you use tightly woven, 100% cotton fabric, and pre-wash the fabric to kill germs and pre-shrink the material.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cotton |
| Size | 7" x 9" |
| Elastic | 7" |
| Sewing | Sew together on all 4 sides, leave 2" open to turn inside out, pin 3 pleats on each side, stitch the sides |
| Purpose | To help protect against the coronavirus |
| Use | Place over nose and mouth, secure with ties or elastic |
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What You'll Learn
Sewing instructions
The CDC recommends the use of cloth face masks to slow the spread of disease and help reserve medical-grade masks for healthcare professionals. Cotton t-shirts, pillowcases, or other cotton materials are the best choices for making fabric masks.
To make a face mask for a hospital, you will need the following:
- 100% Cotton Fabric – Cut (1) 10x16 inch rectangle and (2) 2x6 inch strips.
- Four pieces of 1/4 or 3/8-inch ribbons measuring 18 inches in length.
- Floral wire or a pipe cleaner.
- Elastic (optional).
With the front side of the fabric facing down, fold over 1/2 inch on the top and bottom (10-inch sides). Press and stitch across both folds. With the wrong side up, fold the top and bottom edges to meet in the middle and use an iron to press. On each side of the mask, make 3 pleats of approximately 1 inch in size. Sew the pleats into place.
For the edging, fold the lengthwise sides of the 2x6-inch material inwards and press. Place the unfinished side up and lay the mask front side down, aligning the sides to the middle of the edging. Place the ribbon 1/2 inch from the edge corner, pin it, and sew across the stitching. Fold the top and bottom edging pieces inwards, meeting in the middle, and stitch both sides closed. Sew two 1-inch stitches, approximately 1/4 inch across the top of the mask, so a pipe cleaner or floral wire can be inserted.
Elastic can be used to create ear loops. Pin the elastic ends between the two fabric pieces at the top and bottom corners. Once pinned, the fabric pieces will bunch up on the sides. Using a generous 1/4" seam, start sewing the mask from the side on the bottom edge of the mask pieces. Pivot at the corner, careful to stitch the elastic end between both pieces. Reach in between the two pieces and carefully pull the elastic to the left while sewing the fabric edges together. When you reach the bottom corner, back-stitch and pivot, making sure to catch the elastic end. Continue to sew all the way around the sides, repeating the process and holding the elastic out of the way on the long side. Leave a 2-3" opening at the bottom, turn the mask right-side-out, and press so that the seams are flat. Gather the sides (where the elastic is) into three equal pleats and pin in place. Starting in one corner with a quick back-stitch, top-stitch around the outside edge of the entire mask, sewing down pleats and closing the opening at the bottom as you go.
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Using craft supplies
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital workers worldwide had to get creative due to shortages of vital medical supplies, including face masks. In March 2020, staff at Providence St. Joseph Health, a hospital chain in Seattle, crafted their own face shields and surgical masks using supplies purchased from craft stores and Home Depot.
Volunteers at the hospital assembled 500 face shields in a day, using materials such as marine-grade clear vinyl sheets, strips of foam, elastic bands, and double-sided tape. According to Becca Bartles, the hospital's executive director of infection prevention, the supply of medical masks and face shields was dangerously low at the time.
Jennifer Bayersdorfer, Chief Quality Officer at the hospital, demonstrated the homemade equipment to the media, explaining that the face shields offered protection from spray and splatter.
In addition to crafting face shields, some hospitals also developed prototypes for face mask designs that utilised surgical wrap, normally used to line trays, to cover the mouths of medical personnel. Doctors and nurses also followed guidelines about reusing face shields and masks or washing masks with bleach to conserve supplies.
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Making face shields
Face shields are an essential piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospital workers, helping to protect them from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. They are also in high demand due to the pandemic. Face shields need to be worn at all times in hospitals, and they should be lightweight and comfortable to wear, so they do not cause neck and back strain for the wearer.
There are several ways to make face shields, and some methods involve using a 3D printer to make the headband component. One design, created by a Swedish company, 3DVerkstan, uses a 3D printer for the headband and clear plastic transparency film for the shield. The design is available for anyone to use, and some people have used 3D printers to create the headbands before attaching the plastic shield.
Another method for creating face shields involves using a flat piece of plastic that can be folded in several places to turn it into a wearable face shield. This method was used by a team of doctors and engineers who created a prototype for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. They added a strip of foam to the top for a more secure fit and then produced 1,000 face shields per day.
Face shields can also be created using laser cutters and transparency film, as demonstrated by Dusty Strings, who created 150 shields for hospital workers.
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Sterilising fabric masks
While fabric face masks are not a substitute for N95 masks, they can be used in times of emergency when shortages occur. It is important to wash your fabric face mask between each use.
To sterilise your fabric face mask, you should wash it with soap or detergent in a washing machine or by hand. Make sure to wash your hands before putting on and taking off your mask. When removing your mask, avoid touching the front of it and handle it by the ear loops. Store your mask in a sealable bag.
Some masks are made with antibacterial materials, such as SilverGuard face masks, which are threaded with silver. Cradle also offers self-sterilising face masks, which are treated with Polygiene ViralOff, an antiviral treatment that reduces all viruses by 99% in two hours.
If you have a sewing machine, you can make your own fabric face masks at home. Hospitals around the world have enlisted the help of the public to sew face masks for healthcare workers. You can find free patterns and video tutorials online.
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Adding a metal strip
To add a metal strip, you will need a pipe cleaner. Pipe cleaners are readily available at craft stores or in the craft section of stores like Walmart. Cut a 4-inch pipe cleaner for an adult-sized mask or a 3-inch pipe cleaner for a child's mask. Place the pipe cleaner in the seam opening on the opposite side of the mask from where the elastic ends are located. Push the pipe cleaner up and across the seam, pinning it underneath. Fold the opening under so that it is even with the side of your mask, and sew around the entire mask, maintaining a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Be sure to sew over the elastic ends again to secure them in place.
Once you have sewn the pipe cleaner in place, start about an inch from the top of the mask and fold your pleats up about 1/4 of an inch as well. Pin the pleats in place, making a total of three pleats on each side. Sew the sides of the pleats carefully, removing the pins as you go, and then fasten off the thread.
When wearing the mask, position it so that the pipe cleaner is sitting across the bridge of your nose. You can then push down on the pipe cleaner to mould it to the shape of your nose and face.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need fabric, elastic, and a sewing machine. You can use clothing or bedding items you have at home, or buy new fabric. JOANN stores in the US are donating pre-cut fabric to anyone who wants to make masks.
The best fabric for homemade masks is a tightly woven, 100% cotton fabric. Denim, bed sheets, and heavyweight shirts are all good options. Avoid knit fabrics (e.g. jersey T-shirts) because they create holes when they stretch, which a virus could get through.
Cut two rectangular pieces of fabric measuring 7" x 9" for an adult-sized mask. Place them with their faces towards each other and put the elastics in between. Sew this group together on all 4 sides, leaving a 2" gap on one side so you can turn it inside out. Pin 3 pleats on the left and 3 pleats on the right, ensuring they are the same size and not overlapping. Sew around the entire mask, maintaining a 1/4" seam allowance.
