Thank you for staying home as much as possible amid this pandemic. Keeping our distance and wearing face masks in public places are the best ways we can help each other stay virus-free.
We love seeing all the well-designed, colorful masks crafters have been making. But not everyone has a sewing machine, the right supplies on hand, or the skills to whip up a homemade mask. If that’s you, here’s a step-by-step guide to making the easiest face mask ever! All you need is a bandana or scarf, rubber bands or hair ties, and these quick folding instructions.
Step 1: Lay the bandana out flat, then fold the left edge to the center and the right edge to the center.
Step 2: Flip the folded bandana over.
Step 3: Fold each edge again in to the center.
Step 4: Flip the folded bandana over again.
Step 5: Slip a rubber band over each end, about 1/4 down from the top and 1/4 up from the bottom.
Step 6: Fold the top down and the bottom up right where the rubber bands are.
Step 7: Tuck the ends into the loose pocket formed by the folded edges.
Step 8: With the tucked ends against your face, loop each rubber band over an ear. Adjust the mask to make sure you can see.
Smile with your eyes!
To make your homemade mask even more effective, a recent article from npr.org advises using a simple nylon covering to create a better seal.
“Researchers at Northeastern University have found that adding an outer layer made from nylon stockings to a homemade face covering can boost its ability to filter out small particles in the air by creating a tighter seal between the mask and the wearer’s face. In some cases, that extra nylon layer helped homemade cloth masks match or exceed the filtering capability of medical-grade surgical masks.” -Maria Godoy
Bandana mask instructions adapted from a diyjoy.com post.
Bobbi works as a designer and blog contributor at Evermine. When she’s not working on new designs or styling customer orders Bobbi enjoys hiking, yoga, making pizza and all kinds of crafty things.
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