How to Make Your Own Cotton Mask

This blog post is a short tutorial on how to make your own cotton mask. This tutorial is meant for those with a little bit of sewing experience.

Disclaimer cotton masks do not replace medical masks. Cotton does provide a barrier between you a germs or water droplets, but it does not protect against preventing disease transmission like the N95 masks do. These cotton masks are great for you or your family if you need to go out in public. They can also be made and donated to grocery workers or social workers and caregivers if N95 masks are not available or required.

Materials Needed:

* Mask pattern. Click here to download and print the pattern.

* 100% Cotton Fabric

* Interfacing (optional)

* Sewing machine  

* Iron

* Sewing kit: ruler, scissors, measuring tape, thread, straight pins, tailors chalk

Step 1: Cut out the mask pattern, cutting on the fold. You will need two layers of the cotton fabric. The two layers can be the same fabric or different fabrics. For the mask pictured, I did a print on the front and a white fabric for the bottom. Cut out the interfacing layer using the same mask pattern. 

Step 2: Place all three layers together with the interfacing in the middle. Stitch all the way around with a 1/4" seam allowance to keep all the layers together.

Step 3: Cut the ties and binding. Cut 2 strips of fabric 40" X 1.5" and cut 2 strips of fabric 3" X 1.5". My fabric was not long enough, so I cut 3 strips 30" X 1.5". I will cut the third strip in half and sew it to the 30" strip to make a 40" strip and repeat to make 2 strips each measuring 40".

Remember when sewing binding strips together to stitch them together on an angle. If you have never made binding, you may want to Google a tutorial. 

Step 4: Fold the sides of the mask to create three pleats on each side. The mask pattern has small triangles to mark the folds where the pleats should be. If the pleats are not all the same size, that is ok. However, the total height of the side of the mask should be 3" including your seam allowance. Iron the pleats and stitch the pleats in place using a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Step 5: Stitch the darts on the top and the bottom of the mask. The mask pattern has a dashed line where the mask should be stitched for the darts. After stitching the darts, cut off the excess fabric. If leaving a raw edge bothers you, you can press the dart to one side. 

Step 6: Sew the binding on the sides of the mask. Take the 3" strip and fold it up 3/4" on one side and press it.

Pin the side of the strip that is not folded to the side of the mask, right sides together, and stitch in place with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Then fold the strip over the seam of the mask to create a binding and stitch it in place. Repeat all of the above of Step 5 on the other side of the mask, so both sides of the mask have binding sewn in place.

Step 7: Sew the binding on the top of the mask and create the ties. Find the middle of the 40" strip of fabric and pin it to the middle of the top of the mask, right sides together. Then pin the rest of the strip to the top of the mask and stitch in place, with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Fold the rest of the strip on both sides up 3/4" and press. 

Start at one end of the strip and fold it in half. This will now be the tie and should measure about 1/4" wide. Stitch the tie using a very narrow seam allowance. Keep stitching down to stitch the binding in place on the top of the mask. Repeat all of the above of Step 6 on the bottom of the mask.

Your mask is now almost complete. One last step. 

Step 8: Fold under and under the end of the ties so there are no raw edges. Now your mask is complete. If gifting or donating your mask, make sure to wash it in hot water and place it in a ziplock bag to prevent the spread of germs.