No Fabric? No Problem...

Make 2 Masks From a Dinner Napkin or Bandana:

This pattern has a hidden pocket where you can add a coffee filter
 and it has long straps that go behind your head.

I have made over 50 masks and sent them off to family, friends, and hospitals, but I ran out of fabric, so I started to make them out of 18" X 18" dinner napkins, but you could also use a bandana.

The hem around the sides may be cut off, but keep one as it creates a casing for the pipe cleaner.

Here is How:

-Fold your 18"X18" napkin in half and cut down the middle to create two 9" pieces. 

-Cut those pieces down to 16" and then in half to 8". That will give you four 8" X 9" pieces, enough to make 2 masks. 

-Cut two of the pieces down from 8" to 7". You will need one 8"X9" piece plus one 7"X9" piece to make one mask.

Save the casing you cut off.

-Cut the two 8"X9" pieces down to 4"X9".

-Hem one of the 9" sides of each of the two 9"X4" pieces. 

Before hemming.

After hemming.

-Overlap the two hemmed edges by about 1/4" and stitch in place at both ends.

-Make the casing for the pipe cleaner. Cut a pice of the casing to 4.5" long.

-Pin the casing to one of the wrong 9" side of a 9"X7" piece.

-Stitch one short side of the casing, add a pipe cleaner*, and stitch the other short side of the casing.

*note: The photo shows a 4" pipe cleaner, but you should cut a 5" pipe cleaner (or 20 gage floral wire) and loop the ends with needle nose pliers before inserting it into the casing.

-  Adding the elastic: Cut two 13" pieces of elastic and pin one end about 1" down from the corner on the 7" side of the panel with the two 4" hemmed panels or to the 7" right side of the panel with the wire in it.

-Pin the other end to the opposite side.

-Repeat with the other piece of elastic about 1" up from the bottom corners.

-Stitch around all 4 sides, but leave a 3" opening for turning. You can stitch close to the napkin/bandana hems if you left them attached and over the top edge of the pipe cleaner casing. 

If you don't make the opening for a pocket, leave an opening where you won't stitch so you can turn the mask right side out. If you make the pocket, you can skip this step. 

Stitch around all of the sides. Remember to leave that opening for turning.

Catch the casing for the wire while you are stitching.

You can use the hem (if you didn't cut it off) as a guide while stitching.

Stitch over the pocket opening where you tacked it before.

-Clip the corners.

-See how the wire allows the mask to form over your nose here:

-Turn it right side out.

-Iron it flat. Then, fold in half (hot dog style) and iron. Open, fold both ends in to the center, and iron.

Fold in half and iron.

-Fold in half again and iron flat.

-Open and pleat.

-Pin the pleats.

-Iron the pleats.

-Stitch over the sides to hold the pleats in place and also stitch the bottom edge which will seal the opening. 

That's pretty much it.

- Flip it to the side with the opening for the pocket and see if your coffee filter fits. You can also leave it empty, insert a tissue, or for the most protection, insert a piece of a HEPA vacuum cleaner bag. You may have to cut the coffee filter down. Fold anything you insert to align with the pleats so it will fold flat.

- That's pretty much it!

This is the back side with the pocket open.

-

Let me know if you make these. :)

Stay safe, stay home.