lifestyle

A DIY guide to making alternative face masks

10 Comments
By Erika Van 'T Veld

Face masks, once easily attained at every convenience store and drugstore in Japan, are now basically mythical objects worth their weight in gold—if you’re really lucky you can even get a toilet paper and face masks bundle online. We love the humorous examples of useless alternative face masks that showcase creativity, but they lack the effectiveness that a properly crafted mask provides. As the world face mask supply dwindles, we can be crafty and practical with these DIY face mask designs that are recommended by medical experts like the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

Why are face masks important?

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face masks when social distancing is hard to maintain, such as in grocery stores. Actually, some areas of the world are even requiring all its citizens to wear a mask when going out in public, period.

Face masks’ main means of action to slow the spread of the coronavirus is to prevent people who are unknowingly infected from transmitting the virus to others. Some face covering is also better than nothing in preventing the virus from entering the body of an uninfected person so if you have to go out, you should definitely wear one. 

Safety Note

Face masks should not be used by infants, those who have trouble breathing, or who are unable to remove the mask without assistance. With all face masks, if you are finding it hard to breathe, or if you feel lightheaded or get a headache, it’s best to take a break from the mask in a less-populated area—especially if you are not used to wearing one.

1. Sewn Cloth Face Covering

Alternative face mask recommended by the CDC

Get your sewing needles (or sewing machine) out for this first DIY face mask tutorial! This sewn face mask is really simple to make. You’ll need two rectangular pieces of fabric that will act as a mask, and two pieces of elastic (or cloth strips or hair ties) plus a needle and thread to tie it down. The pieces of fabric can be taken out from old clothes and all other materials can be easily found in your craft drawer. 

After layering the two rectangular pieces, fold over the long sides of the mask and hem them—see Instagram videos for reference. Then, fold over the short side of the mask and stitch them while leaving enough space for an elastic band to be threaded through. Use elastics or anything else that can be looped around your ears or tied around your head to pass through the short ends of the mask. You can stitch the elastics in place once you’ve made sure the mask fits your face suitably. 

When deciding on the fabric for your mask, choose tightly woven fabric without a lot of stretch, such as high thread count cotton. Experts recommend using multiple layers of fabric, but be sure to test the mask’s breathability by first breathing with it in front of your mouth without sewing anything.

2. Pleated Surgical-Style Face Covering

f you’re sewing-savvy—and we’re savvy people—here’s an upgraded DIY face mask that requires a trick called ‘pleating’: a fold where you double the fabric back onto itself. This technique allows the face mask to ripple outwards, creating a more natural shape to cover and adapt to your mouth and nose. These pleats can be found in regular surgical masks as well! 

The initial fabric length for this tutorial is much longer than the previous simple cloth mask, because of the pleating that takes place. In the end, however, both masks should be the same size and fit snugly over your mouth and nose. 

Click here to read more.

© Savvy Tokyo

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
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Yeah, so no.

OK. So everyone out there who loves to wear masks, especially now, I have a question. First, I think the masks are not very helpful, and I only wear them when commanded to by my workplace. I hate, no, I loathe them. They fog up glasses. They pull on my ears, causing headaches. They make it hard to breathe. They make me, already hot-natured, that much hotter. I just despise them. Be that as it may, I realize some people love them. I feel that if you are sick, just stay home. If you are so scared of Corona, the flu, hay fever, whatever, just stay home. I saw recently that Los Angeles made wearing masks mandatory. I wonder how that works at banks. But I digress. I still have that nagging question. So you love masks. Perhaps even more than testing. And goodness knows we all have to get tested, all day, every day, because we have touched a surface and must be infected. SO WE HAVE TO GET TESTED! OK. So I have digressed yet again without posing my question. Here it is:

No matter how much you fear whatever you fear, why do you wear the masks in your cars?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

why do you wear the masks in your cars?

Repeatedly taking the mask off and putting it on again risks contaminating it. So you put it on before you leave the house, and leave it there until you come home again. You don't touch it. That means wearing it in the car on the way to wherever you are going, because taking it off for the time you are in the car means touching it. It isn't rocket science.

I realize some people love them. I feel that if you are sick, just stay home. If you are so scared of Corona, the flu, hay fever, whatever, just stay home.

I also hate wearing a mask. I also hate the thought of maybe being infected but asymptomatic (ie I don't feel sick) and possibly breathing virus-laden breath on the people around me. I don't think it's likely, but it also isn't impossible. So outside home, I wear a d@mn mask. Sometimes we do stuff we don't like, not because we live in fear - I certainly don't - but because it's the right thing to do. Even if all it does is make others feel a little more comfortable, we do it.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Repeatedly taking the mask off and putting it on again risks contaminating it. So you put it on before you leave the house, and leave it there until you come home again.

I don't fully buy that argument. The longer you wear a mask, and if it is working, the more infection is accumulating on it. If it's protecting you from others, that accumulation is right next to your mouth and nose. If you are the one infected, as the infection accumulates, a cough, or even just talking, is more likely to spread the infection.

I don't see how taking the mask off and on again increases contamination if you remove it carefully by the ear straps, and ideally place it in a sealed plastic bag.

My own guideline is to first try to avoid places where you need to wear a mask. If you can't avoid such places, wear it for as little time as possible.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The longer you wear a mask, and if it is working, the more infection is accumulating on it

Ideally you shouldn't be needing to wear it for long periods; get your shopping done, and get back home. (I'm talking about ordinary folk, not front-line workers who need to wear a mask all day; they have their own guidelines.)

If it's protecting you from others, that accumulation is right next to your mouth and nose.

On the outside. So don't touch it.

If you are the one infected, as the infection accumulates, a cough, or even just talking, is more likely to spread the infection.

If you have a persistent cough, you need to stay home and call the medical advice line. Social distancing means the virus has further to travel - hopefully too far - when you talk. So wear your mask, and keep your distance.

I don't see how taking the mask off and on again increases contamination if you remove it carefully by the ear straps

It probably doesn't. But the kind of person who doesn't see the point in wearing a mask in the first place, wears it only under duress and thinks other people only wear them because they 'love masks' is probably not the kind of person who is going to be all that careful about how they handle the mask. Don't see the point in wearing a mask in the car - pull it off any old way and chuck it on the passenger seat until you get to your destination, then grab it and stick it back on your face, but only coz you have to. And probably pull it down to your chin when you talk to people, because it's such a bind.

Invalid CSRF

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Non-surgical masks are impractical for those who wear glasses. You can’t breathe through them, you get a sweaty face and your glasses steam up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't see how taking the mask off and on again increases contamination if you remove it carefully by the ear straps, and ideally place it in a sealed plastic bag

You answer your own question, anything that have to be done carefully is something that can cause you trouble when not done carefully.

Ideally you would wash your hands every time before and after removing your mask, to avoid spreading contaminants, and you would not use that mask again (at least not without a washing and disinfection), not removing the mask is worse that doing this, but still better than doing it without proper care.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I just received 10 large HEPA vacuum bags In the mail. In a crunch, better than Just plain ol cotton.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Masks have approximately an 8% efficiency in spreading the virus. Washing one's hands frequently and after being on the train or such, reduces the spread another 20%. Militantly practicing social distancing is 70% effective. There you go: 98%, more or less.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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