There's one thing you should know before diving into the conversation around masks: The public should not purchase surgical masks or N95 respirators. Health care workers are facing shortages and need those masks to treat coronavirus patients.Still, if you want to make a mask, here are simple, step-by-step instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to do just that, whether or not you know how to sew.
Material RequiredTightly woven cotton fabric
Elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, hair ties)
Needle & thread (or bobby pin or sewing machine)
Scissor
Method* Cut your fabric into two 10 by 6 rectangles. Place them on top of each other.
* Fold over the long sides -- 1/4 inch -- and hem.
* Then, fold the double layer of fabric over 1/2 inch along the short sides. Stitch down.
* Thread a 6-inch-long, 1/8-inch-wide piece of elastic through the ,wider hem on each side of the mask and knot it this is one of your two ear loops.
* If you don't have elastic, you can do the same with hair ties or rubber bands.
* If you only have string or fabric, you can make the ties longer and tie the mask behind your head.
* Pull on the ear loops so the knots are tucked inside the hem.
* Gather the sides of the mask on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face.
* Then, stitch the elastic (or fabric) in place on the corner of the mask to keep it from slipping and voila! You've sewn a mask in six steps.