- Hey, guys, welcome back to my channel.
If you are new here, you must be a crafter,
so go ahead and click on that subscribe button,
that way later you can check out more of my DIY videos.
Now, I know that most of us are home right now,
we've been social distancing for weeks now,
so we've probably been crafting a lot more than normal,
and I know how much you've been looking forward
to the cute little tiny miniature crafts,
but today's video is just a little bit different.
About a week ago, I found out that local healthcare places
around me are still in need of medical masks,
even the DIY versions and the reusable ones,
which actually shocked me,
because I knew they were in low supply in the very beginning
of this virus wave, but I thought
that they had been restocked since.
But that's not true, they are still in desperate need,
even though we're several weeks in,
so the girls and I have put most of our doll crafts aside,
and we have been busy cutting and sewing masks,
just for local healthcare places.
So for today's video,
I'm showing you how to make a pleated mask
with four layers, a filter pocket,
a nose wire, so you can form it to your face.
So let's jump into the DIY and knock it out.
For this DIY face mask,
you will need four pieces of fabric,
cut nine inches by eight inches.
It is preferred that one of the pieces be flannel
and the rest cotton.
If you don't have any flannel,
a fourth piece of cotton fabric will work.
You will also need two pieces of elastic,
cut seven inches long.
You may notice that this is a lacy elastic,
it's not your typical elastic that you would use
for face masks.
This type of elastic is used in underwear,
but it does the job, and it's actually nice and soft
and comfortable behind the ears.
Not only are we in a shortage of face masks,
but we're also in a shortage of elastic.
And this is optional, but you will need a pipe cleaner
five to six inches long.
This is nice to have because like I said earlier,
it will form the mask to your nose.
That way it molds to your face.
Start by taking two pieces of your cotton fabric,
and place them both wrong sides together.
Once they're lined up, fold down the top edge
and press it about a quarter inch down.
Next, take the piece of fabric that you want
to be the outside front of your mask,
and place it wrong side up.
Line up your flannel piece, fold the top down
about a quarter of an inch, and press.
Take your pipe cleaner, place it underneath the fold,
and then pin it into place.
Hem across the top line for both pieces.
(sewing machine clicking)
Take one piece of your fabric,
lay it right side up, take a piece of elastic,
line it up in the corner on the top and the bottom,
making sure the elastic is laying on top of the fabric
on the inside, and not hanging off the fabric.
Clip the elastic into place, and then cover
with your second piece of fabric,
making sure it's right side down.
Pin around the edges, making sure to secure the elastic
in the corners, and then you can remove the clips.
I only place two pins at the top,
and I use these as my guide.
I place them about 2 1/2 to three inches
in from the side, so there should be about three inches
in between them, and this part stays open.
This allows you to turn the mask inside out,
and it stays open because this is your filter pocket.
Now you can hem around all the edges,
but don't forget to leave the opening at the top.
(sewing machine clicking)
I like to do an extra backstitch on all the corners,
just securing that elastic into place.
(sewing machine clicking)
Remove the pins, turn your mask inside out, and press.
Now it's time to add the pleats.
Take your pincher fingers on both sides,
and start at the top of the mask
and just pinch the fabric together.
You want the first fold to be about an inch down
from the top.
I don't like to measure these out,
because that can get really complicated,
I just like to pinch and go.
For each pleat, I do like to press it
before I move on to the next one,
this just holds it into place,
that way it's easier to get 'em somewhat even.
I clip them on the side as I go,
and then I pinch, press, pinch, press.
For this mask, I like to have three pleats,
and once you've pinched them all together,
your final height of the mask
should be between 3 1/2 and four inches.
Again, I don't like to measure these,
they don't have to be perfect,
as long as it looks somewhat even, you're good to go.
Once I've pressed all the pleats,
I like to turn my mask upside down,
and then pin together the pleats on the inside
before I start hemming on the outside.
Make sure when you're pinning that the pleats don't shift,
because if they do, they could look wonky
after you've sewn them in place.
(sewing machine clicking)
And your mask is complete!
Elastic straps, pleated face.
And a pocket for an extra filter.
And here is our finished product.
Place the elastic around the ears,
you can adjust the length of the mask,
depending on your face shape and size.
Can you hear me?
And then with the wire right here,
you can press it along your nose.
And as a filter to use on the inside pocket
that we created, you can use these blue shop towels
that we used in our doll-size masks,
and you can also use a coffee filter.
Now, I have done several mask patterns.
This one is my favorite, just because,
not because it's like the quickest or the easiest,
but because it's the most requested type of mask
in the medical field.
Now, my friends in the medical field have said
they like this specific mask pattern
for the following reasons.
One, they do like that it's reusable,
so you can wash it, and use it over and over again.
And they even use several of these masks
throughout their shift, just so they can have
a clean mask on their face.
The second reason is this mask actually has
the four layers of protection,
one layer being the flannel piece.
The third reason is it does have that filter pocket,
so there's an opening where you can put
extra filters inside, giving it even more
layers of protection,
and this gives added security and piece of mind,
especially for those workers who are actually face-to-face
with the virus daily.
The fourth reason is that nose wire,
it's just a bendable piece of like, pipe cleaner,
any type of wire that you have.
Normally, with the cloth masks,
there is a little bit of gap right here,
but with that bendable wire, you can shape it
and form it a little bit better to your face
to close any gaps.
And then the last reason they like this one
is because it does fit over their N95 medical masks.
Now, some healthcare workers are only getting
one mask per week, and this is across the nation,
that's how low the supply is right now,
and that can be really scary, especially for those people
who are face-to-face with the coronavirus daily.
So wearing their normal N95 mask,
even though they have to wear it all week,
isn't as stressful if they get to cover it every day
with one of these reusable masks,
and if they have several to use throughout their shift,
it gives them a piece of mind knowing that they have
that extra layer of protection in front,
and then they can wash these, and reuse them the next shift.
Unlike the N95's, if they have to use 'em
every day all week.
Thanks again for joining me on this DIY.
If you're not subscribed yet,
and you're still here, click the subscription button,
and the notification bell, leave a comment down below
with what other type of DIY mask you'd like to see,
if there are any other patterns or materials,
maybe you wanna no-sew, or a t-shirt mask,
and I highly recommend, if you have the resources
and the tools and the material,
and you are at home,
use this time to make masks for your local community.
If you reach out, you'll be shocked and completely surprised
at how many places really do need these masks.
Enjoy this pattern, and just craft it.