Your DIY mask guide
FOLLOW OUR GUIDE TO MAKE MASK ■ FROM July 24 it will be compulsory to wear a face mask in shops in England. But did you know you can easily make your own with an old T-shirt or piece of cotton fabric, according to Government guidelines? ■ Here, NATASHA WY
■ FROM July 24 it will be compulsory to wear a face mask in shops in England.
But did you know you can easily make your own with an old T-shirt or piece of cotton fabric, according to Government guidelines?
■ Here, NATASHA WYNARCZYK shows you how – plus looks at some of the wackiest you can buy.
SEWN FACE MASK
You will need:
Two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric
Two 20cm pieces of elastic A needle and thread Scissors
Instructions:
1. Cut out two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric, then stack the two squares on top of each other.
2. Fold over one side by 0.75cm and hem, then repeat on the opposite side. Make two channels by folding the double layer of fabric over 1.5cm along each side and stitching this down.
3. Run a 20cm length of elastic through the wider hem on each side of the face covering. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle to thread it through. Tie the ends.
4. Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the covering on the elastic and adjust so the covering fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping. These elastic loops fit over the ears.
T-SHIRT MASK
You will need:
An old, clean T-shirt Scissors
Instructions:
1. Cut a straight line across the width of your T-shirt (front and back), approximately 20cm from the bottom of the T-shirt.
2. From a point 2cm below the top right-hand corner of the fabric, make a 15cm horizontal cut through both sides of the fabric, parallel to the top of the rectangle.
3. Cut down towards the bottom of the fabric until you reach approximately 2cm above the bottom edge. From here, make another 15cm cut that runs parallel to the bottom of the fabric to make a rectangle that can be discarded.
4. To make the face ties, cut open the edge of the two long strips of fabric. Unfold the main piece of fabric and place this over the mouth and the nose. The four strips act as ties to hold the mask in place and should be tied behind the head and around the neck.