Covid-19: How to make masks at home?

Team Udayavani, Apr 6, 2020, 11:25 AM IST

There is a shortage of masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic as they are being prioritized for health care workers, sick people, and the elderly. If you cannot get a mask, you can make one in a variety of ways.

Homemade masks are not as effective as medical grade masks at preventing the spread of COVID-19, but some protection is better than no protection

Here we show you two methods of making masks at home, you can either prefer sewing the mask by machine or by hand or make no sew masks

If you do not have a tailoring machine or prefer no sew masks:

Place the scarf or handkerchief on a flat surface.

Fold the top half down to the midline of the scarf, then fold the bottom half up to the midline.

Flip it over so that the seam faces down.

Fold the new top half down to the midline, and the bottom half up.

Flip it over again so that the seam faces up.

Loop a hair tie over each end of the folded rectangle.

Fold the free sides of the rectangle in toward the middle, layering one side over the other.

Flip it over! Loop the elastics over each ear to wear, making sure the mask covers your mouth and nose.

If you do have a sewing machine:

Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets.

Stack the two rectangles, you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight.

Gently pull on the elastic so that 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 securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.