How to Make a Medical Mask

At this time, the CDC has recommended people begin making their own cloth masks at home. While they aren't medical grade, they can help to slow the spread of COVID-19. Learn how to sew your own mask from Shari Sims, a Kendra Scott employee from Austin, TX who's helping make masks out of our custom bandanas for health heroes in need. In Shari's words, "Being able to have the skill to help to protect someone on the front lines of this pandemic brings comfort and drive to continue to sew as many masks as I possibly can for those who need it most."

Watch the video above and follow our step by step instructions on how to make a face mask. No sewing materials at home? We also have another tutorial in our Instagram Stories Highlights to show you how to make a mask with a bandana and two rubber bands — watch that below or check out the full highlight here.

Supply list and material dimensions

One 100% cotton bandana
Cut this into a 15 x 7.5" square
Cut two, 40" x 1.75" pieces of the bandana to be be used as fabric ties
Cut one 7 x 7" piece of fusible interfacing
One spool of jewelry wire, cut into a 6.5" straight piece for the nose

Step one

Once you've cut your materials, you will iron down the interfacing to the inside of your bandana square. Then you will fold in half, leaving the fusible interfacing showing on top.

Step two

Pin the raw edges of the bandana along the 7.5" width seam together, and sew a 5/8" seam allowance.
Sew for two inches, leave a 3.5" gap for the filter pocket, then proceed with sewing the last two inches.

Step three

Iron down the seam allowance to create the filter pocket. After ironing, you will push back the edges to the raw interfacing and sew along the fold 3/8" seam along the entire fold. This will create a tube to feed your jewelry wire through to serve as your nose piece.

Step four

Turn the fabric inside out and iron the fabric so it lays flat. Then find the tube you just created to feed the jewelry wire through.

Step five

Create three, 1" pleats along the back side of your mask. Make sure each of these is pinned.

Step six

Flip over the mask and iron lightly to set your pleats in place.

Step seven

If you have a bias tape maker, this would aid you in this step of creating your own fabric ties. However, you could also use elastic, hair ties, ribbons and lace for this step. Ultimately, these will be your ear pieces.
After feeding through the bias tape maker, you will iron down the material along the way.

Step eight

Find the halfway point of your fabric tie, and pin to the sides of your mask.
Sew down the ties from top to bottom, as you slowly remove the pins along the way.
Repeat this step on the other side.