Cloth Face Masks

What I did:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been using reclaimed and upcycled materials to make, sell, and donate re-usable cloth face masks.

These masks are not medical grade, are not meant to replace medical grade personal protective equipment (PPE), and do not guarantee any protection against the virus or any other.

The masks’ fabric is 100% cotton, most of it reclaimed my grandmother’s stash. So far, I’ve made several different types of masks: rectangular pleated masks and curved/fitted masks; masks with elastic ear loops and masks with cloth ties in various permutations; masks with and without filter pockets or interfacing; masks with and without nose wires; large masks, small masks, and one-size-fits-most masks.

Fitted Face Masks

Scroll through for thumbnail pictures, or click on any image for slideshow view.

Fitted face mask

Another fitted face mask

Fitted face masks with "loopy" cloth ties

The following face masks have cloth ties that loop around the ears and then tie at the back of the head. Masks with this sort of tie — as well as masks with elastic loops and an extra cloth neck cord, pictured further down on this page — are useful for situations where you will be taking your mask on and off frequently, and want to be able to do so quickly and easily. When you don’t need your mask, it’s hanging around your neck, so you won’t lose it.

Fitted face mask, side view showing cloth ties

Another fitted face mask, side view showing cloth ties

Fitted face mask hanging around neck by cloth ties

Back view of fitted face mask showing cloth tie around neck

Fitted face masks with neck cord and elastic ear loops

Fitted face mask hanging in ready-to-put-on position

Front view of fitted mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord

Side view of fitted mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord

Here's a selfie of our hers and his blue star print fitted masks.

My mask

My husband's mask

Our hers and his masks together

For extra protection, these particular "hers and his" masks have interfacing sandwiched between two layers of fabric.

You'll notice that, on my husband's mask, the ear loops are closer together and there is an extra elastic loop at the bottom. It's a challenge to get masks to fit right over beards, so I asked my husband to try on the mask himself and pin the elastic where he wanted it. He ended up spacing the ear loops higher up on the mask, with less distance between the top and bottom of the loop: decreasing this distance minimized gaps and bunching around the ears. He also added an elastic "beard loop" around the bottom so that the mask fit snuggly around his beard and chin.

Fitted face masks with elastic ear loops

Fitted face mask with elastic ear loops

Another fitted face mask with elastic ear loops

Pleated Face Masks

Pleated masks with straight cloth ties

Pleated face mask with cloth ties

Another pleated face mask with cloth ties

Front view of pleated face mask with cloth ties

Side view of pleated face mask with cloth ties

Back view of pleated face mask, showing cloth ties

Pleated face mask with "loopy" cloth ties

Front view of pleated face mask with cloth ties that loop around ear and then tie at the back of the head

Side view of pleated face mask, showing ties looping around ear

Pleated face mask with elastic ear loops

Two pleated face masks with elastic ear loops

Two pleated face masks with elastic ear loops

Several pleated face masks with elastic ear loops

Pleated masks with with neck cord and elastic ear loops

Pleated face mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord

Pleated face mask with elastic ear loop, hanging around neck with cloth neck cord

Front view of pleated face mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord

Side view of pleated face mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord

Back view of face mask showing neck cord

Versatile black pleated mask with elastic ear loops and cloth neck cord