My parents live almost three hours away from us. Since they are older, I wanted them to have a safe medical mask to wear if they have to go to the grocery store.
I searched online for the kind of mask that would keep them safe and then I searched around my home for items I could use to make them.
I hope that this video/idea will help keep your family safe as well.
You will need:
-100% cotton fabric (I used an old shirt, but you could use a pillow case, tea towel, etc.)
-Filter material (I used a vacuum cleaner bag with 99.9% filtration. You could also use felt.)
-Elastic (I used the elastic straps from an old bra, but you could also use t-shirt material cut into strips)
-Bendable wire to pinch around the nose (I used three long sandwich ties braided together. You could use a pipe cleaner.)
Directions:
-Cut two pieces of 100% cotton fabric into 9 x 6 inch pieces.
-Cut one filter material into a 9 x 6 inch piece.
-Cut two elastic cords into 7 inch strips. -Sandwich the three layers above as so: two pieces of the cotton fabric and one piece of filter material.
-Peel back one side and clip the elastic cords at the top and bottom on both sides – as seen in the video.
-Use tiny clothes pins or straight pins to keep the elastic in place.
-Sew all the way around the edges, leaving a small opening on one side.
-Turn the mask right side out.
-Slip the bendable wire through the opening on the side and work it to the top edge.
-Stitch beside the wire to hold it in place.
-Make two pleats on each side of the mask and clip in place.
-Sew down both sides.
-Store in Ziploc bag until ready to use.