Make a DIY Face Mask Virtual Assembly Line
with friends, with a faith group, with a service group, with neighbors, with…
Not all of us know how to sew, but most of us can cut fabric or order fabric online or drive a car to drop off materials to someone who can sew. This is a great opportunity to take the plunge and start helping your community during this crisis. Start by creating a DIY face mask virtual assembly line using our Signup Tool. People want to help, and by dividing up the responsibilities, you can provide them with the opportunity to dive in.
While cloth masks will not prevent people from COVID-19 exposure, they may help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please refer to this website for further information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about hand-sewn masks.
How to get started:
#1
Sign up for a 30-day free trial for the Signup Tool (no credit card required–we have NO ads)
- To speed up creation of your signup, just copy and paste information from our example here:
#2
Read the following information as we’ve included the materials/supplies you’ll need, information on volunteer needs, the instructions for how to make a DIY face mask, and distribution instructions as well.
THANK YOU for all of your efforts on behalf of all of us! ❤️
Sewing and supplies instructions:
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Spools of 100% polyester or poly-cotton blend thread.
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1 Yard of High Thread Count light-colored 100% cotton fabric pre-washed in hot water with fragrance-free detergent (think bed sheets, pillow cases, quilting fabric, etc.)
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1 yard of 42″ wide fabric makes 12 masks.
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1 Yard of Bias tape.
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Each mask requires (2) 1/4″ (finished) x 36″ ties.
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1 Yard 1/4″ elastic . Each mask requires (2) 7″ elastic pieces.
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Elastic can be purchased online at The Creation Station.
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There are 6 critical volunteer needs:
#1 CHIEF COORDINATOR – Volunteer needed to coordinate contacters, donations, errand runners, cutters, and sewers.
#2 CONTACTERS- Volunteers needed to reach out into the community and identify organizations such as local hospitals and urgent care clinics, senior living facilities, assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, nursing homes, and child care facilities to assess their need for masks. Masks are also needed by grocery store and pharmacy workers, delivery drivers, sanitation workers and members of the farming community. The need is endless!!!
#3 DONATIONS – Below is a list of the supplies needed for making the DIY mask. Sign up if you have any of these items to donate. Fabric and elastic can be purchased online at The Creation Station. They have an excellent supply.
- Note: The DIY mask pattern can be made with elastic or bias tape (or homemade bias tape) ties whichever you have the most of. Elastic can be purchased online at The Creation Station.
#4 ERRAND RUNNERS- A coordinator is needed to coordinate the errand runners and to provide status info to the chief coordinator. Volunteers are needed to pick up and drop-off supplies, launder masks after they are made, and deliver masks when completed.
- Note: Wash all masks in hot water and dry on high heat place in plastic bags (like Ziplock) prior to delivery. Include the note on this PDF.
- Note: Do not deliver masks to organizations that have not requested them. They may get thrown away.
#5 CUTTERS: A coordinator is needed to coordinate cutters. Volunteers are needed to cut fabric.
Note: Wash all fabric in hot water and dry on high heat before cutting! Use fragrance-free detergent, if possible, and do not use dryer sheets.
#6 SEWERS- A coordinator is needed to coordinate sewers and provide them with the DIY mask sewing instructions. Sewing volunteers are greatly needed.
- Note: Pattern can be made with elastic or bias tape (or homemade bias tape) ties, which ever you have the most of. See Sewing Directions below.
How to Make a DIY Face Mask — Sewing Instructions:
There are many mask patterns out there. We are focused on the DIY face mask because it is the mask style most requested by organizations in need.
1) Read through these instructions before cutting.
2) Start by washing 100% high thread count cotton in hot water and dry in high heat. Use fragrance-free detergent, if possible, and do not use dryer sheets.
3) Then taking one yard (or more) of 42″ wide fabric, fold the fabric in half so that the selvage edges are together with selvage edges running left to right on your cutting table (so 21″ wide).
4) Starting at the selvage edges, measure 7″ down and cut a strip (left to right). If you are working with a yard, you will end up with 3 strips measuring 7″ x 36″.
5) Cut the strips into four 9″ sections. You will end up with (12) 7″ x 9″ sections.
6) Watch this video for construction.
7) If you do not have elastic, you will need to make ties that are 36″ long. Bias tape can be used for ties or you can cut an 1″ x 36″ wide strip of fabric. Fold bias tape or fabric strip to an inch width and stitch with a top stitch finishing each end.
8) Watch this video for a quick and easy tie modification to the DIY mask.
Voila!
9) Wash all masks again in hot water with fragrance-free detergent and dry on high heat prior to delivery or shipping.
Suggested distribution instructions:
The great volunteers over at COVID Mask Crafters have done an excellent job of collating hand-sewn face mask needs nationally. To save you some time and not duplicate efforts, we recommend the following for distributing your DIY face masks:
#1 Drop-off to identified need within your county/region.
You can find them on this website
If there are none listed near you…
#2 Contact local organizations and/or agencies. If there is no need at local organizations and/or agencies,
#3 Ship them to the nearest need per the COVID Mask Crafters website.
#4 If your group has satisfied an identified need on the COVID Mask Crafters website, please update them on the website here.
Again,
- Note: Wash all masks in hot water and dry on high heat place in plastic bags (like Ziplock) prior to delivery. Include the note on this PDF.
- Note: Do not deliver masks to organizations that have not requested them. They may get thrown away.
