From Thursday, April 16th in Poland everybody will be required to cover the mouth and nose in public spaces. Reusable face masks are the best idea for this. There are plenty of free patterns and tutorials within the internet. I was looking for one that includes a filter pocket and a nose wire. I found and tested very simple tutorial. The results are very promising, so I will share it with you 😉 So in today’s post you will find how to sew a face mask with a filter pocket.
This face mask is very comfortable and due to the nose wire it will be practical for people wearing glasses.
Remember that a cotton face mask does not guarantee protection against coronavirus, even if it is made of a double layer. First of all, it limits the involuntary face touching and stops spreading small droplets of saliva when speaking, coughing or sneezing. Used by everyone in public places can help to reduce virus spreading.
This face mask has a filter pocket, which can be e.g. a piece of medical fleece. Some people make it from coffee filters, vacuum cleaner filters or handkerchiefs.
Although sewing such a face mask is quite simple, it is advisable to have even minimal skills in using the sewing machine. You can always learn it on your own 😉 Let’s get started!
What do you need to sew a face mask with filter pocket?
- A piece of cotton fabric that can be washed at high temperatures
- Elastic with width of 5 mm or a piece of thin jersey for t-shirts
- About 15 cm of flexible wire
- If you prefer videotutorials, I based on this one
How to sew face mask with filter pocket?
Cut a 20×40 cm rectangle and two 13×3 cm strips. Sew shorter edges using zigzag stitch.
In the next step fold in half along the long edge, right sides together. Sew 4 cm from each edge. Roll the edges and iron it.
Turn right side out. You can see filter pocket in the middle.
Topstitch under the opening gap.
Fold leaving 1,3 cm for nose wire.
Stitch all the way round.
Insert the wire into the tunnel and stitch the lower edge with a straight stitch.
In the next step, make pleats. Their size and quantity will affect the size of the mask. I made three pleats of about 0.8-1 cm. Sew the edges.
Then cut the strips for tunnels for elastics and pin them to the outer part of the mask as in the photo below, rolling the edges. Stitch with a straight stitch.
Roll the fabrics out and stitch on the other side.
Finally, use a safety pin to guide the elastic or jersey strap through the tunnel. Tie a knot and hide it in the tunnel.
Finished! We have obtained a reusable face mask that can be washed at a high temperature.
Check out our ideas
Looking for tutorial how to sew a face mask wothout sewing machine? Check this out.
If you are looking for ideas how to creatively spend time with your kids during lockdown, then you will find them in the DIY with children section.
Are you sewing for kids? Check our ideas, free sewing patterns and tutorials in DIY with sewing machine section.
Follow us in social media
If you want to be up-to-date with our newest posts, like our Facebook fanpage, follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
I have been passionate about DIY since my childhood, and my innate patience and accuracy make the whole process of creation a lot easier for me and that gives me a lot of satisfaction and pleasure. During my first pregnancy I learnt how to sew, what resulted with few tutorials about sewing clothes for kids on the blog. In the beginning of my second maternity leave, I have learned how to crochet amigurumi from yt. I found out, that I really love it, that’s why so many blog posts describe my crochet creatures.
