I resisted publishing this tutorial. I told several people it wasn’t going to happen. There are already so many different designs and patterns out there – it makes my head spin. And who knows what the best version is? Which one is the most comfortable, or which protects the best?

However, a few things happened recently that changed my mind. I taught a mask-making class to a couple of friends out the window of my sewing room. I started getting sweet, thoughtful notes and messages from mask recipients in the mail. I had readers commenting and emailing me asking for my pattern. One of our UPS drivers left this message on our package, next to the basket of masks I leave in front of my garage:

I do have a couple of tips I haven’t seen elsewhere that I feel make them quicker and easier to make, so I’m going to show you my version. I’m also going to be very thorough in my instructions and include lots of photos, in case you’re new to sewing. Because of that, this looks long, but these are really easy. I hope this helps some of you!

I have one big thing for you to remember, whether you’re making my pattern or one from someone else: 

Finished is better than perfect.

To make one of these masks, you’ll need at least two good quality cotton fabrics. I use two different prints so the wearer can easily identify which side touched their face if they have to remove their mask. You can add a third fabric if you’d like contrasting ties. That part is just for fun.

This post contains affiliate links. For my full disclosure policy and point of view, click here. 

I don’t prewash my fabrics. I’ve been making these for use in situations where it’s helpful if everyone’s mask is different for easy identification, so that means using lots of my scraps. Washing all of those really isn’t possible.

Because of that, I make these just a little larger than I would if my fabric had been washed to allow for shrinkage. It’s worked out well so far.

If you have a 6 1/2” wide ruler, I recommend adding a piece of painter’s tape at the 9 1/2” mark for easy cutting. I like this 6 1/2 x 12 1/2” Creative Grids ruler because all of their rulers have rough patches on the back, so they don’t slide easily. You can find it on Amazon and Connecting Threads. This is especially handy when you’re working with scraps. I can quickly throw it on top to see if the piece is large enough to work with.

I’ve made a few of these for little ones, and for kids under about 6 or 7 years old I cut the pieces 5 1/2 x 8” and the ties 2 x 34”.

To cut one piece for the mask, lay the ruler on the fabric and cut around the three sides.

Turn the ruler around and line the tape up with the short cut end. Cut the opposite end.

Cut a second piece from the other fabric in the same way. If you’re making several from the same fabrics (like I had to do for the Navy due to strict uniform codes), you can cut a strip of fabric 9 1/2” wide, then chop that into 6 1/2 x 9 1/2” pieces.

For the ties, cut two strips that are each 2” wide by the width of the fabric.

Cut the selvages off the ties. I don’t measure, but I do stack the two together so they match each other. Some selvages are wider than others, so it will affect the length of the ties a bit, but not enough to matter. They should be 40-ish inches each, give or take a couple.

Place the rectangles right sides together. You can pin them if it makes you more comfortable, but you’ll probably find it’s not necessary after you’ve made a few. Stitch around 1/4” from the edge, leaving about 2” unsewn on one long edge.

To make it easier to know when to stop and pivot at the corners, check to see if your presser foot has a mark at 1/4”. If it doesn’t, you might try making one with tape, even on the throat plate of your machine. When I figured that out it really sped things up and made my seams more consistent.

Make sure you backstitch when you stop and start almost all the seams in this project. It adds strength and stability, and will keep your stitching from coming out while you’re working.

Turn the mask right side out. I don’t bother clipping the corners or pushing them out with a tool. I just use my fingers. They’re going to be covered by the tie anyway.

Before you lay the mask on the ironing board to press, run the iron over the cover for a couple of seconds. Lay the mask on top while it’s still hot. Roll the top edge between your fingers and the board to get the seam flat, then press. The steam coming off the board helps grip the bottom layer of fabric and makes this much easier. I figured it out on mask #127.

Press the two short sides in the same way. When pressing the final long side, turn the opening in to the inside by 1/4”.

Top stitch close to the two long edges, but not the short ones. This is the one place you don’t really need to backstitch because those ends will be enclosed in the ties.

You might have noticed I sort of cut a few corners on this project. None of them affect the quality of the mask at all, and they’re simply to expedite the process. The next one is the pleats. I don’t measure them. It took a lot on my part to let go of that, but now that I’ve made dozens, it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I think at this point my eyeballing is closer to accurate than when I started.

Fold the mask over on itself by about 3/8” in the center of one short side. Pin in place.

You’ll have to forgive my hands in the next few photos. Extra hand washing and the lack of giving a care about how my nails look right now came back to bite me.

Fold over a pleat on each side of the first, halfway between the middle and edge, all going in the same direction. Make sure all the pin heads are to the outside of the mask.

Do the same on the other short end, but reversed, so all the pleats fold down in the same direction.

If you have a bias tape tool, feed each tie through it while pressing. I use the 25mm, which is a little difficult to find on its own right now, but this set is a good price, and I’ve used most of the sizes for other projects. A stylus is handy for pushing the fabric in to start, but I found that sliding my inexpensive stork scissors into that top slit works just as well.

If you can’t get a bias tape maker, fold both long edges into the center and press.

Unfold one end. Turn the short edge to the inside 1/4”. I don’t press this yet, but the first few times you might want to, just to hold it in place.

Refold the long sides back up.

Fold the entire tie in half with the edges to the inside, starting at the end and pressing as you go.

Stop folding and pressing a few inches from the other end. Flip the tie around and fold that end as you did the first. Continue folding the tie in half and pressing until you reach the point where you stopped.

Repeat on the second tie.

Lay the mask on a cutting mat or in front of a ruler to make it easy to find the center of one short end. I’ve been laying mine between 20 and 24”, so I know 22” is the middle. This is another place I don’t spend a lot of time getting it perfectly aligned.

Fold one of the ties in half and put a pin at the center through one layer of fabric.

Unfold the tie opposite the pin. Place the tie right side down over the mask with the pin at the center. See the pin pointing up at the top edge of the tie? Make sure the raw edge of the tie is even with the edge of the mask.

Remove the marking pin. Holding the mask down with your finger so the pleat doesn’t pop out, remove the pin from the center pleat and reinsert it through the tie and all layers underneath.

Smooth the sides of the tie down on either side against the mask and pin close to both edges. Repeat with the remaining tie on the other short end.

Stitch 1/4” from the edge through the tie and mask. Stop and start at the edges of the mask.

You didn’t sew at the fold, which you can see in the photo below. It should be about 1/4” away from the stitching line.

Fold the tie over the edge of the mask at the fold, not the seam. This method is what’s going to keep your stitching even on both sides when you sew the tie down.

Flip the mask over and fold the tie again at its center fold so it covers the mask edge. Pin it in place through all layers. Because you folded on the pre-pressed folds, rather than the seam, the two edges of the tie should match on both sides. I used this method when I was making vendor aprons, and I literally made hundreds of them, so trust me on this one. It’s worth all that folding you did earlier.

With the mask to the right, start stitching close to the double-folded edge on the end of the tie.

Continue stitching near the edge of the tie over the mask.

Keep going until you reach the other end of the tie. Repeat the stitching on the other tie.

Wash the mask before using. I’ve put these through my washer and dryer with no issues, but your mileage may vary. If your ties tangle within your machine, try washing them inside a lingerie bag.

I tried out cord stoppers on my own mask, and they actually work really well. It takes a lot of effort to get them on because it’s tight stuffing all that fabric through, but I accidentally washed them and they came out okay, so I think I’ll just leave them on. I can’t say how that will work out long term though.

If you don’t want to make your own, there are lots of people selling these now, including my friends at Chasin’ Tail and LaCartera Designs.

Stay safe and healthy, crafty makers, both mentally and physically!