Keep folks safe and stylish this spring by making your own cotton face mask. This guide details how to make a double layered face mask using a dish towel and part of a t-shirt. The mask is held on using two hair elastics.

The only other things you'll need are a pair of scissors, a marker, and a needle and thread. If you have a sewing machine, it's easy to use that instead of hand-sewing -- but nobody should be lacking a fancy new mask because they don't have fancy machine, so we've focused this guide on making the mask by hand.

Hand-sewing can be quite relaxing, so pull up your chair by the fire, thread your needle, and make masks for everyone in your family. 

We've also included a few resources for places to donate your handmade masks.

Deaconess Hospital has published the following:

While fabric masks are not to be used in the care of COVID-19 patients, according to the CDC, fabric masks are a crisis response option when other supplies have been exhausted. Fabric masks can also be helpful in other areas of patient care as supplies of PPE are depleted.  

Materials

• Breathable cotton dish towel
• T-shirt
• 2-4 hair elastics
• Needle & Thread
• Scissors
• Iron (optional)