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April 2020

Review: DIY Face Mask Styles & Features

Like many of you, I’ve been busy making face masks lately. I knew I needed to make a lot of them and use up some of my fabric stash (such a great stash buster!) but I didn’t just want to whip up a bunch of them and then be frustrated by how they fit or functioned. I decided I needed to test out a few designs and then see which style and features my family preferred. I wanted them to fit well, have a wire nose piece, be able to insert and remove a filter easily, and of course be comfortable. 

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So these are the three styles I came across on the internet that I thought I’d try out.

The top one’s shape fit the best for both my face and my husband’s. I added a 4 inch pipe cleaner to the nose. For the ties I ripped up one of my husband’s old T-shirts (ssshhhhhh!) which is easy since I didn’t have to sew them and they are super comfortable.

The middle one was easier to make, but didn’t fit very well and I didn’t add a nose wire. To top it off, the elastic ear pieces were not very comfortable at all.

The bottom one fit a little better, but since the ties were made out of fabric it didn’t have as secure of a fit as the top one had. I’d didn’t add a nose wire to this one though, so maybe that would help it.

Now, for the filter pockets...I included them on each design.

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The top one has a fairly large filter pocket that runs almost the whole backside of the mask. The middle and bottom masks entire back sides can hold filters. 

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I only added a nose piece to the top one because I didn’t think to do it earlier with the other two. To add it I use a pipe cleaner and inserted it before I did the top stitching. I made sure to sew at each end of the pipe cleaner to keep it from shifting out of the position I had it. 

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So, in case you couldn’t figure it out, my favorite design is the top one. It’s the most comfortable by far and fits the best thanks to the shaping and the nose wire. The filter pocket is easy to use too. Now I do have to say that cutting and sewing wise this mask is more complicated since it has the shaping and multiple layers, but it’s totally worth it since we wont mind wearing for longer time periods and because of the secure fit I think it will be safer.

Now, you’re probably wanting to know what patterns I used so I’m linking the ones I was inspired by below. I decided to not make a tutorial for this project because there are already thousands of them out there and I don’t think I’d be contributing anything new to the discussion on how to make them. 

Top mask -  Inspired by: https://youtu.be/p4USPU1Trz4 but I used a pattern a friend gave me and added a nose wire and the T-shirt ties.

Middle mask - Inspired by: https://youtu.be/xbGCqFJp7r4

Bottom mask - Inspired by:  https://www.cathiefilian.com/how-to-sew-a-face-mask-with-ties-and-a-filter-pocket/

and https://www.instructables.com/id/AB-Mask-for-a-Nurse-by-a-Nurse/

If you have any questions please comment below and I’ll try to get to them as soon as I can.

 

ERIN Sig