Step 7. Add ties. These can be elastic, ribbon or even shoelaces. Sew on to the short sides of the mask, and make sure to leave enough length to be able to either tie the mask around the back of the head or around the ears, as you prefer. Oh, and don't forget to remove the pins.
The finished mask with ties attached. Scroll through the slides to see how it was made. All photos Sarah Maisey / The National
Step 1. Find an old piece of fabric, preferably cotton. Cut out a rectangle measuring approximately 22 centimetres by 36 centimetres and lay it flat on a table.
Step 2. Create a small fold in the fabric, about 1 cm long, that runs across the short width of the fabric. Lie it flat, and pin it in place.
Step 3. Repeat four times, pinning folds flat each time. You can do more folds if you like. You will end up with a concertina effect in the fabric (and should end up with at least double layers of fabric across the middle of the entire mask).
Step 4. By adding the folds you may have made the mask the right length to cover your nose and mouth. If you feel it's too long still, fold any extra fabric at either end underneath and pin in place.
You will secure this fold in place when you hem the short sides.
By now, it should look like this. Sarah Maisey / The National
Step 5. With a needle and thread (double up the string for extra strength), hem both short sides with a simple running stitch to hold the folds you've just made in place.
Step 6. Then fold both hemmed short sides over again, just a small fold, and stitch that flat. This is just to prevent fraying and to make the sides of the mask extra strong, as this is where the ties will be held.
Step 7. Add ties. These can be elastic, ribbon or even shoelaces. Sew on to the short sides of the mask, and make sure to leave enough length to be able to either tie the mask around the back of the head or around the ears, as you prefer. Oh, and don't forget to remove the pins.
The finished mask with ties attached. Scroll through the slides to see how it was made. All photos Sarah Maisey / The National
Step 1. Find an old piece of fabric, preferably cotton. Cut out a rectangle measuring approximately 22 centimetres by 36 centimetres and lay it flat on a table.
Step 2. Create a small fold in the fabric, about 1 cm long, that runs across the short width of the fabric. Lie it flat, and pin it in place.
Step 3. Repeat four times, pinning folds flat each time. You can do more folds if you like. You will end up with a concertina effect in the fabric (and should end up with at least double layers of fabric across the middle of the entire mask).
Step 4. By adding the folds you may have made the mask the right length to cover your nose and mouth. If you feel it's too long still, fold any extra fabric at either end underneath and pin in place.
You will secure this fold in place when you hem the short sides.
By now, it should look like this. Sarah Maisey / The National
Step 5. With a needle and thread (double up the string for extra strength), hem both short sides with a simple running stitch to hold the folds you've just made in place.
Step 6. Then fold both hemmed short sides over again, just a small fold, and stitch that flat. This is just to prevent fraying and to make the sides of the mask extra strong, as this is where the ties will be held.
Step 7. Add ties. These can be elastic, ribbon or even shoelaces. Sew on to the short sides of the mask, and make sure to leave enough length to be able to either tie the mask around the back of the head or around the ears, as you prefer. Oh, and don't forget to remove the pins.
