DIY Face Masks Video Tutorial and Link to Printable PDF Step by Step Instructions -
Hello friends, (scroll down to skip to video & pdf tutorials)
CLICK LINK HERE FOR PDF STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS -PATTERN
As a result of the current state of our world and the pandemic we are all facing, like most of you, we are watching events unfold from small screens as we shelter in place from our living room couch. Feeling utterly helpless, we have been wracking our brains to come up with a way we can help those who are at high risk of infection, transmission and exposure to this stinkin’ virus.
When our incredibly clever Aunt Lizz shared with us that she was making face masks for her local hospital, due to a shortage, we thought that was something actionable that we could actually figure out. We set out in search of a used sewing machine, fabric and materials. Learning to sew on the fly, Manos (my incredibly genius husband) researched patterns, consulted numerous healthcare workers and altered an existing pattern, to create a face mask that we like to call “better than nothing”.
Like all of you sharing random stuff on social media, we shared our newfound adventure with friends on Facebook and Instagram. Friends began reaching out asking how they could donate to help out with supplies and how to “order” masks for themselves. Then, much to our surprise, people began reaching out on behalf of family and friends, who are working the “frontlines”, at hospitals and health care facilities without hospital approved PPE and in some cases without any protection whatsoever. There are numerous articles that we have read recently, that corroborate, there is a very real and desperate shortage of life saving supplies. For example, this article from The Washington Post “Simple DIY masks could help flatten the curve, we should all wear them in public”
To make a long story only slightly shorter, we created a GofundMe, started raising money, stocked up on a huge bounty of fabric as well as all the necessary supplies. The generosity of an incredible community of lifelong as well as industry friends, has made it possible for us to make and ship these masks, in most instances, free of charge.
We are just two very overly ambitious and highly unskilled tailors! We realized we can’t possibly fill this growing need on our own. We are aware there are a number of folks out there doing what we are doing and that, friends, is nothing short of heartwarming. However, we decided to offer access to all of our knowledge, so anyone who would like to lend a hand, can skip the trial and error and help fill this need. We have created ( what we hope is) a comprehensive video tutorial along with a printable PDF step by step tutorial, that includes everything we have learned to make these masks as efficient as possible, including the pattern. In no way are we suggesting our masks are a substitute for any approved hospital/medical grade gear. They are definitely better than nothing. We have done our best to design for comfort as well as with an interior “pocket” that can easily house a filter.and can also be used over an N95 mask, prolonging it’s life.
And with that, see below for tutorials!
Please find our Video Tutorial to walk you through our step by step instructions for making DIY face masks.
We have also created a printable PDF version of a step by step tutorial for making face masks, please find the link below. We are hoping to make the process easy to follow, however if you have a question please email hello@goldandsmoke.com and we’ll get back to you asap. Thank you for helping us to help others.