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Taking a cue from comic book superheroes, masks are everywhere as we fight this global health crisis. Wearing a mask is no longer a choice and it’s best not to step outside without wearing one. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who urged citizens to use home-made masks, these are effective to slow down transmission. It’s also best that we try to save surgical and N95 respirators for people on the frontlines.
Now that masks are here to stay, why not express our creativity when wearing one?
DIY masks, but make it fashion
Many high fashion labels overnight began to make face masks with their trademark logos and designs. The mask has become a hot fashion accessory in the time of corona. Designer labels like Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vitton and Burberry have joined the trend and have developed their own range of masks with luxurious fabrics and crystal-studded face covers.
The Handmade Tale
While masks become a necessary item of our clothing during this health crisis, it can also become a blank canvas for creativity. You can use a plain cloth face mask and use a sharpie or fabric paint to draw creative designs and humorous expressions. To make your drawings stay permanent, you just need to iron your masks once you finish designing.
Stitch in time, save lives
If you’re more creative, then you can do some embroidery on your face masks. The embroidery could be of pretty and minimalist designs in the centre or on the perimeter of the masks. You can embroider flowers and leaves, taking inspiration from nature. If you’re feeling more creative, you can cut out different fabrics in the shape of an animal’s mouth and stitch them on your mask.
Bringing vintage back
What’s fashion without beads and lace? You can up your fashion quotient with face masks decorated with lace and beads/crystals. Masks with a lace lining give a distinct, vintage look and you can go beyond basic designs by adding some studs on your masks for the extra bling.
Make Washable DIY masks with ties
Follow these steps to make your own washable masks using ties.
First to make the ties, use these steps. 1. Take 1.5 x 12 inch strips
2. Fold the 1.5 width edge inwards to create a sealed edge
3. Fold lengthwise ¼ ways from both sides and do a final fold in the middle.
4. Secure it with a running hem stitch.
To make the face cover: 1. Cut 4 pieces of the mouth panel - 2 for inside and 2 for outside
2. Place face to face each pair and stitch the curved part
3. Face the stitched panel with front-facing fabrics inwards so the stitched central edge will be on the outside
4. Secure the tie ups in all the 4 corners between the two stitched panels. Allow the long ties to be sandwiched securely between the two panels. All the ties should flow from one side only.
5. Stitch all 3 corners of the sandwiched panel as shown with 0.5 cm allowance. Ensure one side is open but do stitch the ties in that corner.
6. Pull the ties so it gets inverted and the hems all go inside.
7. Do a top hem stitch on all 4 sides to secure and seal the borders and the ties.
It will be fun activity to design and make masks at home with family. You can indulge in this activity with your kids and it will be a fun learning and bonding session for them.