Cloth Mask with Adjustable Ties

Cloth Mask with Adjustable Ties, by Caitlyn

This is my Think Like an Engineer Take Action project. I knew that my Take Action project should be to something to do with masks because I am helping my mom make masks for people in the community who need them.  Sometimes masks don’t fit properly, because they’re too small or too big, and I wanted to make a mask that would fit everybody so they could get maximum protection from the mask.  So I thought, “What if you could cinch it on the sides so that it would fit each person perfectly?”  I was inspired by my friend who made me an adjustable bracelet with a sliding knot to fit my wrist.   Safety note: this mask is not for young children, but for people age 8 and up.  Children wearing masks should always have close adult supervision. 

Materials:

Adult size mask

3 pieces of woven cotton 7” x 12”

2 pieces of paracord, 36” each

Youth size mask

3 pieces of woven cotton 6” x 10”

2 pieces of paracord, 30” each

Tools:

Sewing machine

thread

scissors

pins

safety pin

Directions:

1. Place fabric rectangles in a stack with the top one printed side down.  

2. Sew the 3 layers together along both long edges with ¼” seam.  Turn right side out.  Press.  Topstitch around the entire perimeter of the mask, ¼” away from the edges, backstitching at the beginning and end. 

3. Fold short edges 1” toward the back side of the mask, pin in place.  Zig-zag stitch between the line of stitches and the raw edge, backstitching at the beginning and the end.  

4. Use a safety pin to thread paracord through the pockets on each side.

5. Tie 2 sliding knots connecting the top ties.  Then repeat with the bottom ties.  Adjust the placement of your knots, to customize the fit of your mask. 

    

6.  Place the bottom tie behind your neck, then the top ties above your ears.  Slide the knots to adjust the fit of your mask.  The sides of the mask fabric should be gathered, and close to your cheeks for a good fit.  You can cut the excess paracord if desired.  Heat seal the ends to prevent fraying.