How to Make a Face Mask with Cricut (+VIDEO TUTORIAL)

With the recent pandemic and mandate to wear a Face Mask while out in public I am sharing how to Make a Face Mask with this simple, step by step Face Mask Tutorial. Grab a free Face Mask Pattern and make one with your Cricut. If you don’t have a Cricut, you can download the free pattern and cut it out by hand.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cricut.

CAUTION: This mask is NOT rated for disease control. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has provided the following information regarding homemade face masks: The role of face masks is for patient source control, to reduce contamination of the surrounding area when a person coughs or sneezes.  Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should wear a facemask until they are isolated in a hospital or at home. Most facemasks do not effectively filter small particles from the air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.* When professional facemasks are not available, healthcare personnel might use homemade masks for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, caution should be exercised when considering this option since their capability to protect healthcare personnel is unknown.

CDC GUIDELINES ON CLOTH FACE MASKS

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It has also been advised by the CDC, to use a simple cloth face covering to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. 

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, someone who may have trouble breathing, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

HOW TO PROPERLY WEAR CLOTH FACE MASK

Cloth face coverings should allow for the following—

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE FACE MASK

Be careful not to touch your eyes, mouth or nose on your face while removing the face mask. Carefully and thoroughly wash your hands afterwards.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY FACE MASK BE WASHED

After a couple of uses you can wash your face mask in the washing machine as you would any other article of clothing.

HOW TO MAKE A FACE MASK

This tutorial shows how to cut the fabric on a Cricut Maker. But if you don’t have a Cricut Maker you can cut a pattern on your Cricut Explore. If you don’t have either machine, you can download a free pattern on Cricut’s blog here and then follow the rest of the directions to sew your face mask! Cricut also has a no sewing option and a tutorial for making a no-sew face mask on their blog here.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• FABRIC A measuring at least 7″ x 16″ (17.8 cm x 40.6 cm) (for inside fabric)
• FABRIC B measuring at 8″ x 16″ (20.3 cm x 40.6 cm) (for outside fabric))

OTHER ITEMS:

• Cricut Maker machine
• FabricGrip Machine Mat – 12″ x 12″
• Washable Fabric Pen (optional)
• Rotary Blade (for Cricut Maker Machine)
• Scissors
• Iron or Easypress Mini and Easypress Mat
• Small Safety Pin
• 1/4″ (6 mm) Braided Elastic (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Always read through all the directions before beginning.
2. I am making the Adult S/M Face Mask.
3. To make changes to this project, use the Mat Preview screen to move pieces to different mats or colors. We do not recommend rotating the pieces, as they are arranged to follow the grain of the fabric. 
4. Before cutting, make sure to pre-shrink fabric by pre-washing washables or steam-pressing non-washables.
5. Pre-cut fabric by hand if needed to fit on mat. Please note the direction of the grain for each fabric piece.

HOW TO CUT FABRIC

1. All of the piece numbers on the mat preview should be drawing in the direction of the grain.
2. Mat 1– Fabric A. Place the 8″ x 16″ (20.3 cm x 40.6 cm) fabric right (pattern) side down onto the mat with the grain running the length of the mat and smooth out the wrinkles.
3. Mat 2– Fabric B. Place the 7″ x 16″ (17.8 cm x 40.6) piece of fabric right side down onto the mat with the grain running the length of the mat and smooth out wrinkles.
4. Mat 3– Fabric B. repeat the same as step three if this extra mat is needed which will depend on the size of Face Mask you are making and will be prompted on your Cricut Maker (same with a 4th Mat).

SEWING A FACE MASK

1. Gather all of the pieces and press if necessary remove wrinkles.
2. Match up outside fabric pieces, and place the right sides of the material together.
3. Sew the curved portion of the fabric using a 1/4″ (6 mm) seam.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the liner piece.
5. Snip along the curves of each of the outside lining and inside lining pieces. Be careful not to cut through the stitching. This allows the seam to lay nice and flat. Press the seam flat with the easypress mini or an iron.
6. Take your inside liner and press the straight edges of the curved seam down about 1/4″ (6 mm) away from the edge on the liner.
7. Stitch close to the edge on the liner piece.
8. Do this for the other side of the liner as well. Set aside.
9. Take the outside liner and press the straight edge down about 1/4″ (6 mm) away from the edge on the outer piece.
10. Fold the outer piece over again about 1/2″ (1.3 cm) and press to create the casing for the elastic.
11. Stitch close to the previously pressed edge to leave enough room for the elastic to pull through the casing tube.
12. Do this for both sides of your outside liner.
13. Grab your two liners and align the outer and liner pieces together with the right sides of the fabric together.
14. Stitch along the top and bottom of the mask using a 1/4″ (6 mm) seam. Backstitch to reinforce seams where necessary. Leave the sides of the casings open.
15. Trim and snip excess threads as necessary.
16. Turn the material through so that the fight side of the fabric is now on the outside.
17. Press all seams so that your face mask is smooth and flat (except for where the mouth and nose will sit.
18. Top stitch along the top and bottom of the face mask with a 1/4 inch seam, reinforcing as necessary.
19. Thread elastic through the bottom casing on one side using a small safety pin. Continue threading through the top of the other side of the mask until you meet back up with the other end of the elastic. We used about 20″ (50.8 cm) to wrap around the head/neck. *You could also cut two pieces of elastic and sew them so you have two loops to loop around your ears.
20. Connect the elastic with a zigzag stitch, making sure that elastic is not twisted. Move the stitch part of the elastic into the casing for comfort.
21. TIP: Place a filter (we used a coffee filter) through the side openings, if desired. Remove and dispose of any filter before washing the mask after each use.

There are a few different ways you can make this Face Mask. This pattern/project can be made on the Cricut Maker, Explore Air 2, or even cut by hand.

• If you have a Cricut Maker, you can cut fabric on your machine.
• Use a Explore machine, you can cut paper to trace the pattern on fabric.
• If you don’t have a Cricut, you can grab the downloadable PDF pattern for free on their blog! 
• Cricut also has a no sewing option and a tutorial for making a no-sew face mask on their blog here.

*Caution: This is not an N95 mask and is not rated for disease control.

HOW TO MAKE FACE MASK VIDEO TUTORIAL