Fitted Face Mask DIY (Sizes Child to Adult) Free Pattern
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Free Pattern: Fitted Face Mask DIY (Sizes Child to Adult) is a tutorial to show you how to make a facial covering to help slow the spread of germs. 
While nothing homemade can compete with a professional surgical or N95 mask I’ve tried to make the most effective homemade mask possible. I am not a scientist or a doctor, but I hope that this tutorial can help people make a homemade face mask to wear out in public. I’ve tried to do some research and will link to articles and other sources to back up any claims. Again, I can’t claim that this will protect you from Covid-19, but I believe this fitted face mask is a better design than some of the tutorials I’ve seen.
I confess I originally shied away from homemade masks (and even said I wouldn’t do a tutorial in a Facebook Group). But after the CDC asked everyone to start wearing masks in public I decided to make some for my family. I did a little research and made some traditional looking surgical masks – after trying one on I didn’t care for the design and felt that there had to be a better way. I looked at a few other designs, I didn’t like the seam being right in front of the nose and mouth. My logic being you don’t want to weaken the fabric right where you need it to be the strongest. I also wanted a mask that would fit over the nose and tuck under the chin. After some playing around I came up with a pattern.
Hate the ads? You can purchase the pattern and instructions here.
To keep things as flexible as possible I will show a list of “Ideal” materials, but also reasonable substitutes for them as well.
For This Project you will need:
Fleece Fun’s FREE PDF Fitted Face Mask pattern (available below at the end of the tutorial)
1/3 Yard Heavy Cotton Fabric (Be sure to wash and dry your fabric at least TWO times before cutting out and sewing)
(Acceptable substitutes: Duck Cloth, Denim, Bandanna, Pillowcase or sheet, Cotton Shirt) Basically a heavy 100% cotton material)
2 Hydro Knit Towels (Acceptable Substitutes: Flannel, cotton materials – but possibly not as effective as blue shop towels) Note: Hydro Knit has is showing promise as a very effective material for filtering. This is what I used. It’s basically shop towels that are typically blue, white and red. It’s even been suggested by Peter Tsai, one of the inventors behind the N95 mask. You can read more about the potential effectiveness here and here.
Polypropolene is also a material that works great for the interior – OLY*Fun cloth is polypropolene. This hospital here has requested materials be made from it.
I have had several comments asking if it is washable – yes it is I have tested it myself. A couple of recommendations – wash gentle (with soap – soap is key to breaking down the fatty layer of a virus exterior) and dry low temp ( at high temps the towel starts to break down), even better if a mask after washing can be in direct sunlight for several hours for a nice shot of killing UV rays. We have this phone UV cleaner that might be handy as well if you don’t have easy access to the outside.
4 inch strip of Bias tape (1/2 ribbon or knit material)
1 and 1/3 yards fold over elastic (1/4 inch elastic, round elastic, cord elastic, basically latex free elastic that is under 3/4 inch – you can also use bias tape for the ties)
Pipe Cleaner (for nose piece) (Acceptable substitutes: paperclip, twist tie, bobby pin, floral wire
Optional:
20 inches Double Fold Bias tape (this is if you want to make the mask a little bigger and finish it a different way.)
For making several Masks:
If you want to make several masks at a time here are some additional items that might make it easier:
Fleece Fun’s Fitted Face Mask SVG file ( Fill out form below)
Fabric Mat ( I raced cutting out by hand against the Maker and it won every time)
Chipboard or Cardboard cut out of the pattern (Transfer it or have a cutting machine make a more durable copy of the pattern)
Fitted Face Mask DIY (Sizes Child to Adult) Free Pattern Video Tutorial:
Fitted Face Mask DIY (Sizes Child to Adult) Free Pattern Written Tutorial:
Step 1 – Cut out the Materials for the Fitted Face Mask
Print up and cut out the free mask sewing pattern.
From folded cotton fabric cut 2 of the pattern.
From Shop Towels (or cotton substitute) cut 2 of the pattern.We want to avoid poking unnecessary holes in the towel so just trace the pattern onto the towel.
After tracing the free face mask pattern, cut out two of the towels
Cut 4 12 inch strips of elastic.
So I don’t need to sew or finish the ends – I’m going to CAREFULLY run a match a long the ends (slightly melting them) so the elastic won’t fray.
Step 2- Add the Nose Piece
While you can skip this step, but to make the mask fit better I recommend it.
Cut a 2.5 inch strip of single fold bias tape. Tuck the ends under a .25 of and inch, pin into place using the free mask template as a guide.
Top stitch into place on top and bottom, leaving the middle ( sides) open to insert the wire/ pipe cleaner. (We’ll insert the pipe cleaner after the mask is finished). This only needs to be done to the outer cotton piece – the other piece won’t need it.
Step 3 – Begin to Sew the Darts to the Cotton Mask
The mask gets it’s shape from 3 darts. Sew each of the dart together in the following order:
Start with the darts closest to the top. Using a .25 inch seam allowance sew the darts together.
Be sure to lock all of the seams. ( Go forward and back at the beginning and end of a seam).
Continue down to the next dart. Sew together Using a quarter inch seam allowance.
Repeat on the other side.
Finally sew the last two darts on the bottom, just as you did the previous ones, with a .25 inch seam allowance. To make cup/ rounded shape.
Repeat these steps with the other cotton piece.
Step 4- Sew the interior Hydro Knit or flannel
Since this is for the interior you can sew both prices together at the same time.
With the Hydro Knit or shop towels layered sew the interior of the mask darts like you did above.
You should know have three layers to the mask.
Step 5 – Bring the Fitted Face Mask Together
Time to make the “layers” to the mask. With the outside piece (the piece with the nose tape) turned so the wrong sides is touching the work surface, place the elastic in the correct spots as shown on the free mask pattern.
You can pin or bast the elastic into place. Make sure that the elastic stays in the center of the mask so it doesn’t get caught in the seam.
Next place the interior piece of cotton (the piece that will be touching your face) into the mask, so right sides are touching.
The wrong side should be facing up towards you.
Finally place the interior into the mask “sandwich”. Lining up the dart seams and nesting them. Clip the mask into place, taking care not to pin or poke holes into the lining. Using a FAT quarter inch seam allowance sew all the way around the mask leaving a 2 inch turning gap on one of the sides ( where the darts are).
Carefully turn right side out (take your time and try not to tug on the towel – just tug on the cotton).
Once turned top stitch the gap shut – I also like to top stitch all the way around the mask for extra sturdiness. Insert a double up pope cleaner into the nose piece and you’re good to go!
Step 5b – Alternative way to Bring the Mask together
To make the mask a little bigger. simply layer the mask as it would be worn, the outside (with the nose piece), then the lining fabric, then the interior piece (the one that goes against your face). 
Clip together add the elastic, sew a basting stitch around the mask.
Then bind with double fold bias tape.
To Download the Free Fitted Face Mask Pattern in sizes Child and Adult Click the picture below:
The adult mask fit my tweens, but was too big for my 7 year old. The adult mask will fit bigger kids and adult. Large adults might require a mask that is sew to gether using bias tape around the edge, as it makes the mask a little bigger, you can also use the slash and spread technique to make the mask bigger. Jusst added a larger size if you need a bigger size for an adult! The child mask will fit 4 – 7 year olds.
For the free SVG files please fill out the form below and I will send it directly to your inbox:
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This seems great but is it washable? Are shop towels machine washable? Thank you
Yes the extra study shop towels are washable – washed and dried some myself to double check.
I need to use bias tape for ties , I have no elastic left, would you do them just like your earloop elastic or differently. Please comment back to me on my e-mail so I will get it for sure ,need to send more off to my son in Colo, Yours look like it would cover is nose and chin too which he needs working in a hospital now. My e-mail is where you would need to send it. Please
Thank You for the pattern and tutorial I will be using it soon I hope with the ties information. Stay safe and sew on
I would make the ties a little longer (about 14 – 16 inches) but that is the only thing I would do differently.
Do you think you’d be able to wash this with the shop cloth? Thank you!
Yes the shop towels are washable.
Thank you for this mask pattern.
I have been making a few different styles and can’t wait to try your pattern – it looks great. I like the way you have kept the seams away from being directly in front of the nose and mouth. It might be a bit more time consuming, but well worth it.
Thanks Gaile!
With the shop towels for the inner lining, is this washable?
Yes it is – the shop towels are washable.
Looks like a good pattern. Thank you for your extensive research.
You’re welcome Anne!
Can you please tell me what you mean by shop towels we often differ in the meaning between U.K. and U.S.A
I am thinking shop towels here would be of the stocking net material used for cleaning but shreds when machine washed. Love the pattern thank you for sharing x
Hi Betty, The material is called Hydro Knit, the brand I used is Kimberly Clark’s Wypall X80. If you can’t find something similar, two layers of flannel in the middle is better than a lot of homemade masks out there. Four layers of breathable material have been recommended while most masks use only two. I’ll add a link in the text to Amazon so you can see the material I used.
Thank you very much you are awesome
Thanks Dario. 🙂
Thank You so much for the pattern, My question is, if the sides were rounded after making the darts, could I use one piece of foe to go around the head? I am only asking because elastic of any kind is in very short supply. Now that they have closed all fabric and craft stores, it is really bad. Thanks Angela.
Hi Jacgue!
I understand the concern, but you really need the tension at the two points of the mask to help it stay in place securely. An alternative would be to make it so it loops around the ears and not ties behind the head to conserve on FOE. However I prefer the tie behind the head method since I have weak ears and I HATE the masks with just ear elastic – they never stay in place for me. My suggestion would be to experiment with the FOE as ear Loop (my guess would be 7 inches of length for the FOE) and see if that works for you. An alternative is ties made from bias tape, or strips of Jersey Knit fabric would also work in a pinch.
Was this the actual size or we supposed to enlarge it when we print it out. The adult seems kind of small. Thank you, Rita
Rita,
It’s actual size, make I know it looks smaller than other masks, but the goal is to properly cover the nose and mouth – you don’t need to cover the entire face. Try making one and see if you like it.
I am getting all of your emails. When you answer a person’s question it comes to me also. Just letting you know. Thank you. Rita.
I am so happy to see someone using FOE instead of regular 1/4″ elastic. Although it’s wider, it’s a lot softer. I came across my FOE after running out of elastic and thought, why not!?! I researched it by wearing a mask made with it. I do like your pattern and will use it for my next batch of masks.
Thanks Marcia for making masks!
what would be the easiest way to enlarge this pattern a little? my hubby has a big head/face . : -)
Hi Sandy the easiest way to use the slash and spread technique to adjust the pattern or assemble it using the bias tape as shown above.
Thank you so much Angel for this very different mask pattern. I had problems with the other patterns covering either my chin or my nose. This looks like it will cover both. Thanks again.
Oh, by the way, I’m a little confused! Do you just tie the FOE like you would bias tape? I didn’t see where it said how to fasten with the elastic.
Yes just tie it to the tension that you find comfortable and keeps the mask in properly in place.
Thank you for making this mask pattern. I agree with your thoughts about other fitted mask types; it didn’t make sense to me to have that center seam. Then, the pleated surgical mask types didn’t seem as protective as I’d like them to be for my family. And I saw the same article with the Peter Tsai information. So had already purchased 2 rolls of shop towels to use as filter material since many HEPA vacuum bags many people suggest contain fiberglass fibers, and there’s no way to know which ones do or don’t have that potential hazard. Lastly, this looks so much easier to sew, and for someone who sews only occasionally, it’s much less intimidating to tackle than the other curved, fitted masks.
If I can add one piece of advice, people need to be aware of how to take a mask off safely. I have family in the medical profession, and their warnings about how to take a mask safely so that you don’t wind up spreading any potential contamination ring in my ears. If people would google Donning and Doffing PPE, Donning and Doffing and N95 Respirator, or Donning and Doffing A Surgical Mask, they’ll find good information to help keep them safe; the CDC even has .pdf documents you can download to keep handy.
Thanks again very much, and hope you and your family stay safe and healthy.
Hi Angel, Thank you so much for your research and work. I was wondering if it might be an idea to have the layers of the mask pocket-style so that we might insert the shop towel in and replace it when necessary. Since washing it will deteriorate it over time, it would be nice to be able to see what shape it is in and replace it as needed.
HI Jen!
The simplest way would be to sew just the cotton layers, turn it, and then insert the towel layer.
I’m curious about the same thing. Could you elaborate on what you mean by “turn it”?
turn it right side out
I’m SO excited to try this pattern! I knew you’d come up with something great! You always do! I think this pattern will be simpler than any pleated pattern I’ve seen. I’m grateful that the Hydro Knot towels are something that can be recommended as a good filter.
Oops, that should say Hydro Knit.
I want to try this mask. I have made several that were rectangles with pleats at each side and long ties. This one looks much nicer.
When I went to print this pattern, I needed a PDF membership so I didn’t print it that way.
My problem is that when I printed from your actual instruction site, my computer instructed the printer to print at 73%! Would that sound correct? I chose to print at 100% but now wonder if that is a correct size.
Is the grid on your pattern to measure at 1″ intervals?
I love your site and have downloaded a lot of your 18″ fleece doll patterns! Thank you so much. You have made it so easy for me to use up scrap fleece but also my other fabric scraps. (I looked up the various YouTube sites for the “burrito” method to make tops reversible.) Your site is absolutely awesome and greatly appreciated. Thanks.
(I really only need feedback on the 73% vs. 100% printed pattern. It automatically printed both the adult and child sizes, page 1 and page 2.)
It needs to print at 100% I need to put up a new pattern with a 1 inch measure ( I forgot to add it!) I will try to update it tomorrow.
Is there a specific reason for washing/drying material twice before assembly? Or just for preshrinking purposes? Is this also for fabrics like the duck cloth? Thanks!
Yes it’s to insure that it’s shrunk as much as it will before sewing the mask.
Do you see the darts to a point or just 1/4” seam throughout?
You sew them to a point using a 1/4 seam allowance
Thank you, very much for sharing this pattern! Glad I found it in my search. Not only that but your site is wonderful. I love to sew and I know I will refer here often.
I do have a question regarding the mask. I did receive an older one from a friend, but have never used it. I was just planning on cutting by hand. My question is, do you have a way for printing down the instruction, with or without the photos? My sewing area is not near my computer and it would be nice to do all at the ssewing table.
Thank you!
LindaJ
I’m sorry I don’t have a print out avaialbe at the moment but I am working on it!
The above comment is lacking a sentence. My computer is not working well today. I do not have a cricut. The one I do have that wa given to me is bout 8 years old.
HI Linda, then just use the pdf pattern and cut it out. 🙂
Thank you so much for this! But, the photo of the man wearing it shows both ties under the ears….shouldn’t the top tie go above the ears? And the photo doesn’t show the nos3 piece, was it made inside instead?
Hi! Was curious if I could just sew elastic looks to go around ears like conventional masks? Would that still work?
yes that works – I just hate ear masks – that my personal bias.
Thanks for making a pattern available with no seam at the nose! Just one suggestion for cutting out. If you eliminate the seam allowance on the pattern and mark the seam line with a removable marker (I use Frixion pens), you can stitch on the seam line accurately after stacking 2 sides right sides together and then rough cut out with pinking shears.
OOps! I just realized that the 2 cotton layers are formed separately. I still think this method would work but you’d have to mark each piece. Will be trying it both ways to figure out which is easier.
Well, I’m part way through making 7 masks for the family. I tested yours against 5 other designs, and unfortunately (I’ll explain why) yours was FAR AND AWAY the winner among ALL my testers! The reason it’s unfortunate is that it was the most time consuming to make. I don’t have a cricut, so each layer of each one had to be cut by hand. The good thing was that my husband thought this design was so superior that he even volunteered to make me a cardboard template to draw round, and do a lot of the cutting himself! I used only three layers, the middle being interfacing as we don’t have anything like ‘shop towels’ here. But that still meant cutting out 21 pieces, sewing 7 x 3 x 6 darts – that’s 126 darts – with an ordinary sewing machine, and snipping and pressing 108 darts (I didn’t iron the darts in the interfacing, but finger pressed them as I went). I’ve done all that now, so now it’s the easy bit – putting them together! I mention this not in any way to be critical, quite the reverse, they are going to be well worth it. But there have been times when I’ve been saying – Gee, thanks a lot, Angel, for producing a great pattern that everyone preferred, without any discussion between them! And even when I looked pathetic and told them they had picked the hardest one.
Hi Sheila!
Um Sorry, not sorry? Bless you for taking such good care of your family. I’m honored that my pattern was the winner. My goal was to make an effective pattern – unfortunately it does take some sewing skill and time to make – but it sounds like you handled it like a champ. I am so happy to hear that your husband helped too!
How long are the pipe cleaners?
no particular length – I folded it down to fit and trimmed it a little.
Thank You
I made a bunch for friends and almost everyone needs it bigger by 1” all around
New size just up!
Trying to upload the pattern from the emailed link. The link just asks if I want to download the pattern link and I click on it and nothing seems to happen. I’m trying to do this on my phone. Did I miss something?
Sherrie
HI Sherrie,
The email provides a zip folder because of the all the SVG files in it. It’s better to download on a desktop/ laptop.
My son uses a respirator occasionally for his job ( he wears the kind with the cartridges) so has been picky on how well he wants his mask to fit. This is the first mask that he’s been happy with the fit. I only had to make to minor tweaks, using bias tape so that I didn’t have to trim the seam allowance, making the nose wire longer and moving it to the seam of the nose bridge and moving the elastic placement at the top of the face from the top corners inward about an inch. This made a snugger fit for his face shape. Now that you’ve provided a larger pattern, I can make one without the bias tape. Hopefully it will save me time in the future.
Thanks so much for your work on this pattern.
You’re welcome! Glad you were able to adjust the mask so it works for your needs. Good tips on changing the elastic to make it fit better too.
I already left a comment above (22/04/20) after making the first few, have now made several more and still pleased with the pattern, (I’ve just used the regular / original adult size for all, works fine for us.) The only further suggestion I’ve got is that my daughter commented she wanted a longer nose wire, so it goes not just over the nose but along the face either side a bit. It was more effective at stopping glasses from steaming up. So I’m now making a longer bias strip arced round the mask shape a bit, to house the wire, and putting in 5-6″.
Good idea, glad you found a hack that works for you.
If elastic is not available, t-shirt strips work well for ties. Cut 3/4″ strips
going across the t-shirt. Pull to stretch, and the raw ends just fold right
into the strip. Cut your strip into 4 pieces to make the ties.
Great tip!
HI I signed up for the SVG files for the mask and it will not open at all. Any suggestions? I really love the look of this and want to make some for my kids
Are you one your phone? It’s a zip file you might need to look closer at the email for instructions
Thank you so much for the patterns!
It’s me again, I’ve already commented twice before on how good I think the pattern is, though I now add a longer nose wire, and attach it inside so it doesn’t come out in the wash.. But I’ve now got another question. This is the first time I’ve tried making any for children using the children’s pattern, and I’m finding it hard to get the fit right. It seems like the darts are just as long as on the adult version, it’s just th3e central part that’s smaller, so the result is that it seems very small and deep. (Like a beak!) In between the side darts is so narrow that I couldn’t do 1/4″ seam or I would be sewing one seam on top of another one. Do you have any tips? I think I’m going to leave the bottom open to turn it, there isn’t enough length at the sides.