If there is one thing I’m sure about in these “unprecedented times” it’s that masks are here to stay. I don’t really leave the house unless it is for shopping or some outdoor activity and I always bring a mask with me. Here in Maryland, masks are required in all businesses and outdoor public areas. I know for certain this is not the case in other states, but it’s my personal opinion it should be. And it just so happens the CDC thinks so too. So allow me to get a little candid on the mask wearing “issue” below:
Why We Need To Wear Masks
I just don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t wear a mask? On the news I see protests of people against wearing masks?? As if local governments and local businesses requiring us to wear masks goes against our liberties? When it just protects other people and minimizes the spread of a deadly disease. Refusing to wear a mask or social distance will not make the virus go away. News flash: COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. If you are so set on life returning to ‘normal’ as soon as possible, you need to wear the damn mask! I’ll admit masks can be uncomfortable, but then again…SO IS COVID! The threat of this virus is real and even if you don’t feel sick, you could be a carrier of the virus and get someone who is more at risk sick. The truth is, wearing a mask isn’t so much for you, as much as it is for other people. And I know it is so hard to get Americans people to care about other people and express empathy. But if the absolute least you can do in your daily life for your neighbor or your family or a complete stranger is wear a mask, why not do it?
If you’re confused by the science of why we should be wearing a mask, I recommend reading this link and this link and checking out the infographic below.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I hope you’re being smart and wearing masks. I wanted to give you some viable mask wearing options and share a new hobby I’ve developed. Personally, I think if we have to wear masks everywhere, we can make them a fun part of our outfits. I know a lot of people have those single-use masks and I just think that is so wasteful. Investing in a washable, cloth mask is definitely worth it and you have the ability to customize these masks and have them match your personal style.
I Learned How To Make Masks
The other day my mom taught me how to make my own masks! She is a third grade teacher and has been pretty bored this summer. She taught herself to make masks after we found an old sewing machine in the garage. Fun fact: my Aunt Joann gave me this sewing machine when I was 8 when I said I wanted to be a fashion designer. We completely forgot about it until my mom was cleaning out the garage with Oma. It is in great condition!
My Oma is really good at hand-sewing and my mom is pretty experienced with a sewing machine. I’ve always wanted to learn how to sew and make my own clothes. I had very limited knowledge already from Girl Scouts, but I have literally not touched a sewing machine in years. It’s on my list of 101 things to learn how to use our sewing machine, so I’m glad I can already cross that off the list!
A few weeks ago my mom walked me through how to make a very basic cloth face mask. What impresses me the most is that she actually taught herself! Her teacher friends shared a PDF with her via email and we found a lot of old fabric from old school projects in our craft closet.
I’m not about to explain how to sew your own mask because I am not an expert. Here is the link we followed to get started. I bought some elastic from Etsy and like I mentioned above, we already had fabric lying around the house. I’m considering buying more fabric when we run out, since this has become a hobby of mine. Click here for a free PDF of the mask pattern print out my mom and I have been using for our masks.
Practice definitely makes perfect! I have messed up on quite a few masks but it’s nothing too major and a lot of the time, my mom will help me fix it. I’ve made 4 masks all by myself so far, but my mom has made close to 15! We’ve been giving them out to our friends and family, and we’re also stock-piling a bunch for our beach vacation next week. I’m hoping that once I master masks, I can start sewing other things!
Where To Buy Masks
For anyone with a sewing machine around, I totally recommend learning how to make one yourself! Like I mentioned above, I think being required to wear masks is going to be around for a while. But if you’re not a very crafty person, here are some links below where you can buy masks!
I just want to add that these are not medical-grade masks. They are intended to be worn for non-medical purposes to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but that is not guaranteed. I also want to add a small FYI that I may get a small compensation if you click or buy from these links:
Etsy has the best variety for masks! Not to mention, I love supporting small businesses. Here are a few fun patterns I saw on Etsy that I would consider buying if I wasn’t making masks myself:
Here are some affiliate links of masks I think are super cute from larger companies:
Where are you buying your masks? Comment below!
Thanks for reading, and wear a damn mask xx