How to Make a Pleated Face Mask

Instructions

1. Start by cutting one piece of fabric 8" x 14-1/2" for the main face mask and two pieces of fabric 2-1/4" x 4" for the end piece casings. If you are making a lot of face masks, go ahead and layer your fabrics, pull out your rotary cutter and cut away!
2. Take the larger piece of fabric, fold it in half right sides together, lining up the 8" sides. Sew in 2" from each edge with a 1/2" seam allowance. There will be a 4" unstitched section in the middle of the seam. See the video for an Easy Way to Make the Pleats for Your Face Mask below.
3. Go to your ironing board and press the seam open. The gap in the middle will be how you place the nose wire in its pocket when the mask is complete.
4. Turn the mask right side out. Then line up this seam about 1/2" down from the top fold. Use your 1/2" seam allowance as the guide. This will be the inside of your mask where you will place the nose wire when you finish the mask.
   
   I've intentionally opened the gap so you can see.
5. Now we'll press the pleats in the mask. With the inside of the mask facing up (the side with the seam allowance and gap), fold in half with folded edges together and press.
6. Open up the folded fabric. Using the pressed line as your guide, now fold from the top down to the pressed line.
7. Next, fold the bottom up to the center pressed line so that the folded edges meet.
8. Now fold this in half, making an accordion fold.
9. Press well. This will create your pleats. When you open it, you'll see three pleat lines on the right side of your mask.
10. Lightly finger press the pleats down. Make sure the opening for the nose wire on the the back is at the top. This makes sure the pleats will be going down your face when wearing the mask.
11. Adjust the pleats evenly with your fingers until the finished height for the mask is about 3". Press the pleats in place. Watch the video below to help you make the pleats, with some tips I learned along the way of making a LOT of masks.
12. Now we are ready to finish the edges of the pleated face mask. Place the right side of each edge piece (casing) to the wrong side of the mask at each end, matching the centers. See how the edge piece is wider than the mask? This extra fabric will finish off that edge.
13. Fold the extended edges of the casing to the front of the mask and clip. I find using the clips is easier than pinning for this step.
14. Take this to your sewing machine and sew raw edges together with a 1/2" seam allowance.
15. Open your fabric out. See how it will cover the raw edge.
16. Back to the ironing board and press in the seam allowances from the long edges.
17. Turn over and fold the casings to the right side of the mask, then turn in the edges twice and clip.
18. Leaving the top and bottom open, top stitch along the open edge. (Sorry for the blurry picture) This forms the casings for the strap or elastic.
19. Next, we'll make the pocket for the nose wire. Turn the mask with the Inside up. See where that gap is on the back? Sew an L shape from the upper edge of the. mask at each edge of the gap, down to almost the seam line, turn and sew about 1". The following two images help explain this step.
    
    Sew from the top edge of the mask almost down to the seam line, at the end of the opening. Stop with needled down.
20. Pivot the mask 90 degrees so you are now sewing towards the center of the mask. Topstitch the nose wire pocket 1". Do this on both sides of the pocket. See how there is an opening in the middle? This is where you'll insert the nose wire.
21. Cut wire and round the edges. I'd use 18 gauge wire if I had any in the house, but I didn't. So, I doubled up some plastic covered floral wire, and used my needle nose pliers to curl the edges. This make it more comfortable on your nose, as well as makes sure there are no raw wire edges that might poke through the fabric onto your nose bridge.
22. Insert the wire into the pocket.
23. Now you are ready for your elastic or straps. It's a personal preference - some people prefer elastic, and some prefer straps. I had this t-shirt knit which makes really soft straps.
    
    Cut a 1" strip from the 60" wide fabric. Cut it in half for two 30" strips of knit. Light weight knit like this curl and make a great, soft strap - so no finishing needed!
    
    If you are using elastic, cut two (2) pieces of 1/8" wide elastic at 12" length. Don't use elastic wider than 1/4" - it will not be comfortable.
    
    Use a safety pin or a bodkin to thread the strap or elastic through the opening in the side casing.
24. Here I'm putting the strap through the casing with a bodkin.
25. Here is the finished pleated face mask, from the inside. See how the wire helps shape the nose.
26. Here is a close-up of the wire nose bridge. You can bend it to fit your nose. And, if you bend it so. much it breaks, because it is in a pocket, you can easily replace it. Remove the nose wire before washing.
27. And, the finished face mask - ready to go out in public in style.