Face Masks: 3 Ways to Utilize Your African Print Fabric During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shockwaves around the world. With recent changes in CDC recommendations, you might be short a face mask or two.

Here is how you can use African fabric to make face masks, so you can try to protect yourself and others when running essential errands.

1. Make a No-Sew Face Mask

If you are not skilled in the sewing department, there are tons of no-sew face mask options out there for you. You can use fabric ties to replace sewing in some patterns, although that could complicate cleaning between uses.

If you lack any sewing skills whatsoever, you can make a simple face mask by just cutting your fabric into a large square, folding it in half, and tying it around your face. Voila, a bandana face mask!

However, you will need to make sure you have some sort of filter inserted inside your face mask. If you do not have access to medical-grade equipment, you can use a coffee filter or a similar product as a replacement.

2. Do Some Sewing

If you have a little more time on your hands, you can sew a custom mask to protect yourself even more. There are tons of face mask patterns you can find out there, but you want to make sure you find one with filter pockets for the highest possible level of safety.

You will need some basic equipment to make a face mask, including a needle and thread, scissors, and pins.

Most patterns will also require ties or elastics, to secure the mask around your face, but you may be able to substitute with a shoelace or another household item.

If you do not have that equipment on hand, it may still be available for ordering online.

3. Help Out Others

If you have enough African fabric, you can make masks to donate to healthcare professionals who are short on PPE (personal protective equipment). While home-sewn masks do not meet minimum healthcare protocols, with the extreme shortages worldwide, they are certainly better than nothing.

You can pick from a wide variety of different prints to provide a little bit of pizzazz to hospitals and clinics.

If you are creating a large number of masks, it would be helpful to have a sewing machine on hand. If that is not available to you, try enlisting some other members of your household to help out!

Crafting in the Time of COVID-19

It is a scary time for everyone right now, and a lot of people want to take action to help out. Using your African fabric to create face masks for yourself, your family, and charity is a great way for you to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

Looking for more information about African print fabric? Check out our other blogs or contact us!

AKN Fabrics is recognized worldwide for selling the highest quality African fabrics and textiles at low prices. With new designs arriving daily, we always have a great selection of African fabrics and textiles to choose from.