Easy ways to make DIY face coverings, following the CDC’s latest guidance to wear them in public
From shoelaces to hair ties and old T-shirts, here are ways the CDC recommends you should cover your face.
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It’s time to cover up, if you’re still going out.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control put out a new “Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-based Transmission.” The words “face coverings” are used so as not to be confused with critical medical supplies, such as N-95 respirators and surgical masks.
The recommendation follows recent CDC studies that have shown a significant portion of infected individuals can transmit the virus to others even before showing symptoms. “This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity — for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing — even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms,” the CDC outlined.
While the recommendation is not mandatory, and some, including President Trump, have decided not to do it, the new federal guidelines advise that all Americans wear face coverings in public to help stop the spread.
So here are a few ways on how to make your own face covering at home, using supplies that can be easily found around the house.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams shows in this tutorial how to create one out of an old T-shirt and rubber bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx1yqvJgf4&feature=youtu.be
Gather Here, an arts and crafts store located in Cambridge, put out this tutorial on how to put together a face covering using fabric and crafting materials. (Involves stitching — a heads up for those who are not needle-savvy.)
Journalist Christie Diez shows a no-sew mask method that uses two hair elastics and a scarf.
https://www.facebook.com/christie.diez11Alive/videos/1043175302727733/?vh=e&d=n
For the advanced, here is step-by-step tutorial from the New York Times on how to sew together a face covering using shoelaces.
Lastly, here is one other easy no-sew method that shows how to turn a square cloth, such as a tea towel or bandana, into a mask within minutes.
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