Pleated Fabric Mask Tutorial

After making hundreds of masks, I’m finally ready to share my process in blog form. Sharing this free tutorial is a way for me to give back as much as I can. If you find this tutorial helpful, please consider paying it forward however you can. Feel free to use this tutorial to make or sell, but I do ask that you credit me when sharing. If sewing isn’t your thing, I currently have handmade masks in my shop and am donating a portion of each sale.

Some notes before I get into everything:

I’ve been sewing fabric masks since March and have been through a lot of ups and downs. Read my post on what I’ve learned and tips.
I wasn’t going to sell initially and didn’t think I would ever want to, but I’m finding joy in creating a mask that people want to wear.
Sizing has been a big source of anxiety for me. Although I could add even more options, these are the ones I’ve decided to offer in my shop to hopefully encompass most faces. This tutorial is very specific to the ones I make so feel free to adapt.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a medical or surgical mask. Please refer to CDC guidelines for helpful information on how to wear a cloth face covering.

Alright, let’s get to the tutorial!

Gather Supplies:

100% cotton fabric. Quilting cotton in two different prints/colors is great so you can tell the front from the back. The amount will depend on the size you make. Pre-wash fabric before cutting to reduce shrinkage issues.
Ear loops. The size of elastic you use is super important. I prefer using 1/8″ elastic as this is one of my not-so-secret tips for ultimate comfort. Anything wider will be less comfortable, but I understand elastic is hard to come by right now. Another comfortable option: knit fabric (an old t-shirt is great).
Adjustable nose piece. My preferred option is from Fancy Tiger Crafts. It’s made just for this purpose and ideal because it’s flat, adjustable, and washable. You could also get creative with other options (pipe cleaner, twisty tie, paper clip, etc.).
Notions: thread, pins/clips, and needle (a larger needle size if possible to help sew through all the layers).

Choose a Size:

Sizing makes a huge difference in comfort so finding the right fit has been a focus for me. I started with the tutorial from Seams Right Design and adapted from there. Although the elastic can be knotted or twisted for a tighter fit, having a great fit makes it so much easier to wear.

Cut 2 of everything: 1 fabric front, 1 fabric back, and 2 elastics.

Adult: 9″ x 6″ fabric. 7″ elastic. Fits most adults.
Youth: 8″ x 6″ fabric. 7″elastic. Fits most teens and small adults.
Petite: 7.5″ x 5″ fabric. 7″ elastic. Fits smaller faces.
Child: 7.5″ x 5″ fabric. 6″ elastic. Fits most children up to age 12.

For reference, my husband wears adult, my teenage son wears youth, I wear petite, and my upper elementary aged daughter wears child.

Instructions

1. Pin elastic. Working with the right side of one fabric piece, pin the ends of the elastic 3/8″ away from the long edges. Make sure the elastic isn’t twisted as you pin in place.

2. Time to sew. Place the two fabric pieces right sides together. The elastic is now sandwiched between with pins. You can pin in place if you’d like, but I just sew as I go. With a 1/4″ seam allowance, start on a short edge and sew all sides making sure to turn at each corner with the needle down. Stop sewing 1.5″ from your starting stitch. Be sure you backstitch when you start/stop.

3. Turn and iron. Using the opening, turn the mask right side out and iron. Be sure to avoid ironing the elastic.

4. Pleating. At this point, you can add pleats with the help of an iron and/or pins. I find it easier to pleat as I topstitch, but it’s definitely a personal preference. I recommend 3 pleats with every size measuring ~3/8″ each.

Adult and Youth should be ~3″ tall once pleated.
Petite and Child should be ~2.5″ tall once pleated.

A note on pleats: These can be fussy, but remember they don’t have to be perfect. You could get away with less pleats (especially with the child size), but it would mean it wouldn’t contour as well to the face.

5. Adding the nose piece. Slide the nose piece into the opening. Center it at the top of the mask and pin in place. (I prefer using clips for this part.)

6. Sew nose piece in place. Starting at the top corner of the mask, sew 1/4″ away from edge until you reach the nose piece. Turn and sew a few stitches on one side of the nose piece. I sew this a couple of times to reinforce the stitches. Continue sewing along the edge while keeping the nose piece in place. When you reach the other end of the nose piece, turn and do the same reinforced stitching.

7. Topstitching. Finish topstitching the rest of the mask while carefully sewing over the pleats. You’ll want to sew 1/4″ away from the edge on all 4 sides, however, I like to get closer to 1/8″ on the shorter sides to ensure I close the opening.