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Introduction
This pattern is intended to be a fast and simple way to create face masks in bulk without any sewing and with minimal crochet experience needed.
If you don’t have the same tools available to you as I do, such as a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and skip blade, scissors and a needle will also do the trick. I use these tools for the sake of efficiency, and because I already own them. You can substitute almost any of the specialty tools I have listed with items you already have in your home.
Cotton yarn is recommended because it is able to withstand many washes on high heat and is also comfortable to wear.
Materials Needed
Cotton Tea Towels or Flour Sack Towels (or any 100% cotton fabric)
Skip Blade with a Rotary Cutter (optional, but recommended)
Rotary Cutter (also optional, but recommended)
Safe Cutting Surface such as a self-healing cutting mat
Ruler for use with Rotary Cutter (such as a Quilting Ruler or a metal ruler)
Cotton Yarn – I Love This Cotton by Hobby Lobby is used as demonstration, but any cotton yarn will work fine.
Crochet Hook size G
Bobby Pins (or any clips you have available)
Scissors
Yarn needle
Pattern Notes
Hook size is not particularly important for this pattern, I just find the smaller hook is easier to fit into the small holes created by the skip blade.
If you do not have a skip stitch blade for use with a rotary cutter, you can also use a needle, awl, or craft knife to create each individual hole in the fabric to stitch around the mask.
Each mask uses a double layer of cotton fabric.
Due to the varying sizes of tea towels and flour sack towels, you may get a different number of masks from each towel. The towels I have are 31” x 31” and I am able to get 6 masks from one towel.
This pattern is for a standard adult-size face mask, but the methods used can easily be adapted to make other sizes.
If you’re right-handed, you’ll be crocheting counterclockwise around the fabric. Start your crochet at the lower-right corner of your mask. If you’re left-handed (like me), you’ll be crocheting clockwise around the mask, starting at the lower-left corner of your mask.
The use of cotton tea towels or flour sack towels has been adapted from guidance found in this sewing tutorial.
Crochet Stitches Used
Slip Knot
Slip Stitch: insert hook into indicated stitch, yarn over, pull through all loops on the hook.
Chain: yarn over, pull the yarn through the loop on the hook
Single Crochet: insert hook into indicated stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops on the hook
Pattern
Prepping the Fabric
1. Wash your towels or cotton fabric on the warmest setting and dry on high heat.
2. If desired, iron your washed fabrics (I generally skip this step).
3. Cut off any seams around the edge of the towel. I use a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler for this step, but use what you have available.
4. Cut your towel into 9” x 6” rectangles. Try to get as many 9”x6” pieces as possible from one towel. You can also cut 18” x 6” pieces and fold them in half (then skip the next step).
5. Line up two rectangles on top of each other.
6. Using the skip stitch blade in your rotary cutter, cut holes about ½” from each of the four edges of the rectangles. Be sure to press firmly so the blade cuts through all layers of fabric in one pass so that the holes line up through both layers.
I like to fold the double-layered fabric in half widthwise and cut the holes on the opposing sides at the same time, then unfold, fold in half lengthwise, and cut the holes along the long edges. This cuts all four edges through both layers of fabric in two passes with the skip blade.
If you don’t have a skip blade and rotary cutter, use what you have available to cut small, evenly-spaced holes around all four edges of the fabric, and through both layers.
7. Pleat the fabric in two places along each 6” edge. Clip in place. I use bobby pins slipped into the holes cut in the last step to ensure the holes line up, and to hold the fabric in place while crocheting.
The size of the pleats is not particularly important, just do your best to ensure your pleats are folded evenly, and in such a way that you can still crochet through the fabric where you’ve cut your holes.
You may even opt to pin down the pleats before cutting the holes, depending on the cutting tools you’re using. I find that using the skip stitch blade makes it easier for me to line up the pleats after cutting the holes.
Crocheting
8. With a slip knot on your hook, insert your hook into the first hole created at the bottom edge (through all layers of the fabric) and single crochet. See pattern notes about which corner to start from.
9. Single crochet in each hole across the short edge of the fabric, crocheting your pleats into place as you go, until you reach the first corner.
10. Chain 30. Note, the goal is to make this chain 7” long. If you need a different number of stitches to make a 7” tail, just note how many stitches that is so you can repeat it for the opposite side.
11. Single crochet into each chain back to the corner of the fabric. This is referred to as the ‘tail’ from this point forward.
12. Single crochet into the same hole at the corner of the fabric to secure the tail to the mask.
13. Chain one, and place a single crochet into the next hole along the top edge of the fabric. Repeat the [chain one, single crochet] across the entire long edge of the mask until you reach the opposite corner.
14. Repeat step 10.
15. Repeat step 11.
16. Repeat step 12.
17. Single crochet in each hole across the short edge of the fabric, crocheting your pleats into place as you go, until you have one stitch left before the corner. In the corner stitch, insert your hook through the fabric, then insert your hook into the last stitch of your tail, ensuring that the tail is not twisted (see picture at right). Finish the single crochet by yarning over, pulling through both the tail and fabric, then yarn over, pull through both loops on the hook. This effectively pins the tail to this corner and forms the loop that goes around the ear when worn.
18. Single crochet into the same hole at the corner of the fabric to further secure the tail to the mask.
19. Chain one, and place a single crochet into the next hole along the long edge of the fabric. Repeat the [chain one, single crochet] across the entire long edge of the mask until you reach the opposite corner with one single crochet left. Pin the tail into place in the same manner as in the previous two steps.
20. Slip stitch to the first stitch created. Cut your yarn with a 4” tail.
21. Using a yarn needle, weave in your beginning and ending yarn tails.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy making these masks! Feel free to sell your finished pieces if that is your thing. Or donate your finished pieces to any of the many organizations needing face masks.
If you do post your finished items online, please credit me as the pattern designer. Also, feel free to tag me in your photos so I can see your finished masks! 🙂
*The photos on this pattern belong to Alicia Mugaas of Craftily Concocted and may not be used for product sales/product listings (please take your own photos). Please share a link back to my shop or website if you would like someone else to see or work with this pattern. Thank you so much and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me!*