DIY No-Sew Coronavirus Face Mask Tutorials Using Paper Towels, Coffee Filters + More!

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Should you be worried about wearing a face mask while out during quarantine? California Governor, Gavin Newsom, addressed guidelines on wearing face masks during his coronavirus press conference on Wednesday (April 1.)

Photo by Fixitsamo

Officials reported the number of COVID-19 cases in California dramatically increased on Wednesday (April 1) to 8,155 cases and 171 deaths. Cases of the virus in Los Angeles jumped to more than 3,518 patients and 65 deaths.

With numbers on the rise, California authorities stated that facial coverings can serve as an extra protection guard against contracting the coronavirus. While wearing a mask doesn't guarantee you won't get sick, State Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell acknowledged the benefits of facial coverings for personal use given the new evidence suggesting the large number of infected people that never show symptoms.

“There is some evidence that using face coverings may reduce asymptotic infections,” Angell said on Wednesday.

She also advised the public against buying N95 masks that take away resources from health care centers, where hospital-grade masks are necessary. State officials continue to work on meeting the needs of hospitals for N95 masks and other protective gear.

While some folks are lucky enough to have medical masks on hand, most people don’t. Many will be faced with the challenge of protecting their face when there are no other options available.

In the absence of commercial masks, homemade fabric masks offer limited protection and if re-used are bound to get some level of contamination. A 2015 study of over 1,000 healthcare workers in Hanoi, Vietnam, found that those who were assigned to wear cloth masks were more likely to get a respiratory virus than those who wore medical masks, made of thick fibers that catch a range of particles. Still, homemade masks are better than nothing.

We went on a search to find an easy, affordable way to create an improvised face mask with household materials. We found a few DIY videos using items such as paper towels and coffee filters. No pattern, sewing, or material needed. The paper serves as a better filter than fabric, and you can toss it in the trash when you’re done.

Easy: How to Make a DIY face mask out of Paper Towels and rubber bands by Natman Steady Learning.

Easy: Here is another version of the paper towel and rubber band face mask by Fixitsamo. He also has a video on DIY hand sanitizer on his Youtube channel.

Moderate: How to make a DIY face mask out of coffee filters by The Modern Survivalist.

Moderate/Difficult: How to make a DIY face mask from a vacuum cleaner bag by Dr. Ryan Southworth

In the video, the doctor explains how to make the safest face mask at home. He claims his version of DIY face mask is comparable to a medical grade N95 mask. The video offers links to directions and patterns needed to make it. Dr. Southworth also explains why homemade cloth or fabric masks are not ideal to protect against catching or spreading coronavirus (COVID-19.) This version involves minimal sewing.

Simple: Cover your face with cloth — from your mouth to your nose. Make sure the cloth is tight enough around your face to prevent large aerosol droplets coming out or going in.

Governor Newsom emphasized that masks should not replace physical distancing and hand-washing. See below for the full coronavirus press conference.

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