Materials:

• Tea towel or other piece of 100% cotton non-stretch fabric that is at least 18 inches wide and 18 inches tall

• Needle and thread or sewing machine

• Scissors

• Fabric pins or clips

• Measuring tape or ruler

Step 1, The Cut:

Cut four strips of fabric that are about 18 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches wide. Next cut two rectangles that are 6.5x9.5 inches.

Step 2, The Ties That Bind:

Fold each end of the long side of the strips inward toward the center. Then fold these two ends together so that the raw edge of the fabric is safely tucked away. Do this for the full length of the fabric, pinning or clipping as you go. Repeat this process for the other three long strips. Now, sew along the folded edge of the strips to make your ties. You can tie a knot or stitch the ends to keep them from fraying.

Step 3, Assembly:

Place your ties, facing inward, on the right side of one of the rectangular pieces of fabric with the ends overlapping the corners and pointing inward. Place your other rectangle right-side-down and pin or clip it all together.

Step 4, Sew Sew:

Starting on one of the longer sides of the rectangle and leaving a space of about 2.5 inches in the middle, sew all around the piece, making sure you only go over each tie once, at its corner. Protip: Backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing, and over the ties to make them more secure (optional). Now turn the whole thing inside out.

Step 5, Just Pleat It:

At about half an inch from the top of your mask, pinch the fabric and turn some of it down to form a pleat, and pin or clip it down. Go down the same distance from the bottom of this place as you did from the top and do this again twice, which should give you three evenly spaced pleats. Repeat on the other side.

Step 6, the final sew:

With your pleats pinned in place, do one final stitch all around the mask to lock down the pleats and finish off the edge we left earlier.

And you’re done! Go out on your essential errands or to work with a little more confidence that you’re doing what you can to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is important to note that this mask won’t catch 100% of particles from a cough or sneeze, so you do still need to cover your coughs and wash your hands often.