Why:

There is a global pandemic occurring due to the virus COVID-19. The CDC has recently suggested that everyone begin wear masks when going to thee grocery store or other essential businesses. The goal of this mask is to be made of material accessible to everyone and to protect average citizens from COVID-19 exposure.

What:

A cloth face mask with two types of filtering that is securely fastened around thee nostrils and moth area. The mask will fit someone with my face size but can easily be adjusted for people smaller or larger than me. The straps that secured the mask will go around the back of the head rather than around the ear in order for the mask to be more comfortable.

Requirements That Inspired the Design:

Fits someone with my face size
Filters to the best of its ability without restricting breathing
Two types filtering
Comfortable enough to wear for 4 or More hours
Made of household materials

Supplies

T-shirt
Gauze
Rubber-bands or Ribbons
Superglue
Paperclip
Scissors

Step 1: Cut Out Mask-Shape From a Cotton T-shirt

For the fabric used I uploaded an image of the distribution of ingredients in my t-shirt. My t-shirt was 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Cut out 4 pieces of fabric from the t-shirt with the shape shown in the image. Thee shape can be adjusted based upon facial structure; however I included the measurement of my cut-out and the over-all measurement of my entire mask that was design too fit my specific face.

Step 2: Adding Shape to the Mask

Bend a paperclip into a u shape that fits securely around the nose area. After the paperclip is bent in the desirable fashion glue the paperclip to the top area of one layer of fabric. (highlighted) Then glue another ayer of fabric onto top of the paperclip so the paperclip is sandwiched in-between two layers of fabric. If you don't have paperclips, you can use the metal that bind spiral notebook.

Step 3: Gauze

The gauze will be the second layer of filtering. Two layers of filtering are recommended via Forbes. Glue the Outer edges of the gauze on the two layers of fabric already glued together. The gauze will be the middle layer of the mask. The black square on the mask represents the area covered by the gauze, where the white squiggles represent where glue should be used to attach the gauze to the fabric. I also uploaded an image of the glue I used in the next step.

Step 4: Assembling the Other Layers

The next step is to glue the next two layers on top of the gauze. After this step you should have a cohesive mask shaped by a paperclip around the nostril area and 4 layers of t-shirt fabric and gauzes. The only part missing from the mask is the straps. Allow the glare to dry for about an hour to ensure the mask will not come apart.

Step 5: Securing the Mask

The last step is adding rubber bands or ribbons. Take a rubber band that fits securely (but not too tightly) around your forehead and slice it in so it resembles a piece of string. After I cut my rubber bands, they were 7in in length (not stretched). You will glue the end of the rubber-band onto both sides of the top of the mask (highlighted in pink). Repeat this step except this time glue the two end to the bottom edges of the mask (highlighted in blue). At Target, you can buy an assortment of rubber bands and find one that fits your face.