Eye Mask + Pattern

This instructable will teach you how to sew your own eye mask. It's a little oversized and has excellent light defeating properties. :D You can fill it with anything you like - my personal favorites are jasmine rice and dried lavender, but this time I am choosing to just line it with felt.

I've included a basic eye mask pattern which you can alter as needed. This eye mask uses very little fabric and just a tiny bit of elastic and is very easy to sew. It's such a small project you can even sew it by hand! It's also a good candidate for adding some embroidery or razzle dazzle. Whatever you want!

Step 1: What You'll Need:

• eye mask pattern (included on this step)
• scissors
• pins
• sewing machine or thread + needle
• 1/4 inch or wider elastic
• fabric of choice (something medium or heavy is best - upholstery fabric is great here!)
• felt for lining and/or something to fill the mask

Normally I like to do unlined masks and fill them with jasmine rice and a bit of dried lavender, but I decided to go back to basics this time and only used felt to line the mask.

Step 2: Print the Pattern and Cut Out Pieces!

Cut out the mask and pin liberally to your fabric, then cut it out.

If you want a felt lining, do the same with the felt.

Step 3: Measure Elastic and Pin Everything Together.

To measure your elastic, hold one end at the outside edge of your right eye, stretch it gently with the other hand and pull the other end of the elastic around the back of your head until you reach the outer edge of your left eye. Hold this spot with the fingers of your left hand and trim.

Place one side of the mask on the table, right side facing up. Pin the elastic to the right edge as shown, then pin to the other edge. Bunch the elastic in the middle of the mask.

Lay the other half of the mask right side down on the first. If you're using felt, place that on top.

Now pin everything together! Leave a space a little wider than normal between two pins - this will let you know where to avoid sewing. You'll turn the mask right side out there.

Step 4: Sew and Trim!

First remove all the pins! To remove the ones holding the elastic to the mask, slip your fingers between the two pieces of cloth the mask is made of and pull the pins out.

Starting at the right edge of where you want your opening to be, sew all around the mask using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, ending at the pin marking the left side of the opening.

Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing line.

Clip your strings and then cut the excess felt away very close to the sewing line. (Maybe leave 1/8 inch?)

Go back around (with pinking shears if you have them!) and cut away the excess fabric and elastic, leaving 1/4 inch or less, except for the opening - leave the full amount there! You'll be turning this in and sewing over it to close the opening.

Step 5: Turn It Right Side Out, Fold in the Opening and Topstitch the Edges!

To turn the mask right side out, reach into the opening between the two pieces of the mask and begin to pull the insides out. You'll want to do this slowly and carefully so you don't rip any stitches. :)

Gently tuck the excess fabric of the opening into the opening so that it folds over itself and forms a nice clean, curved line as shown in the second photo.

Once this is done, topstitch the entire edge of the eye mask using a 1/4 seam allowance. This will make the mask look more professional, let it lay flatter, and close the opening.

Step 6: And You're Done!

Enjoy being able to take naps anywhere, anytime!

Comments

[CuteUnicorn]

nice!

[kayemmdee]

This can be improved on by bringing the mask up at the bridge of the nose more - to keep the mask from drawing up - and compensating by having a small additional piece added below. Similar to the one in this pic. Light gets in under the mask at the nose without this design addition.

[ymgagnon]

I made one of these for my wife with two layers of the thinnest felt I've ever seen (thanks, Dollar store!) some cotton fill padding, and scrap material (I say scrap, but it took me a while to find something smooth enough to be comfortable, and yet thick enough to block out light. I just happened to find it on the scrap table.). I found that all the masks in stores had very thin elastic straps. I opted for a 1.5" elastic strap on mine. I think that worked out well, and there was a positive review after night 1. Not bad for not having sewn anything more than buttons in the last 20 years.

I suspect I'll be making more of these. Thanks for the pattern!

[DotN2]

I just made two, for a road trip I'm taking with my oldest son. Excellent directions and the result is nice! Had very nice left-over scraps to work with. Thanks!

[HendrixE]

Sewed this three Eye sleeping mask yesterday for me and for my two children and they love it!

Cost only 10 pesos (Philippine peso) for the garter and free stash of fabric from my mama's clothes chest.

[saidhamoudi]

i'd like to know if there is a machine that can make that kind of maskes.

[saidhamoudi]

[zurichko]

I need to make one! The sun comes up at 5:15am! I could buy black out curtains but this looks cuter and cheaper.

[tbroviak]

I bought black out curtains,what a waste of money, light comes in between the panels and at the top. I'm going to make a mask......maybe today.

[texcat369]

Love it!
Modified the mask with a couple of features that have always been lacking on a face mask to fit my face! I did a Velcro fastening at the back (this might not be comfortable if you sleep on your back) as I find that sometimes I want the strap looser or tighter so it's nice to be able to adjust it. I also placed the straps higher up on the mask than the pattern shows - don't know if my ears are weird, but the elastic/straps on all masks always hurt my ears!
The other thing I did was take a soft metal nose clip from an old dust mask, cut it down a little and smoothed the edges, then stitched a small piece of ribbon over the nose area, placed the metal strip inside and sewed it up. You simply pinch the clip a little to custom fit the mask - I always found that eyemasks never sat snug enough over my face and allowed light in around my nose and cheek area. This modification did the trick!
I used some polka dot fabric from an old pair of shorts for the front and a piece of black terry toweling for the inner that rests against the face - it's nice and soft!

[kellybaez]

My first craft . Sewed by hand.

[shaman5188]

I made one from felt and put some polyester stuffing in for night time. My wife loves it!

[milegrin]

Awesome!

I have a mask almost identical to your design that I bought at a fair with a small modification in that it has a triangular piece of soft non-translucent material that you can either pull over the tip of your nose (not comfortable) or fold inwards that blocks out the light filtering in past the nostrils.

[metqa]

If you stuffed this with uncooked rice , it could be a heat / cold pack as well. My Friends mom uses her mini rice pack to alleviate her itchy eyes from Spring allergies by putting it in the freezer and putting it over her eyes. Making one shaped like this would make it easier for it to stay on her face. I think I have a new gift idea, thanks to you!

[HollyMann]

I need to make a manly one of these for my son - he seems to need one in order to sleep and my headbands aren't cutting it! Thanks Jessy - I love it!

[anamika_c]

thanks for giving such clear cut instructions..... i suffer from severe migraines and at such times i want to shut out all light but it wasn't possible as it would disturb others in the family... now i can just rest when i need it! this was so easy to follow...don't know sewing so was apprehensive at first when all of it looked so tough , but after starting out tentatively i finished it within half an hour (might be long time for sewists but for me it felt like an achievement). after that i made a few more and gave to family and some friends too... they were surprised that I actually made it but later they told me that they are happy that can rest at their convenience now! thanks a ton! all coz of your simplified tute! really thankful dear!

[Miss Misery]

Thanks! I've always wanted to make one!

[mariaclemente2000]

My father needed a mask. I used your instructable. The mask turned out great, and my father loved it. Thank you soo much for your instructable.

[ezi4her]

Yes I started to make one in a sewing group, but this is far easier, thanks for the step by step tutorial.

[Sam.anne.tha]

A cute eye mask! I love it. I need to make one for myself. I have an apartment facing the street and too much light gets in.