A face mask can keep your breath warm in very cold weather, especially for joggers and walkers. The mask covers your nose and mouth.

Step 1: What You Need

Get some urethane foam about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut a circle 6 1/2 to 7 inches in diameter. You will also need 18 to 20 inches of elastic about 1/4 inch wide. You will also need a needle and thread.

Step 2: Make Two Darts for Nose and Chin

A dart is used in sewing to pull material around a shape, like your nose or your chin. It means cutting out a pie shaped piece and sewing the edges back together.

Make the pie shaped pieces about 1 1/4 inch wide at the edge of the disc. Make the straight sides of the pie pieces 1 5/8 inch long each.

Step 3: Stitch the Darts Together

Pull the darts closed and stitch them together. You do not need to be a qualified seamstress for this. Glue might be a possibility, but stitching will last longer and work better. At the ends of the darts make some extra stitching that acts like a knot to keep the stitching from coming loose.

Step 4: Add the Elastic Strap

Adjust the length of the elastic strap according to the size of your head. Stitch the elastic strap to the mask. It should be tight enough on your face to stay in place while jogging, but not so tight that you feel it pulling on your face.

Place the mask over your nose and mouth before going out in the cold. It will take a couple of minutes before the mask warms up and begins to keep your breath warm. But, you will be amazed at how well it works. I have used one of these when I jogged down to temperatures as cold as 0 degrees F. and it kept my breath quite warm. The mask will absorb a lot of moisture from your breath. When I jogged with it at 0 degrees F. an icicle more than an inch long formed at the bottom of the mask.

Wash the mask in warm water periodically and let it dry.

Udate: I do not have my original mask, nor do I have the materials to make one. For demonstration purposes I cut a disc from a sheet of paper and used cellophane tape to close the darts. You can see how that forms the mask to cover your nose, mouth, and chin. Attach the elastic strap so the strap goes above your ears and around your head. The mask will fit against the face as in the right side of the photo, not as on the left side where my fingers cause it to bend away from the face for the purposes of holding it.