You can sew a mask using a number of mask patterns circulating on the internet or try a no-sew pattern. We’ve included links to both in this guide, under “How to make a mask,” below.

Picking a material to make your own mask

Remember, any face covering is better than no face covering. While some people are experimenting with homemade masks using air filters and vacuum bags, the average person doesn’t need that level of protection if you’re practicing social distancing and leaving the house only for essentials. Given that there is so much variability in fabrics, the best advice is to start with a light test. Hold the fabric or mask up to the light and see how much light gets through. The tighter the weave, the less light you’ll see, and the more protection you’ll get. Test the fabric over your face to make sure you can still breathe through it, though.

Because of a shortage of masks, aerosol scientists around the country have been testing everyday materials to see how well they might work in a homemade mask. Most of the time, they have compared the amount and size of particles filtered to the standard used for medical masks — 0.3 microns. However, an often-cited 2013 study from University of Cambridge used a different standard, testing two layers of materials using particles of about 1 micron. Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, notes that while the 0.3 micron test is a higher standard, the 1 micron test still can be useful in helping people make decisions about mask materials. “There are probably a lot more viruses in 1 micron droplets/aerosols than in 0.3 micron droplets/aerosols,” said Dr. Marr. “So even if a mask only removes 20% of the droplets/aerosols that are 0.3 microns in size, it probably does better with the 1 micron droplet/aerosols,materials testing.”

Here’s a look at some of the everyday products that have been studied for homemade masks. You can find more information in our story, What’s the Best Material for Mask?

T-shirts: Most of us have an old T-shirt we could cut up into a no-sew mask. It’s one of the most convenient fabrics to use, but there is a lot of variability in how well T-shirt material performs in lab tests. At the Virginia Tech, a single-layer of an old cotton T-shirt captured 20 percent of particles down to 0.3 microns. It captured 50 percent of particles down to 1 micron. A 2013 University of Cambridge study tested two layers of T-shirt which captured about 70 percent of particles down to 1 micron.

Cotton quilting fabric: This is the high-thread-count cotton fabric preferred by quilters for its durability. In studies at Wake Forest Baptist Health, masks made with quilting fabric rivaled the filtration efficiency of surgical masks.

Tea towels: Tea towels became a popular source of mask material after an August 2013 study from researchers at University of Cambridge found the material compared well to a medical mask at the 1 micron particle size. The study authors did not note the brand. The towel used was not terry cloth, but the tightly-woven absorbent tea towel variety.