This year everyone got a new accessory, a face mask. When the wearing of face masks began, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen how long it would be required. With so many masks being worn and disposed of, the importance of wearing a reusable mask was recently brought to my attention by an organization called United We Mask.
United We Mask is a nonprofit organization with a mission to encourage sound public health practices and make PPE more accessible. They have provided over 10,000 handmade masks to their communities.
Last week I was invited to Maskerade Hour hosted by United We Mask. I attended this virtual event with my oldest daughter, McKenna.
During the event, in addition to discussing the importance of wearing a sustainable mask, we discussed statistics on masks, maskne (mask acne), and were read the children’s book “Smiling from Ear to Ear” by the author, Kaitlyn Chu.
In an effort to reduce the waste created by disposable masks, I hope you can join me and my family by wearing only reusable masks. If you don’t have one, don’t worry! Here is a tutorial on how to make your own with items from your home. McKenna and I recently made our own DIY face mask, so you can follow along with us.
To get started you will need the following:
- Fabric (12″ height x 18″ width), T-shirt, bandana, or baby blanket
- 2 hair ties or 2 shoelaces/ribbon
- Coffee filter, small fabric piece, or paper towel
