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On this episode of 100 Things, actress Allegra Edwards teaches us how to make a face mask at home. Using items that you can find in your own home, she shows us how to sew a DIY mask from an old sheet. Press play to see how it’s done.

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Here on 100 Things we learn real life skills that we can try at home. From lessons from industry experts and influencers, to real people teaching us ways to apply these skills at home.

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Transcript
00:00So now you want to cut this?
00:04Do you have better scissors, Mom?
00:12Hi, my name is Allegra Edwards.
00:14You probably recognize me from Briarpatch,
00:16now airing on USA Network,
00:18or the upcoming Upload
00:20coming to Amazon Prime Video on May 1st.
00:23What's that sound?
00:24Hi, Mom. Hey.
00:25What do you got there?
00:26How do you model it?
00:28Oh, it's cute.
00:30This is what we're making today,
00:32a homemade mask.
00:33For this activity, you will need a pillowcase
00:37that you don't mind saying goodbye to,
00:39and be sure to wash your pillowcase
00:41before you begin.
00:42Pair of scissors, pencil to mark
00:44where you need to cut, tape measure
00:46or a ruler. This is elastic.
00:49You can also use ribbon if you
00:50don't have elastic. Some straight
00:52pins, and if you don't have a sewing
00:54machine, which we do over there,
00:56you can also use a needle and thread.
00:57These are designed for you to wear
00:59around your home, or if you do have
01:02to go outside, they are not meant
01:04to be a substitute for surgical
01:06or medical grade masks.
01:08I am definitely not a seamstress,
01:11nor am I a tailor or a sewer,
01:13but my mother's pretty good,
01:14and so we're gonna do it together, right, Mom?
01:16Yep. We have selected
01:18the pillowcase of choice.
01:20So we're gonna start up here,
01:22all the way down.
01:23Nine inches.
01:26It's gonna be
01:28six inches.
01:30I have found,
01:31just from personal experience,
01:33that when I wear a mask,
01:35I am less likely to touch my face.
01:39Nice!
01:40This is my mom closer up.
01:42Say hi, Jeannie.
01:43Hi, Jeannie. Hi.
01:46Classic.
01:46By this point, you should have
01:48two six-by-nine pieces of cotton pillowcase.
01:51You want the bright side,
01:53as Mom says, to be on the inside,
01:55so you're gonna make them kiss.
01:58And line them up,
01:59so the dull side is on the outside,
02:02the bright side is on the inside,
02:03just like all of us.
02:04The bright side is the right side.
02:06Yeah, baby.
02:07Alright, I'm handing it over
02:09to the mistress seamstress herself.
02:12She's starting at about the halfway point,
02:14and then she's gonna sew straight down.
02:17She's gonna stop just before the edge
02:19so that she can tuck in the elastic.
02:22And the elastic,
02:22she's gonna put in at an angle,
02:24and then she's gonna make sure
02:26that the needle goes over the elastic
02:28so that it's really stuck in there.
02:30Then again, she's stopping
02:31before she gets to the bottom.
02:33She's gonna tuck that end of the elastic
02:36underneath that corner there,
02:38and then she's gonna go over it again.
02:42Why, thank you, Alexa.
02:44You're welcome.
02:44You're welcome, Mom.
02:45Very well done.
02:46So now that we've put in
02:47the second piece of elastic,
02:49she's gonna sew up the fourth side
02:52of the rectangle here.
02:54She'll get to that corner,
02:55and tuck the elastic in,
02:57making sure that it lies flat
02:59on the inside of this little pillow
03:02that we're making.
03:04She's gonna go over it a couple times
03:05so that it's secure.
03:07Mom has cut off all of the loose threads.
03:10She's left that little gap
03:11so that she can turn the mask inside out.
03:15Or as she likes to say,
03:17bright side out.
03:20This is the part that I'm really good at.
03:22Pinning.
03:23We're gonna basically make three
03:24on each side, three pins.
03:27What this is gonna do is cinch it
03:29so that it hugs your face.
03:31Start by folding over.
03:34And we'll take this straight pin here.
03:38And we're gonna go back out.
03:42And then you'll want to do it
03:43on the opposite side.
03:46See that?
03:48And this is what it looks like
03:49on the other side.
03:52That's my cat.
03:54He misses me.
03:55So you have three on this side,
03:57three on this side.
03:58On to the next step.
03:59What we do is we are gonna just
04:02sew all the way around,
04:03very close to the edge.
04:05We'll take the pins out at the last moment
04:07so we don't break the needle.
04:10And then this unfinished part,
04:12you can sort of tuck in and sew it down.
04:15It's just pretty organic.
04:17Organic like an apple.
04:18Like an apple.
04:20Then you'll see that once she gets
04:22to the bottom here,
04:23she's gonna go over it a couple times
04:24just for extra security.
04:27Cut.
04:28If you don't have access to a sewing machine,
04:31that's okay.
04:31You can do this with needle and thread.
04:33Super simple.
04:34We've got our seven inch long pieces of ribbon
04:36that we're using instead of elastic.
04:38And again, the bright sides of the fabric
04:41are facing the middle.
04:42You're gonna take the needle and thread
04:43and start in the center.
04:45And then work your way up lengthwise.
04:47So on that long side.
04:49When you reach the corner,
04:50you're gonna take the piece of ribbon
04:52and put it in the corner in between
04:54the pieces of fabric at an angle.
04:57And then you're gonna sew over a few times
04:59just so that it's secure.
05:01You'll tuck the ribbon inside
05:04making sure it's clear of your sewing.
05:07You're gonna go up that shorter edge.
05:10Eventually you'll flip it inside out again
05:11just like you did with the elastic version.
05:14Here's a super simple no sew version
05:16with a handkerchief.
05:17You're gonna fold it in half.
05:18Then take a coffee filter
05:19and place it in the center.
05:21Fold the top half down
05:23and the bottom half up.
05:26Then take a hair elastic
05:27and thread it through.
05:29Then I like to take the tail ends
05:31and tuck one into the other
05:33for a little bit more security.
05:36Et voila!
05:46So, real talk.
05:48This is moderately easy to make.
05:50Um, obviously it helps if you've got experience
05:53with a sewing machine.
05:55But if you only have a needle and thread,
05:56I think it's pretty straightforward.
05:57And you know what?
05:59Not very many people are gonna see you in it.
06:01So, even if it's a little iffy at first,
06:05that's okay.
06:06So, give it a try.
06:07I encourage you to try it on your own.
06:09Let me know if you think it's difficult.
06:10Maybe I was way off.
06:12Make sure you color your nose.
06:14There you go.
06:16I lost an earring.
06:17Say thanks, Mom.
06:18Thanks, Mom.
06:19No, no.
06:21Stay safe out there.
06:22Wash your hands.
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