Make face masks, face wipes, draught excluders and more with spare fabric
Nine easy ways to save money and waste less re-using old T-shirts, leftover fabric etc
Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport in the UK, as well as in shops, so sewing your own could save you money. I'm going to show you two ways to make masks, or alternatively where to buy the cheapest ready-made versions.
I'll start with face masks, and then I've got other ideas of what you can make with leftover fabric scraps instead of binning them. These will save you money, and get you crafting a new skill – and sew it begins...
How to make face masks
Making a simple face covering is a lot easier than you might think – you can even use fabric from an old T-shirt, as most cheap T-shirts are cotton-polyester mixes and not 100% cotton, which is not recommended. If you've two pieces of suitable fabric 25cm by 25cm, and elastic, you can even follow simple Government instructions.
If you don't fancy the simple face covering and you're handy with a needle and thread, you can use small pieces of fabric you might have – either from a T-shirt or previous project – to make a more mask-like face covering, without a sewing machine. Don't worry, I'll show you how I made my two-ply masks, with options to add filters or more fabric for three-ply masks
Reusable two-section mask - save £10ish
This two-ply mask looks smoother than the crinkled mask above, and you can make it with an inner layer to make it three-ply if you like.
Important: Do remember that these face coverings are not 'medical-grade', and when using a face covering or mask you should still follow Government advice on social distancing, and self-isolating if you have symptoms.
Can't sew? Cheapest reusable face coverings from under £1.50
If you've arthritis, no sewing tools, or just really don't fancy your chances at mask-making I found the following reusable masks/face coverings from less than £1.50 each:
- Reusable fabric face cover – £1 at B&M Bargains in black, pink, or blue (available in store only)
- Beige reusable face covering – £1.29 at Home Bargains (available online)
- Fabric face covering – £1.29 at Home Bargains in black, or pink (available online)
- Reusable fabric face covering – £1.30 at Lloyd's Pharmacy in black, pink, grey, or blue (available online)
- Pack of three reusable double-layered face coverings – £3.99 at Aldi (available online)
I also found the above stores stocked reasonably-priced disposable face coverings, however since they're not reusable they work out more expensive per wear than those above, or making your own. If you choose this option, please dispose of them responsibly in a bin.
We've listed the cheapest face coverings we could find to be inclusive, as not everyone can afford to spend £10+ on one mask. You can also find more expensive face coverings eg, with filter inserts, so the style you choose is up to you.
Now you've made your face covering, what do you do with the rest of the material?
Kitchen wipes - save £2ish
This is the simplest option, and you don't even need to do any real sewing! Simply cut any leftover fabric into 20cm x 20cm pieces, or use pieces of that size. Basically, you're going to want a similar size to kitchen roll, which you're going to replace with these re-usable alternatives.
Use your fabric wipes to mop up spills, dry fruit or veg, or for whatever else you'd usually use kitchen roll for. Then when they're dirty, either pop them in the washing machine in a bag, or handwash in the sink before drying and using again.
Reusable face wipes - save £7
Face Halo reusable face wipes are a lot of people's go-to reusable product, however they cost £7ish each, so they're a bit pricey if you need more than one. Here's where your fabric scraps come in handy – simply cut two squares the same size, about 9cm x 9cm, and sew together the edges. That's it, you've saved yourself close to a tenner.
Remember to put your face wipes in a washing net if you put them in the washer after use to avoid them getting stuck behind the drum – not MoneySaving.
From the sleeve of an old t-shirt, with a few stitches, I've saved myself £7 on the cost of another Face Halo
Patch holes in old clothes - save £10ish
If you've used an old, grey T-shirt to make your face covering as in the instructions above, but you've a favourite grey T-shirt with a hole – you can patch it and start wearing it again. You can either match the thread to the colour of the top you're fixing, and sew the patch inside for a less obtrusive look, or pick a contrasting colour and sew the patch on the outside to make a feature.
If you're feeling particularly skilful, you could even do a bit of embroidery to make it a fancy feature. In learning to patch clothes yourself, you'll save about £10ish on the cost of finding a tailor to do it for you, so it's a good skill to practice.
Use as 'rag hair curlers' - save £10ish
Before curlers were invented, what was a Victorian girl to do to get that spiral curled look? It's simple – roll up damp hair around any leftover bits of fabric or 'rags' (depending on your hair, you'll need about 10-20 strips of fabric 5cm x 20cm), tie when you reach your head and sleep on it. In the morning, you'll have lovely curls with no heat – meaning less damage to your hair plus you can avoid a hot curler – a bonus when the weather's warm. If you were to buy no-heat curling kits they'd set you back a tenner, so it's worth a try, right?
Stuff a draught excluder - save £7ish
This one's pretty self-explanatory. If you've an old, long pair of socks then you won't need to actually sew anything. Stuff your scraps into one sock, then roll the other sock over the open end to create a draught excluder.
I use mine in my kitchen, so it does sometimes get a bit grotty – but unlike a store-bought draught excluder which would set you back around £7, you can simply take off the outer sock and give it a wash to freshen it up.
Yes, I should've washed it before taking the photo, but I was writing this blog instead!
Stuff small crochet toys - save £7ish
If you or your little ones are making small toys at this time, amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small cute toys, but you might be lost on how to stuff them. You can use yarn offcuts, but also fabric offcuts to breathe life into your chunky cute creations, and it'll save you buying toy stuffing which is normally £7ish.
Minarai the bunny has kapok-stuffed arms, but a brain and heart of old T-shirt and fabric scraps
DIY hair scrunchies - save £5ish
If you like to rock a 90s hair scrunchie, more power to you, and you can easily make one if you're pretty handy with sewing. But what if you don't have enough material, and only have small pieces of fabric or ribbon left? Well, you can still make what I call a 'rag scrunchie' and you don't even need to sew!
Simply take an old, plain elastic hair tie, and tie whatever scraps of fabric you like to it. I like to use leftover lengths of ribbon from other projects, or pieces of T-shirt, or whatever I can find (you'll notice I've used scraps left over from making my mask above). You can also use old scraps of yarn leftover from knitting, if you have any, to add extra colour.
Call it 90s, call it lockdown chic, it's a fun project for kids, too! I like the style and I wear this, but you do you.
Have you been sewing in lockdown? Let us know about your sewing successes in the comments below, or on Twitter.
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