Kawaii Face Masks To Buy & DIY

I’ve been in two minds whether to write this post as I know lots of you come here for a break from the news. But with many countries recommending we wear fabric face masks in crowded places, maybe you can use some tips for making and buying kawaii face masks to make the whole situation a little happier.

DIY Face Masks

There are loads of free face mask sewing patterns on the internet, whether you prefer written instructions or a video. Tilly & The Buttons, Spoonflower and even Hello Kitty have put together guides for different styles and supplies, some of which are suitable for medical workers.

If you need fabric, Spoonflower have a great selection of kawaii designs by independent artists who could use your support, and they ship from both the USA & Germany. They’ve also just launched DIY mask kits which include everything you need: your choice of fabric to make two double-layer cotton masks + plain lining fabric, cut-and-sew templates and elastic or twill tape.

If you’re not a confident sewist but have access to a machine and supplies, I can recommend this quick and easy no-pattern tutorial by Mary Robinette Kowal that I used for my own masks. It’s made with a square of fabric with straight lines of stitching and ribbon or shoelace ties. She uses a pipe cleaner for the nose fitting but you can substitute a twist tie or even tin foil. I made these with some leftover gifted fabric from Modes4u, plus folded up florist’s wire and bias binding from my stash. It fits really well without fogging up my glasses. Rilakkuma has decided he will continue stay at home instead.

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Buy Kawaii Face Masks Online

If you’d rather buy a mask, there are some kawaii options. Redbubble, Society6, TeePublic and Zazzle (all USA) have different styles of fabric masks for non-medical use available now featuring kawaii designs by artists and illustrators. Pricing is quite reasonable with international shipping available and there are regular sales and offers. Orders of single masks at least do not seem to incur customs charges.

There’s also plenty cute handmade face masks available worldwide on Etsy in various styles and sizes for adults and kids. You’ll find sellers using fabrics from Japan, by cute Spoonflower designers or even licensed kawaii character fabric. The masks above are by mi cielo (USA).

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Help Make Medical Face Masks

If you’d like to make masks for healthcare professionals, Spoonflower have a useful page with approved patterns, tutorials and fabric types, and information on how to get involved.

Hope this is is helpful! Let us know if there’s anything else we can write about that would help you out at the moment.