Musician Face Mask - For Brass and Woodwinds

Musician's Mask Tutorial

Free Musician's Mask Pattern and Tutorial

When it is finally time for your musicians to get back to playing, chances are that you will begin with masks. Normal masks can be worn and lowered while playing, but it's not an ideal solution for safety or convenience.

Enter the Musician's Mask! There are many out there, but most are either behind a pay wall or advice to cut a hole in a mask... and that's it. The Musician's Mask pattern here will have a finished hole as well as a covering for the hole for safe wearing while not playing!

Masks for Brass Players and Most Woodwinds

The Musician's Mask pattern shown here is designed for brass and most woodwind players who are looking for a mask that can transition easily from normal wear to playing their instrument. Each mask has a mouthpiece slot and a mask flap that covers the slot so that you can remain safe while not playing. 

This mask sadly is not viable for flute players. But if you are interested in one, please feel free to reach out via social media or our contact form!

If you decide that sewing a mask is not in the cards for you, we also offer affordable Musician's Masks in our store here!


Materials Needed For Sewing Your Mask:

  • 1 Fat Quarter (or more depending on how many masks you need to make) of 100% cotton fabric -- This can be any color or pattern you desire! Make them all match in a neutral, or stand out with a fun character print!
  • A sewing machine -- this pattern needs to be made with a sewing machine, unless you are happy making a huge buttonhole by hand...
  • 1/4" elastic 
  • Nosewire (or a paperclip if you don't have a nosewire)
  • Thread, needles, and pins/ clips 
  • Mask and flap pattern- dimensions below!

Tools for sewing


Step 1: Cut Paper to Make Your Mask Pattern

The mask body and flap pattern dimensions are given below so you dont have to print anything out! Just grab a ruler and a straight edge to create your pattern.

You will want to cut your pattern 10 inches long and 7.25 inches tall. Fold your rectangle over and mark 2 inches in on the corners. Draw a diagonal line between those two points to make the corner notch.

While your pattern is still folded, make your slot marking in the middle of the mask body pattern. Since we want a 3 inch slot, cut in 1.5 inches!


3D Mask Body Dimensions

For the flap pattern, cut a rectangle that is 9 inches wide and 3 inches tall.

Mask Flap Dimensions

Step 2: Cut Your Mask Fabric

Once you have your pattern, place it on your fabric to cut it out. I prefer to use weights (a stack of large washers works wonders), but you can pin it if you prefer! 

Cut 2 of each the mask body and the flap. If you want, you can use a different fabric pattern for the inside and outside.

Mark the mouthpiece slot on the fabric that will be on the outside of the mask.

**DO NOT CUT THE MOUTHPIECE SLOT YET!**

 

Cut mask flaps
Cut Mask Body fabric

Step 3: Sew The Mask Flap

Take your mask flap rectangles and stack them with the right sides together. Sew around the two pieces with a 1 cm or 3/8 in seam allowance, leaving about a 2 inch space for turning.

Sew Mask Flaps Together

Clip your corners (for crispy corners after turning) and turn the flap right side out. To finish this piece, iron and then stitch about 1/8 inch from the edge.


Clip Your Rectangle Corners


Step 4: Sew the Mask Body

Stack your two mask body pieces with right sides together. Stich the long edges as shown, leaving the short edges open for turning.


Sew Mask Body


Clip your corners and turn right side out. Iron!


Clip Mask Body Corners and Flip
Iron Mask Body


Step 5: Fold the Mask Body

After ironing the mask flat, it is time to iron it in its folded position. Place the mask on your ironing board with the inside fabric up (in this case, that is superhero fabric).

Fold the longer sides in as shown. They will overlap in the middle, but make sure that the long edges do not meet the other side. 


Fold Long Sides of Mask Body, Iron


Step 6: Add the Nosewire

If you are using a paperclip for a nosewire, bend as shown below. The loops on the end of the paper clip are important for keeping it inside the mask- so don't skip that part!

 
Bend A Paperclip for a Mask Nosewire

Once you have your nosewire ready, insert it through the open short edges of the mask body and center it at the top of the mask. Sew around the nosewire to make sure it stays in place.


Insert Nose Wire


This Is Hard, But You Can Do It!


Step 7: Create the Mouthpiece Slot

I designed the mouthpiece slot as a manual buttonhole because I wanted to make sure that the edges wouldn't fray and ruin your mask (or leave threads to tickle your face).

The mouthpiece slot can look daunting, but it is not really that hard to do! If you are nervous to put one on your mask, try practicing with two layers of fabric scraps first!

As it says in the photo below, set your machine to a zig zag stitch (for me this is setting 2), the widest stitch width (for me this is 5), and at 0 for your stitch length.

 

First Part of Mouthpiece Slot


Stitch about 3-5 times in this setting to make a bar tack at the beginning of your mouthpiece slot. **MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOUTHPIECE SLOT MARKING IS IN THE CENTER OF YOUR PRESSER FOOT**


Make a Bar Tack


For the second part of the mouthpiece slot, you will need to adjust your machine settings. These are the settings that work on mine, but feel free to experiment on scraps to get it looking the way you like!

Set the zig zag so it is not as wide (about 1.5), and increase the stitch length slightly. We want the stitches to be close to each other, but we still want the machine to move the fabric along.

Sew along your mouthpiece slot marking with it still in the center of your presser foot. Keep going until you reach the end of the marking.


Second Part of Mouthpiece Slot


Once you reach the end, make another bar tack (like in the first part of the slot).

**DO NOT FORGET TO ADJUST YOUR MACHINE SETTINGS BACK TO THOSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOUTHPIECE SLOT STEP**

When you are ready, turn your mask and repeat the line of stitching you just made. Stitch until you have reached the other bar tack. You did it!


First Half of Mouthpiece Slot



Step 8: Open the Mouthpiece Slot

In order to keep the edges of the fabric from fraying too far back into the mask, we first made the mouthpiece slot. Now we need to open it back up!

I recommend using Fray Check (as seen below) in order to add another layer of protection against fraying. 

Start opening the mouthpiece slot by inserting your seam ripper in between the stitches and ripping. You can open the entire slot this way, or you can use scissors for a cleaner cut. Apply the fray check to the cut edges!


Tools for Opening Mouthpiece Slot



Step 9: Make the Mask 3D

To make the mask stand away from your face, you will need to run two lines of stitching along your folded edges. Stitch about 1/8 inch away from the edge of the fold or as close as you can get. 


Sew Around Edge of Flap


Step 10: Make a Casing for Elastic

To make the casing for your mask elastic, first fold over the short raw edge about a 1/4 inch (this doesn't have to be exact). Fold over again to make a casing wide enough for the elastic that you have.


Make Elastic casing


Stitch close to the fold, then repeat for the other side.





Step 11: Fold and Stitch the Mask Open

The other component to making this mask 3D is stitching open the angled corners that you cut into the fabric. Looking at the photo below, take the angled seams that are near the elastic casing that you just made. Those seams (marked in red and blue) will be stitched open, paralell to the casing.

For a good fit, make sure that the top and bottom seams of the mask are as even with the elastic casing as possible.

Repeat on the other side. 


Make Mask 3D


You did it!!


3D Mask Puffed Up


Step 12: Attach the Flap to the Mask Body

You are almost done! Now you need to sew the flap onto your mask so that it will cover the mouthpiece slot. 

Attach the flap to the opposite side of your dominent hand. For example, if you are left handed, sew the flap down on the right side of the mask so that you can open it with your left hand.

**BE CAREFUL NOT THE SEW OVER THE ELASTIC CASING WHEN ATTACHING THE FLAP**

In order to avoid sewing over your casing, drape the flap over the mask, line it up, pin, then flip it over to the inside. Now you are able to see where your casing is! I stitch the flap using the same line of stitching as the angled seams from step 11.


Attach Mask Flap



Step 13: Add Snaps or Velcro

To keep your flap closed, add velcro or snaps to the free side of the flap.

**PLACE SNAPS/ VELCRO CAREFULLY TO AVOID THE ELASTIC CASING**

 

Snap Tools
Inserting Snaps



Final Step: Add Elastic!

Finish your mask by adding elastic! I find it more comfortable to wear a mask that has elastic that goes behind my head (this relieves pressure from my ears). 

To do the same, attach a safetly pin to the end of about an arm's length of elastic. Run it up one elastic casing and then down the other as shown.

Tie the ends together, and melt them slightly with a lighter to keep the edges from fraying.


Insert Elastic

AMAZING JOB!!

Finished 3D Musician's Mask


If you decide that sewing a mask is not in the cards for you, we also offer affordable Musician's Masks in our store here!

Thank you so much for following this tutorial! Please reach out on social media or via our contact form if you have any questions about how the mask comes together.


3D Musician's Mask Being Worn
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