COVID19/C2/Making-a-protective-face-cover-at-home/English

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Visual cue Narration
First slide


Main page of brochure

Welcome to the spoken tutorial on making a protective face cover at home.
Image: Show people wearing face covers along with descriptions

Image: Doctor wearing mask and checking a patient.

Image: Face cover

Image: A handkerchief, folded handkerchief with

rubber bands and hands stitching face cover on a sewing machine.

Image: Show a person wearing the face cover and a person removing the face cover.

Image: Collage - cleaning of face covers with soap water and storing it.

In this tutorial we will learn about:
  1. The need for us to wear a protective face cover.
  2. Important warnings for health workers and COVID-19 patients.
  3. Safety precautions regarding the protective face covers.
  4. Procedure to make a protective face cover with and without a sewing machine.
  5. Precautions before wearing and while removing the protective face cover.
  6. Correct way to sanitize and store the protective face cover.
Image: Group wearing face covers + big question mark


Image: Coronavirus


Image: Group of people and individuals wearing face covers

We must first understand the need to wear a protective face cover.


To protect ourselves from Coronavirus, wearing a face cover is important.


India being densely populated, wearing a face cover is especially recommended.

Image: Coronavirus + many types of face covers.


Image: Homemade face cover

To prevent and control Coronavirus many types of face covers are being used.

Among them homemade protective face cover is easy to make and can be reused too.

Image: Face cover with warning sign

Image: Health worker, face cover and red cross

Image: Arrow pointing towards a doctor wearing face cover,

patient, face cover and red cross

Image: Arrow pointing towards the patient,

doctor with face cover, face cover and red cross.

Image: Show a person wearing covid-19 protective gear with right tick

Before going ahead, please remember the important warnings.


Homemade face cover is not for health workers.

It is neither for people working with or in contact with COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 patients should not use homemade face covers.

All such people must wear only the specified protective gear.

Image: Collage of graphics: One person sharing face cover to another person

+ red cross, One person wearing face cover

and standing at a distance of 2 mtrs

+ right tick and washing hands with time + right tick.

Image: Face cover, a person sneezing in front of another person and

a person talking to another person

Image: A person wearing face cover.

Image: Face cover washing

Image: Red cross mark + one person giving face cover to another person.

Image: One person wearing face cover and standing at a distance of 2 mtrs.

Image: Hand washing. WHILE EDITING SHOW TIMER.

There are other safety precautions that you should always remember.


Homemade face covers do not give full protection.

They only reduce the chances of inhaling droplets in the air from an infected person.

Do not use the face cover without washing it.

Do not share your face cover with anyone.

Always maintain a minimum of 2 metres social distancing with everyone.

Frequently wash your hands with soap for 40 seconds.

Image: Show a face cover.

Image: Show cotton cloth, t-shirt

Image: Zoom image of mouth and nose covered with face cover.

Image: Show a person trying to tie a face cover.


We will now see a simple method to make a reusable face cover at home.


It can be made using a cotton cloth which is easily available at home.

While making it ensure that it covers the mouth and nose completely.

One should be able to tie it over the face easily.

Image: Show two face covers - with rubber bands + sewing machine. Homemade face covers can be easily made with and without a sewing machine.

Image: Face cover being made on a sewing machine

Image: Cotton cloth, t-shirt

Image: Three graphics - Washing the fabric, cloth boiling in water, salt and timer

Image: Drying the cloth


Let us first see how to make a protective face cover with a sewing machine.


You will need a 100% cotton cloth.

The colour of the cloth does not matter.

Before making, wash the fabric well and boil it in salt water for 5 minutes.

Let the cloth dry properly and then use it.

Image: 4 Cloth strips

Image: Scissors

Image: Sewing machine

Other items required are:

1. Four pieces of cloth strips

2. Scissors and

3. A sewing Machine

Image: Sewing of cloth into face mask images

Image: Zoom into sewing of cloth

Image: Show 2 adult’s face with dimension box

Image: Show child’s face with dimension box

I will explain the procedure to make a protective face cover.


Start with cutting the cloth for the face cover.

For adult it should be 9 inches x 7 inches

For a child it should be 7 inches x 5 inches

Image: 4 Cloth strips

Image: 4 Strips

Image: Two strips with dimension box mentioning 1.5 inch x 5 inch

ON SCREEN WHILE EDITING - 1.5 inch x 5 inch

Image: Two strips with dimension box mentioning 1.5 inch x 40 inch.

ON SCREEN WHILE EDITING - 1.5 inch x 40 inch

Now we will cut the strips.

For adult size face cover, cut 4 strips for tying and piping.

Two pieces each of 1.5 inches x 5 inches

Also two pieces of 1.5 inches x 40 inches.

Image: Strips sewing with the cloth and dimension box mentioning 1.5” x 5”

Image: Pleats sewing procedure and dimension box mentioning 1.5”

Image: Turn and repeat the pleat procedure

Image: Same graphic with 9” dimension box,

5” dimension box and a downward arrow to show

height of cloth from 9 inch to 5 inch.

Attach a 1.5 inches x 5 inches strip on one end to use as piping to the fabric.

Create 3 pleats facing downward of about 1.5 inches each by folding the cloth.

Turn the pleated cloth to the other side and repeat the steps for pleating.

Now, the height of the cloth will be reduced from 9 inches to 5 inches.

Image: Piping the sides

Image: Pleats facing downward

Image: Same as above

Image: Attaching long strip

Image: Folding

Image: Final face cover

Secure the pleats with piping on both sides.

Take extra care to keep all pleats facing downward.

Next, attach the long 40 inch strip to the top and bottom of the face cover.

Once again fold both these strips three times and stitch.

Your face cover is now ready to use.

IMAGE FROM BROCHURE: No gaps between the face cover and your face.


IMAGE FROM BROCHURE: Side facing you should show pleats facing downwards.

While wearing it there should be no gaps between the face cover and your face.


The side facing you should show pleats facing downwards.

Image: Straight side, arrow pointing to reverse side

and Red cross mark on reverse side

Image: Washing mask graphic

Image: Person wearing mask, arrow to eyes, arrow to face and red cross

Image: Hand washing graphic from BF series

Never reverse the face cover for reuse and wash it thoroughly after every use.

You should not touch your face or eyes.

Wash your hands thoroughly when you reach home.

Image: Handkerchief face cover procedure images

Image: Handkerchief or cotton cloth

Image: 2 Rubber bands

Let us now see how to make a face cover without a sewing machine.

You will need:

  1. 100% cotton material or a men’s cotton handkerchief and
  2. Two rubber bands.
Image: Handkerchief face cover procedure images I will now explain the procedure to make the protective face cover.
Image: Folding from one side and arrow towards it

Image: Second fold with an arrow

Image: Third fold

Image: Attaching 1st rubber band with an arrow

Image: Attaching 2nd rubber band with an arrow

Image: Previous graphic without an arrow and a line showing distance between the two rubber bands

Image: Previous graphic without arrow and line

Fold the handkerchief from one side to little above the middle of the cloth.

Now fold over the other edge to go above the first fold.

Fold this again evenly from the middle.

Take a rubber band and tie it on the left side of the cloth.

Now tie the other side with another rubber band.

Ensure that the area in the middle of the two rubber bands is big enough.

This will help you to cover your mouth and nose.

Image: Folding one side with an arrow

Image: Folding other side with 2 arrows

Image: Inserting

Image: Final face cover

Take one edge of the cloth on the side of the rubber band and fold over it.

Do this for both sides.

Now take one fold and insert it into the other fold.

Your face cover is now ready to be used.

Image: Rubber Band around the ear

Image: Cover well

Image: No gap

To wear this face cover just wrap each rubber band around your ears.

As mentioned earlier, ensure that the face cover fits around your mouth and nose.

There should be no gap in between them.

Image: A person wearing and removing face cover

Image: Washing hands

Image: Regular face cover to damp face cover with arrow

Image: A person wearing face cover

Image: Washing face cover

Image: Family - parents and child wearing different face covers

Follow safety precautions before wearing a protective homemade face cover.

Wash your hands properly before wearing the face cover.

As soon as the face cover becomes damp or humid, switch to another face cover.

After every single use of the face cover, wash it for next use.

Every member in a family should have a separate face cover.

Image: A person touching the surface of the face cover with a red cross mark

Image: Behind of a person wearing face cover and arrow pointing to the tied strings

Image: Untying the string with arrows to show below and above

Image: Washing hands WHILE EDITING SHOW TIMER

Image: Sanitizer

While removing, do not touch the front or any other surface of the face cover.

Remove it only with strings behind or the rubber bands.

For string face cover, always untie the string below and then the string above.

After removing, immediately clean your hands with soap and water for 40 seconds.

You can also use 65% alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Image: Collage of face covers getting washed, boiled and dried I will now tell you how to sanitize the face cover properly.

Please follow the method compulsorily.

Image: Face cover washing with soap

Image: Drying in sunlight

Thoroughly wash the face cover with soap and warm water.

Dry it in hot sun for at least 5 hours.

Image: Boiling the face cover in a pressure cooker

Image: Adding salt

Image: Boiling, adding salt and timer

Image: Drying the face cover in sunlight

Alternately, you can use a pressure cooker to sanitize.

Put the face cover in water in a pressure cooker.

Add salt and boil it for at least 10 minutes.

Then, take it out and let it dry in a clean place.

Image: Boiling the face cover in a utensil with timer You can also boil the face cover in hot water for 15 minutes.
Image: Soap

Image: Washing face cover

Image: Iron box on top of face cover with timer

Image: Same image as above without the timer

If you do not have access to a pressure cooker or boiling water, use a soap.

Wash and clean with soap and apply heat on the face cover for 5 minutes.

You may use an iron box to apply the heat.

Image: 2 Face covers

Image: Person wearing face cover

Image: Drying face cover

It is recommended that you make at least two face covers.

You can wear one, while the other is washed and dried.

Image: Storing inside plastic bag

Image: Plastic bag

Image: Cleaning with soap

Image: Dry the plastic

Image: Store the clean face covers

Image: Seal the plastic bag

Image: Person wearing face cover and

holding a sealed plastic bag with face covers stored in it

Now, let us learn how to store the clean face covers.

Take any plastic bag, clean it thoroughly with soap and water.

Let it dry properly on both the sides.

Keep the extra face cover in this clean bag and seal it well.

You can now use your face covers one by one for daily use.

Image: Face cover This brings us to the end of this tutorial.

Let us summarize what we learnt in this tutorial.

Image: People wearing face covers and big question mark

Image: Coronavirus

We learnt the need to wear a protective face cover due to Coronavirus.
Image: Same graphic which are used in the beginning We also learnt about the important warnings.

Health workers should not use homemade face cover.

People in contact with COVID-19 patients too should not use it.

COVID-19 patients also should not use these face covers.

They all must wear the specified protective gear, mandatorily.

Image: Same Graphics which are used in the beginning We also learnt about the safety precautions.

Homemade face covers do not give complete protection.

A face cover should neither be used without washing nor be shared with anyone.

Maintain social distancing of minimum 2 meters, compulsorily.

Wash hands with soap for 40 seconds frequently.

Image: Point wise same graphics which are used in the beginning We also learnt the procedure to make a face cover with and without a sewing machine
Image: Point wise same graphics which are used in the beginning Precautions to be followed before wearing and while removing the protective face cover.
Image: Point wise same graphics which are used in the beginning And the correct way to sanitize and store the protective face covers.
Acknowledgement Issued by the office of:

The Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India

Acknowledgement Illustration: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Demonstration: Dr. Gargi Goel, Pediatrician, Rajasthan.

Idea, Graphics, and Design: Vertiver.

Script, graphics, video: Spoken Tutorial project, IIT Bombay.

Contributors and Content Editors

Bellatony911