Former nurse gives tutorial on how to make face masks at home

ATLANTA - Face masks are in high demand, especially after the CDC issued revised recommendations -- urging all Americans to cover their faces in public.

Former nurse giving face mask-crafting tutorials

You only need a few pieces of fabric and a needle to get started making face masks.

The good news is you only need a few pieces of fabric and a needle to get started.

“So I start off with a pattern. I got this pattern from a website called craftpassion.com,” said Allie Wells, who is making face masks for healthcare workers. “I cut out the outside. I cut out the inside, and then I sew them together and create a pocket.”

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Wells is a former nurse, and she admits she’s feeling a little guilty these days.

“I was just feeling helpless, hopeless, like I wasn’t contributing. I felt honestly a little bit of guilt as being a nurse and not being on the frontlines with my fellow friends and colleagues,” Wells said.

So she said a prayer, asking God how to get through these tough times.

While she may not be in the hospitals treating patients during the coronavirus pandemic, Wells is doing important work. She sews 15-20 masks a day. Those masks go to Athens-area healthcare facilities.

But before all that happens, Wells says she first has to pick her pattern.

“I cut out my fabric. There’s an outside layer and an inside layer,” she said, recommending people to make masks that go around the head instead of the ears.

And for those wanting to try at home, just grab any fabric you can find, then hop on the internet. There are plenty of patterns and tutorials online.