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. 

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.”

App users click here for live updates

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.

“In times like this, the old Mr. Rogers quote comes to mind: ‘Look for the helpers.’ And that’s all I see right now are helpers.”

Know how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Georgia

Best prevention measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

RESOURCES:

• Shelter-in-place order for Georgia until April 13
• Who is considered an 'essential worker' during the coronavirus pandemic?
• If you violate Georgia's shelter-in-place order, then you are breaking the law
• Reporting potential price gouging in the state of Georgia
• Reporting business, organization violating statewide shelter-in-place order
• How to get unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Fixing the PIN on the Georgia Department of Labor website to access unemployment claims
• Symptoms, testing and how to prepare amid growing COVID-19 outbreak
• Who is most susceptible to coronavirus? COVID-19 not just affecting older people
• Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA
• Coronavirus and pets: Your cat or dog probably can’t get COVID-19, WHO says
• Will sick leave protect me if I get ill from coronavirus? 5 questions answered

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.