April 23, 2020

If anyone needs a face mask...


It's so odd to even ask this question: Does anyone need a face mask?

I never would have dreamed that we'd come to a day in this country where we are wearing face masks when going to the grocery store or other necessary places. I notice about 75% of the people at the store are wearing masks, and it makes me curious about the other 25%.

Do they just not care to wear them? Or do they not have access to one?

I realized that not everybody has access to a mask or to someone they know that can make one for them. Once I posted photos of the ones that I made for my family, I got a lot of interest on Instagram about selling them.


For years, people have told me that I should sell items that I make, or open an Etsy shop. I would really love to do that (I love crafting, and it'd be great to make money doing it!) but I don't do it for a couple of reasons:

1) My time is worth a lot to me. I would probably charge much more than other people do for the same item, simply because I would look at it like a "job" rather than a hobby. The amount I would charge would have to be worth the amount of time I am spending on it--and I wouldn't blame someone for not wanting to spend that much money! ;)

2) I worry that people won't be happy with what they are paying for. Nothing I make is perfect, and being a perfectionist, I notice all of the little flaws. I would feel really bad if someone paid for something that then wasn't happy with how it turned out. (And these masks are no different--they aren't perfect!)

(This is the same reason I don't typically take on running clients--I would feel bad if I made a plan for them and then they didn't reach their goals, or they got injured, etc.)

Anyway, I really wanted to give people access to masks, but I don't want to "sell" them for those reasons. So, I came up with a compromise...

I will give away masks to those who would like them (while my supply lasts--I won't be sewing more). And then when you receive them, you can pay me whatever you think they are worth to you. (For reference, the cost of shipping + materials is about $5-6; and each masks takes me roughly an hour to make). And I'm so sorry, but I cannot ship them internationally. I'll be paying for shipping myself, so I'm just hoping to get back the money spent on shipping.

I have about 45 masks, so I'll give them on a first-come-first-serve basis (to request one, it must be on this form below only--not comments here, not Instagram messages, etc.) I'm also going to set a limit of two per person.

A little about the masks themselves... I used two types of fabrics. For some of the masks, I used three layers of cotton fabric; for others, I used one layer of cotton with one layer of 600-thread count cotton bedding (an unused flat sheet--my kids don't like flat sheets, so I always save the ones that come in sets to use for fabric).

These are not hospital-grade masks, and they don't have a pocket for a filter. These are great for just going to the grocery store or being out in public when necessary. I cannot make any guarantees about their effectiveness, but I did research online, and they should work pretty well.

(The bedding fabric is actually highly recommended because it's woven tighter--that's why I only used two layers on those masks.) Here is a photo of the back of the mask with the sheet fabric (the zigzag stitch is from where I stitched the pipe cleaner in place).



The masks are made in only one size (adult). And since we are all shaped different, I cannot guarantee that it will fit will. It has two elastic hair ties that go over your ears, so there is a chance it could be too tight or too loose. In that case, you can cut out the hair ties and thread other elastic through or use shoelaces to use to tie it in the back of your head. But so far, these seem to fit well to those I've given them to!

I also included a pipe cleaner in the top to pinch against your nose to form it closer to your face (the more coverage you get, the better).

Finally, I have very limited choices in fabric. If I had been making these for profit, I would have bought a large diverse selection, but I had to use what was in my stash. And unfortunately, that's not much! So, I may or may not be able to give you the one you want. When you fill out the form, just select your favorite choices and I'll see what I can do.



I'll try to figure out how to post a "donate" button on my blog, so when you get them, you can decide what they are worth and donate that way. For now, though, my PayPal address is the same as my email address: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Please don't donate until you get your masks and are happy with them!


I will email you to let you know if I'll be sending a mask (I have no idea how many people will want these, so it'll just depend on that). If I run out, then I'll close responses on the form.

And just as a reminder, I posted a tutorial for how to make the face masks, which you can find here!


10 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for offering, Katie! I was trying to make some for my elderly in-laws, but I haven’t used my sewing machine in years and several key components have gone missing! LOVE YOU!

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  2. Katie you are so kind for offering this to your readers. Thanks so much.

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  3. I'm crafty as well and have been approached by people over the years to sell/make people items. I like you do it for fun. That being said. I would still charge the $5-6 upfront. That at least covers your shipping and materials cost. It shouldn't cost you and your family money to make them. I think your doing a great service by not charging for your time as it is. I don't know your financial situation so I can't speak to what your comfortable laying out money wise. The masks came out great by the way. Love the colors.

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  4. Thank you Katie! If you got a request from me twice, I apologize. The second time it seemed to go through.

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  5. So nice that you're doing this! I'm on the mask making train too..it's enjoyable but a LOT of work. Like you said, time is valuable and while I'm happy to help by making them for people it's hard to draw a line and make sure you leave time for your own sanity lol I live in PA where it's now mandatory to wear them anytime you go in a business. Like you, I feel weird charging for them so I just tell people I'm not charging but if they would like to donate towards more fabric for more masks it's appreciated. For now I'm only making them for friends and family and their friends and family. Any extra I want to donate to a local nursing home.

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  6. We are okay with masks here but I just wanted to drop a note... This is amazingly kind of you. Thanks for being amazing.

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  7. This is so awesome! Thanks so much for offering this. I have no sewing talent (or sewing machine). I asked for two so my husband would have his own.

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  8. This is so kind of you. I offered on Facebook to friends and ended up making 130 masks. I wish I could make more, but other things need to happen now (i.e. I need to get back to my work!). I think it's lovely you're offering!!

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  9. Just some Etsy feedback. I started making some beaded bracelets, expecting to sell them and be able to make some extra money. HA HA HA. Etsy has so much on it, as a seller, I could never get any attention/purchases! I love shopping on there, but never realized how tough it must be for the sellers until I try myself.

    I now better understand when I have had problems with purchases, why the sellers are SO NICE ("Oh, I sent you the wrong item? Let me send you the right one FOR FREE." it's probably a necessity as it's so tough to do business there)

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  10. I love the mask you sent me fit perfect and so stylish

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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