Bras, Jock Straps, & More: How to Make Your Own DIY Coronavirus Mask From All Kinds of Things But Mostly Underwear

Caleb HoweApr 4th, 2020, 2:43 pm
 

With the CDC now advising Americans that it’s a good idea for everyone to wear masks when out in public, and a shortage of masks available for sale, the internet has stepped up with a lot of tips and tricks on how to make your own at home.

Some a bit weirder than others.

The idea of making your own mask has been coming up on YouTube and social media since January. Americans are being asked not to go out buy up all the N95 masks, which are in short supply and are critical for the medical personnel on the front lines. And with even the disposable paper masks selling out faster than toilet paper(!), it makes sense that people have been improvising.

When Soledad O’Brien tweeted on Friday “Sooo where do we get a mask from if we don’t have one? What also works? Any ideas?” she got a number of answers along those lines. Some were … pretty unconventional.

That got us wondering how many tutorials there are for making one’s own mask. Not to mention wondering how weird those tutorials could get.

So if you are looking to make your own mask, do-it-yourself style, so you can help the country take steps to control the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, there are a LOT of options, and we have just a few right here.

Actor Colin Hanks put a tutorial on Instagram this week, showing how to make a mask from a bandana and some rubber bands; no sewing required.

Colin, of course, is the son of Tom Hanks, who along with his wife Rita Wilson, tested positive for COVID-19 weeks ago, and went through a quarantine period. They have since been released from the hospital and continue to “carry on with sheltering in place and social distancing.”

There are a lot of popular tutorials on Twitter, too. And they’re from all over the world.

Some, as we said, are a bit weirder than others.

There are also abundant explainers from media and government bodies on how to use a mask, how to don one, how to make one, or why to wear one.

CNN has a tutorial in pictures, too.

A popular video from YouTube that has been out for weeks explains how to make a mask from a bra, which seems to be a popular method. The YouTuber describes it as an N95 mask, but of course it is no way rated or reviewed by anyone to be designated as one. Still, it’s a good tutorial.

With a quick search on social media, you’ll find ample other examples of bosom-based bandana-alternatives for your coronavirus needs.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t give you this little tip from my own genius bride. If you’re making a mask from an old pillowcase or other lose or folding cloth, this is a big help:

Still, if you’re all thumbs or just don’t like DIY, there are plenty of individual sellers getting creative out there, as USA Today reports.

The bottom line is, you can find all kinds of ways to make your own mask. And if you’re not up for it, search around and you’ll find people who are making and selling their own.

But do get one. And do wear it. Because every day, people are demanding even more restrictive measures to slow the pandemic, and others are demanding the restrictions be lifted to avert economic doom. But all that fighting won’t do a thing if we’re not willing to take steps on our own.

So if you’re keen on everyone going back to work, even at risk of more lives being lost, you should at least be willing to endure wearing a mask for a while. And if you’re in favor of more serious lockdowns, then you should also be in favor of masks for the people who absolutely have to go out.

In other words, you have no reason to object, and no reason not to participate. Unless, you know, you’re just a dick.

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Caleb Howe - Contributing Editor

Caleb Howe is an editor and writer focusing on politics and media. Former managing editor at RedState. Published at USA Today, Blaze, National Review, Daily Wire, American Spectator, AOL News, Asylum, fortune cookies, manifestos, napkins, fridge drawings...