Wearing a face covering is mandatory on public transport and when visiting all shops and supermarkets in England, with people who do not comply risking on the spot fines. They are also advisable in any area where it is difficult to maintain social distancing.

A face covering can be anything from a simple scarf tied around your face, to a stylish fabric mask or the disposable kind you can buy in the supermarket.

The important thing to remember is that it covers your mouth and nose while still allowing you to breathe comfortably. GOV.uk have issued instructions on their website on how to make two different types of home-made mask from items you may have at home. We have road-tested the simplest one for you, with some tweaks to ensure a perfect fit.

How to make your own:

For this method all you need is an old t-shirt and some scissors. That’s it!

  • Lay your shirt flat and measure 20cm from the bottom of the shirt.
  • Cut straight across. As this will make up the depth of material which will cover you face, adjust accordingly. The smaller the better with the t-shirt size here, but if you only have larger sizes to hand you may be able to make two from this strip. If you are making two, cut off the side seams and fold one piece in half as we have done below.
  • SAFETY NOTE: Scissors are sharp! Please be careful, even if you do have really fetching leopard-print plasters around to accessorise with.
  • You need roughly 20cm of material to cover the width of your face, so measure 10cm in from the folded side and cut along 2cm in from the top and bottom to create straps.
  • Cut upwards to remove the squares between the straps and you have a very basic, but functional mask.
  • Experiment a bit with the sizes needed to suit your face and trim away any excess.

Top tip:

If you cross over the straps and tie top left to the bottom right and vice-versa you will get a closer fit.

(Bonus tip: Make sure it’s a clean t-shirt, this has got to go on your face. 😉)