How to Make Bandana Masks for Kids from Mere Scraps

Need a mask for you kids, but have no sewing skills and need it to be more exciting for your little one? Make bandana masks that are super easy and the kids will love them!

Moving During a Pandemic with Bandana Masks

We moved across the country this year, from Kansas to Oregon. It is not fun planning or moving during a pandemic, but we honestly didn’t have any choice. I wanted to make it a fun trip because it was literally 30+ hours of driving in the car. I knew I wanted to make the trip safe, fun, and worry free. I decided that we would have 3 rules:

• Always wash your hands before we go into a place
• Wear a mask inside everywhere
• Always wash your hands after we are done with a place

I made these rules pretty clear from the beginning. I let the kids know exactly what was expected of them and the severity of the virus that was going around. I was a little worried about wearing masks everywhere, especially for my three year old. They have such a hard time keeping them on, and I could only find ones that are too big for them. I was planning on picking some up at the store a few days before the trip, but no store had child size masks. I don’t know why. I don’t know if I wasn’t looking in the right place, or they were just all sold out. I didn’t have time to buy them online, so I came up with the idea to make them.

Why Bandana Masks? 

Now, I am not an excellent sewer by any means! I can sew a pillow and a skirt, but that’s about it. I can sew square things. Anything that is super advanced, I don’t touch. I’m sure I could if I tired, but that’s another story for another time.

I found an old bandana that we had floating around the car. I had seen some people wear them for masks. I first tried to find them in the store but they were also out of bandanas. Then my brain got to thinking:

• They are easy to make…because they are square.
• I can get different colors and patterns that the kids will like.
• The kids will have a harder time getting them off then regular masks
• I have scraps of fabric (well my mom did) that I could use to make them super easy
• I can do it in a few hours

So, that’s what I did! And here’s how I did it:

How to Make Bandana Masks for Kids that are SUPER Easy 

Supplies:

Material – Needs to be at least 18 in. X 18 in. (Preferably ones that your kids will find interesting, but any scraps will do.)
Scissors
Sewing Machine (or you could hand sew them too, if you have time)
Thread

Instructions:

I suggest making a template by measuring and cutting out a square from your material that is 18.5 x 18.5. The extra half an inch is so you can hem it a 1/4 of an inch. (I used the one bandana that I had as a pattern, but you don’t need it. Note: 18 x 18 is a child’s size bandana, if you want them bigger you can do 22 x 22 (or 22.5 x 22.5) or even 27 x 27 (or 27.5 x 27.5) for an oversized one.)

Cut out all your squares from all the different material you’d like to use. I made 4 bandanas so my kids would have choices. (You know how they LOVE choices)

Now, I’m sure you could just use a piece of material that has been cut. But then it gets all tattered and torn. I decided to sew a hem around the sides. I pinned about a 1/4 of an inch around the outside of the bandana so I could sew my edges. If you are super not picky, you could just eye ball it. (I was eye balling it, which is why mine looks a little bigger than a 1/4 of an inch) It’s up to you. If you want to be even more picky, you could iron the edges after you pin them so they stay in place better.

Sew around the outside of your bandana about 1/4 of an inch using your pins and sewing machine as a guide. 

Cut off all the extra thread. 

And there you have it, super easy bandana masks for kids!

Enjoy!

Bandana Masks

My kids were way more excited to wear the different masks and chose one each time. They eventually got sick of wearing anything over their face, as any kid would, but I felt like they stayed on better because they were tied behind their head so they were hard to take off.

I hope you are staying safe during this Pandemic.

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