Hello, everybody!

Today we have a new DiY! And this one is super easy, for absolute beginners! No matter how crafty you are, you can do it!!

As Spring is almost here and days are getting longer, we decided to come up with a fantastic, useful and easy Sleeping Mask! If you are one of those who can not sleep if there’s light in your eyes, or you know one of those and want to make him/her a beautiful gift, or even if you just love this accessory, stay with us!

This project could be done easily with a sewing machine, but I’m gonna do it pretty simple, with some thread and needle in a super basic level, ’cause I believe basic tutorials are also necessary, don’t you?

0. Timing

Well… It will depend on your sewing skills, but… Let’s say a couple of hours (if I’m wrong, let me know when you make your own!).

1. What we need

– Fabric (like 55x45cm; 21,7″x17,8″). Choose the one you love, but have in mind two things: 1. You’re gonna wear it in your face, so make sure it’s soft enough for you. 2. It should keep your eyes in the dark, so test if it’s thick or dense enough to do so (if not, and you are absolutely in love with that fabric, you can always add some felt inside to get the same effect, don’t worry!).

– Elastic (don’t get it too thin ’cause it could be uncomfortable) (over 50cm; 19,7″).

– Thread (better if it matches your fabric).

– Needle.

– Scissors.

– Rule.

– Pencil.

– Sticky tape.

– Stick (a Chinese stick).

2. Before we start

First of all, you have to wash your fabric before you start this project. Fabrics tend to shrink with water, so wash it to make sure your master piece will last perfectly after washes. Once your fabric is dry, you can iron it (if it’s too wrinkled) and then, you’re ready to start! Let’s go!

3. Pattern

Here you can download a basic pattern for your mask. If you think you’ll need it bigger (or smaller), just trace your own!

Cut the pattern in a sheet of paper. Take your fabric, extend it right side down and trace the pattern with a pencil. Do it twice (you need two equal pieces). Remember: if your fabric is too thin, you should cut a third piece of felt or some other dense fabric.

Cut the pieces of fabric, leaving some space between the cut and the trace.

Put them together (right side in) and they’re ready to be sewed! (Next step). If you have a felt piece, just place it in the middle and keep going.

Before sewing, try your elastic in your head to find out the perfect measurement. Put it around your head (until you reach your eyes), don’t tense it too much (it has to be comfortable) and add like 3 cm (1.2″) to each side (it will be easier to sew). Cut it to your right size and once you have it, place it over your fabric. Cut a strip of fabric like three times higher than the elastic and of the same length of the elastic when it’s tense.

Now we’re ready to sew.

4. Sewing time

Take the two equal pieces of fabric (three if you have a felt piece). We will sew following the traced pattern. As you can see in the original pattern, there are two red lines. They mean we don’t sew over those parts (we have to let some room for the elastic).

If you have never tried sewing before, congratulations! This is gonna be your first time and you’ll succeed! If you have any practice, you can skip this part.

1. Ok, first of all, you have to cut like 80 cm (31.5″) of thread. Take your thread and needle and pass half of your thread through the hole of your needle. Once you get it, make a knot between the two threads as far as you can from the needle.
2. Following the traced pattern, start passing the needle from bottom to top until the knot stops you.
3. Now do the same, this time from top to bottom, like 0.4cm (0.16″) from the first hole.
4. Repeat the step 2, this time trying to make the hole as close as you can from the last one.
5. And repeat steps 3 and 4 until you finish.
6. When you have to stop (because of the red lines, or you have no more thread, or you have finished it), you have to make a knot (you can do it twice or three times if you want) and cut the excess thread. If you need to keep sewing, just start again from step 1. Super easy! Isn’t?

When you have the two equal parts sewed together, it’s time to sew the elastic.

Take your strip of fabric, fold it in a half lengthwise (right side inside).  Sew leaving like half of the elastic height as margin (you can use your rule to trace a straight line to help you).

5. Inside out

Now we should have three pieces: A) The mask. B) The fabric strip. C) The elastic.

A) The mask: First of all, you will have to make some cuts to ensure it will keep the desire shape when we turn it inside out. Just follow the picture to do so. Then, turn it inside out by using one of the open spots we left for the elastic (use a pencil or something like that to reach the edges and get the perfect shape).

B) The fabric strip: Turn it inside out as well. This could be a little tricky, so use a pencil to push the fabric as you keep turning it.

6. Getting together

Tape one edge of the elastic to a Chinese stick (or any stick you have). Now, carefully, pass it inside the fabric strip. You’ll see the fabric will crease, it’s perfectly right! Keep going. Once you reach the end, just stop. Be careful, you don’t want to loose the elastic inside the fabric!

Take the mask, it’s time to sew them together. Place the edge of your strip (the one without the tapped stick) in the non sewed space we left in the mask. Introduce like 2 cm (0.65″) and sew (exactly as you did with the mask). Make sure you start in the inside of the fabric in order to hide the knot (and try to finish inside as well). Just to get a better looking, if you see there are some empty spaces between each stitch, just sew again in the opposite direction.

Now you can take out the stick (take out the tape, too, of course!) and sew that edge as you sewed the other one (in the opposite side).

7. Almost there

Make sure there’s no holes, and if so, just add some more stitches.

Try it:

• If it’s too loose, cut the stitches you made in one of the edges of the strip. Introduce more strip inside the mask and sew again.
• If it’s too tight, cut the stitches you made in one of the edges of the strip. Take out some strip and sew again.
• If it fits you well… Then you’re done!! Congratulations!! You have your own super cool Sleeping Mask!!

As always, if you have any questions, please, ask! And if you make your own, please, share! We want to see it!!

Thanks for stopping by!

We hope you like it!

And… Good night…!