For Sale in Sydney: Fabric Face Masks for Kids

Are you in the Sydney area, and want reusable and comfortable face coverings for your child? I am selling two sizes of masks for children.

The aim of my masks is to encourage children to wear their masks, by ensuring that they are comfortable to wear, and look fun too! The masks are made of three layers of cotton, with a fun print on the outer layer. The prints:

-Mermaid

-Teddy Bears

-Sharks

-Thomas the Tank Engine

The ties are made of t-shirt (cotton jersey) material that is cut into long strips that tie behind the head. The ties are very comfortable, and don’t dig into ears, like looped elastic does.

Adult Sized Mask Demonstrates the Fit of the Child Sized Masks

There are two sizes of masks:

-Size Small: Meant for younger children, i.e. younger primary school aged children, where the distance from the top of the mask (bridge of their nose) to the bottom (below their chin) is ~11 cm or less.

-Size Medium: Meant for older children, i.e. older primary school aged children, where the distance from the top of the mask (bridge of their nose) to the bottom (below their chin) ~12 cm or less.

Please keep in mind the fabric has some give, so these measurements are approximate.

The Medium Sized Mask, showing how the measurement of size is taken.

The masks are machine washable.

The (not-so-fine) fine print:

-Sales are final; no exchanges, and masks are sold as-is.

-If you purchase the wrong size for your child, please wash the mask and pass it on to a friend that needs it. Please keep in mind that these masks are hand made, so minor cosmetic imperfections that do not impact function occasionally occur.

Price: $30. I will donate $10 from each mask sale to Foodbank NSW & ACT to help people suffering from food insecurity due to Covid-19. I will post an update with my donation once sales have ended.

Pick up: East Ryde

Postage: $3 for up to five masks, for more than five masks email for a quote on postage.

To order: Please email me @ leahssewingroom@gmail.com and tell me:

-# of masks

-size(s)

-Desired print

-Mailing address, if postage required.

**Please note, the fabric lining and tie colours are random, and cannot be selected.

FAQ

How do you recommend washing the masks?

-I recommend gentle machine, or hand washing, them in at least 40-60 C water, and adding a laundry disinfectant. Machine dry low-medium, or hang to dry. Once the mask is dry, reshape the nose area by pinching the chin and the nose areas of the mask, and gently tugging them apart.

Why aren’t you using elastic loops that loop around the ears?

-Elastic loops need to be tight to ensure a good fit, which can cause discomfort to the ears.To ensure optimal comfort, and ensure that children wear their masks, I use the t-shirt material ties.

Why are the edges of the ties unfinished?

-T-shirt material doesn’t fray. Leaving the edges unfinished encourages the fabric to roll on itself, creating a nice tie.

What if I want to replace the ties?

-If you decide to use elastic around the ears, or ribbon or shoe laces for ties, you can simply pull out the existing ties, and use a safety pin to feed the new tie or elastic through the casing on each side of the mask.

What if $30 is too expensive?

-You don’t have to have a fabric or single use mask to protect yourself and others from the spread of Covid-19. You can use a scarf, bandana, or any cloth you have at home to cover your face. The Victoria government webpage has a very simple pattern and directions as well: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/202007/Design%20and%20preparation%20of%20cloth%20mask_0.pdf