Face masks are now recommended by the CDC. Even before the official recommendation, people had taken to their sewing machines, staplers, and other tools, to find ways to help with mask shortages. There have been creative solutions all over social media. From shop towels and hair ties to sewing machines and colorful fabric, the options seem to be growing. Face masks may be Time’s person of the year.
With half of your face covered, it is a little more difficult to express yourself. POD (print on demand) sites are now helping the sewing challenged to express themselves. I have had a store up on Zazzle for awhile but had not been adding new designs there for a couple of months. This weekend, it occurred to me that customized masks would fit perfectly in their wheelhouse. I clicked on over and, sure enough, they have added cloth masks.
Anyone can design their own or browse through designs that Zazzle has approved. There is an approval process for sellers. It seems Zazzle does that any time they have a template that may be more challenging to fit correctly. If you would like a particular color, pattern, picture, or design to express yourself, this is one way to achieve your goal. Zazzle’s masks are cloth and you can insert a disposable mask or filter into a built in pocket for added protection. They have defined and capped the % commission that artists can get from selling designs on the masks. All appear to have the same listed price.
Two of my designs are still under review but should be cleared in <= 24 hours.
UPDATE: The links are up! Update 2: I ordered one of the masks and while I like how the design came out, the elastic ear loop pieces were cut short. I plan to keep it and either use an extender or sew on new ones. I was able to slide a regular mask into the pocket and use that mask’s ear loops.
Here are some different artists’ designs to get your creative juices flowing:
