DIY Face Mask Lanyard and Accessories

With face masks becoming a part of our daily life, I wanted to share some simple DIY hacks and projects with Dritz products that will make wearing masks a bit less complicated. From DIY lanyards to a handy Carabiner these projects also help with the kids as they head back to in-person school.

Lately I've been using this free mask pattern from Dritz. I love the level 3 version. I did a couple for my kids for school and myself. It's my new go-to style. 

Make a Lanyard:

For my kids what I found useful was making a mask lanyard with 1/2" Swivel Hooks that come in bulk (available at JoAnn's). You can use all kinds of strapping: store bought trim, cording, macrame, necklaces, etc. For my son's I used Dritz 1" Bias Tape Maker. I like the bias tape as straps because it's an ideal weight to hang but not heavy and fits perfectly over the swivel hooks.

When sewing the lanyard, You will have to fold over, press, and topstitch the edges together. I then added a cord stop (prior to sewing the swivel hooks on) and that way I can adjust it to fit around his neck properly. This mask lanyard will help them not misplace their masks but also keep them off surfaces. 

If you use a store bought trim or strapping that's a tad wide to sew around the swivel hook you can use tabs like I did in this post here.

Use a Carabiner: 

Another handy tip is use a carabiner. Clip these on backpacks, bag straps, etc. That way you can hang the masks instead of stuffing them in a backpack or bag and misplace or soil them. I also like to hang hand sanitizer on these so it's always there when needed. 

The bulk 1/2" Swivel Hooks come in handy for all the back-to-school/back-to-office projects this year. I even made a neoprene hand sanitizer holder for the kids and a vinyl one for myself (I'll have to share in another blog post...).

Adjust the Elastic:

As I mentioned above I really like this face mask pattern. One thing I changed was the strapping for mine. Lately I've liked the 2-strap version that goes around the head (with elastic) over the elastic loops around the ears. That way when I'm done wearing the mask I can just pull it down and it stays around my neck (no need for lanyard). Another tip is add a cord stop on the bottom strap if it hangs a bit too much.

Give these hacks and projects a try and see if they work for you as we transition into this time with face masks.