To perform their primary function — allowing you to sleep soundly while keeping light from your eyes — sleep masks need to be comfortable. Old, soft bedsheets are the perfect option for this DIY, offering a pleasant but firm material that will help you keep out the light without making you uncomfortable. Use it to take naps on the couch, meditate in your living room or just get some much-needed shuteye.
The process isn't difficult, especially if you have a bit of a background in sewing. You can make one sleep mask for yourself, but one bedsheet yields enough material to make a dozen for family and friends at Christmastime. Comfortable, uninterrupted beauty sleep is sure to be a much-appreciated gift.
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Materials
- Old bedsheet
- Scissors
- Old sleep mask or fabric cut in the shape of a sleep mask
- Felt-tip marker
- Thin cotton batting
- Bias tape
- Sewing pins
- Sewing machine
- Elastic
- Old bedsheet
- Scissors
- Old sleep mask or fabric cut in the shape of a sleep mask
- Felt-tip marker
- Thin cotton batting
- Bias tape
- Sewing pins
- Sewing machine
- Elastic
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Spread the bedsheet out on a flat, clean surface. You might even want to iron out the wrinkles beforehand. Place an old sleep mask (or fabric cut into the shape of one) on top of the bedsheet, and trace a line around it with the felt-tip marker. Cut it out, and repeat.
1. Spread the bedsheet out on a flat, clean surface. You might even want to iron out the wrinkles beforehand. Place an old sleep mask (or fabric cut into the shape of one) on top of the bedsheet, and trace a line around it with the felt-tip marker. Cut it out, and repeat.
2. Cut a third sleep mask shape out of cotton batting. Place the cotton batting between the two bedsheet pieces.
3. Cut a strip of bias tape long enough to go all the way around the mask. Pin it to the underside of the mask.
4. Unpinning as you go, sew the bias tape to the sleep mask, placing a stitch around the middle of the bias tape close to the edge of the mask. Cut the excess thread.
5. Cut identical slits all the way around the outer edge of the bias tape. Fold the cut edge around the outside of the mask, and sew both edges of the bias tape flat to the sides of the mask.
6. Cut a piece of elastic long enough to fit snugly (but not tightly) around the back of your head. Hand-sew the corner of the elastic to the left side of your sleep mask. Tie a knot, and cut off the excess thread. Repeat this step on the right side of the mask with the other end of the elastic.
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Now, you have a lovely sleep mask that's not only practical but comfortable.