This no-sew neck gaiter for coronavirus protection takes only minutes to make and is perfect for the young ones in your life. This neck gaiter style is also great for:
– anyone who isn’t keen on the other styles of fabric masks,
– people who need to keep a face covering close on hand at all times, but they want to be able to take it off and on easily and frequently,
– someone who doesn’t have a sewing machine and needs a mask in a hurry.
These are easy to leave in the car if you want to have some extra face coverings available in case someone forgets one while you’re out running errands.
The Neck Gaiter In A Nutshell
This project is perfect for anyone who keeps kids’ old t-shirts and tank tops around in the hopes of upcylcing them at some point.
Thrift shops are a good option and so is the clearance section at any of the big box stores, if you don’t have a tank top or t-shirt on-hand.
Also, for anyone who has tackled making a drawstring bag or drawstring pajama pants, you will see how I constructed this simply by quickly skimming through the pictures.
The short explanation for this project is this: You are using the bottom edge of the cotton tank top or shirt, which is already stitched closed, as a channel for the drawstring.
A longer explanation of the project is included below as both pictures with text and a quick video walking you through it.
Materials For Neck Gaiter Face Covering
The materials and equipment you need for this no-sew neck gaiter for coronavirus protection are:
– 100% cotton t-shirt or tank top in a YOUTH size.
Since this doesn’t have to fit your shoulders or torso, the youth-sized shirts are ideal for the best fit. All you need is something that will fit over your head and won’t bunch so much that it’s uncomfortable once tied.
The cotton top can be ribbed or smooth, doesn’t matter.
– T-shirt yarn & a safety pin or shoe laces.
If you have been making fabric face masks with t-shirt ties, then you already have some of this ready to go. If you haven’t tried making t-shirt strips or yarn, I highly recommend it. It’s a multi-use supply that you can easily make in a matter of minutes.
For this project, you need a strand of 36″ of t-shirt yarn or just a really long single cut.
Don’t feel like cutting up t-shirts? Shoe laces will do just fine too.
– Small Scissors.
You can use any kind of scissors, but I prefer the small ones because it’s easy to do the small snip of fabric that this project requires.
Make The Drawstring Neck Gaiter
This project for coronavirus protection can be completed in four steps and should take about 5 minutes if you have the supplies in your stash.
Step One: Measure 11″ from bottom of the shirt and cut.
The armholes or sleeves aren’t necessary for this project so they need to be cut off. So layout the top and cut 11″ down from the bottom edge.
Since the sizes of the tops may vary, the width isn’t as important as the height. I am recommending an 11″ high neck gaiter, but you can tweak as necessary depending your needs.
For children, anywhere from 9″ – 11″ is probably a good height. Teenagers and adults will range anywhere from 11″ – 15″.
Step Two: Prepare the bottom seam for the drawstring.
The reason why this neck gaiter is so easy to make is because we’re using the existing construction of the cotton shirt. To finish the edge, shirts are folded over and then stitched (typically with a serger).
This construction creates a pre-made channel that we can use to hold the drawstring.
You just need to open it up a little bit with two holes. To do that, measure 4 inches from the left and right side edges and then…
Step Three: Create two holes for the drawstring.
You need to create two holes for threading the drawstring through the channel.
The holes should be cut 4″ away from the left and right side edges on the FRONT side of the neck gaiter.
Remember to pull the layers apart so you don’t cut through them both. For the drawstring to work, you only want to cut through one layer of fabric.
Also, when cutting the top layer of the folded (and stitched) bottom edge, you only want to make a small snip in the fabric. After that first snip, just clip a little bit more in any direction.
Then take your fingers to open up the holes a little bit more. The picture below demonstrates what they should look like once complete.
Step Four: Thread the string through the channel.
I think almost everyone has had to re-thread drawstring pants or a hooded sweatshirt. Even those who consider themselves non-crafty!
Threading the t-shirt yarn drawstring for this neck gaiter is no different.
Take the safety pin and insert it into one of the holes. Then, use the safety pin and push the string through the channel until it comes out through the other hole.
Step Five: Play with it a little, then it’s ready to wear!
After you’ve threaded the string through the channel, knot the ends to prevent them from sliding back into the channel.
I recommend playing around a little bit with how it cinches just to get a sense of how it works before pulling it over your head.
Neck Gaiter For Coronavirus Video Tutorial
How To Wear This Face Covering
Since you can never go wrong stating the obvious let’s start with it: The drawstring should be the at top of the neck gaiter.
To wear this face covering:
One: Pull the neck gaiter over your head and turn it until the string ends are at the back.
Two: Pull it up past your mouth and place it on your nose where you want to sit.
Three: Pull the drawstring ends to cinch it tighter around your face.
Four: Secure the face covering by tying the ends together in a bow at the back of your head.
Share The Goods
What style face mask or face covering is your favorite so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.