As of Monday 15th June it is a legal requirement to wear a face-covering when traveling on public transport. Online searches for face masks skyrocketed by 215% in the week following the announcement.

Demand for designer face masks has increased by 300%, luxury brands jumped on the trend by releasing a number of £70+ designer face masks online. Off White’s hugely popular arrow mask, which retailed for £75, sold out immediately online and is now being resold for £200.

For shoppers who don’t want to spend £200 on a designer mask, here is a way to create your own designer face covering, using luxury leftovers!

Fashion influencer Carly Srebnick created a designer face covering, using a Balenciaga dust bag. The blogger shared her designer DIY hack with shopping discount marketplace, LovetheSales.com.

The DIY face-covering took Carly less than half an hour to create, all you need to copy the look is:

1 (Designer) Dust Bag
Fabric Scissors
Pinking Shears (optional)
Ribbon/Elastic
Needle & Thread (or sewing machine)
Pins

Note: Dust bags work really well for face masks but you can upcycle most luxury items into face coverings, including designer canvas bags, t-shirts or scarves.

Step 1.

Select a dust bag of your liking. Cut one 15cm x 25cm rectangle (front) and cut two 0.6xm X 25cm rectangles for the lining.

Put the right sides together and sew aging the top two (25cm) edges. You can also stitch down the lining for a cleaner look.

Step 2.

Stitch the short edges together, then create three pleats.

Stitch down the three pleats. The pleats should be about four inches altogether.

Prevent fraying by using pinking shears on the seam allowances (if you don’t have a serger).

Turn the mask right-side out.

Step 3.

Create a tunnel for the elastic (or ribbon) to run through by pinning down 1cm from the edge on each side.

Snake the ribbon through the tunnel. (You can use a safety pin to help guide the ribbon.)

Repeat the same to the other side of the mask.

Secure the mask to your face by tying the ribbon around your ears.

Carly told LovetheSales.com:

“Being a fashion blogger I am naturally a very fashion-conscious person, but I love to save money and create my own looks when I can.”

“During lockdown I’ve done everything from creating my own candles & soaps to tie-dying old t-shirts.”

“I knew I would need a face covering to wear in public, so I looked online for a trendy face mask but was put off by the prices.”

“A face covering didn’t look difficult to make yourself, so I looked in my wardrobe for unused clothes and found a dust bag for my Balenciaga runners. It took me less than half an hour to create the face covering and now I have my own designer face mask for free!”

“It feels great making something yourself, especially when you’re saving money using the old clothes and materials already in your wardrobe.”

“I am now looking around my closet for my next DIY project!”

For more money saving tutorials like this, check out Carly’s blog at www.carlysreb.com or follow Carly on Instagram.

Will you be upcycling your luxury leftovers? Share you creative face coverings on Instagram and tag @lovethesales.