Whether you’re a nurse, a doctor, or a patient, one thing is sure: You’ve probably seen the same old face mask in every ICU. You know, the kind that looks like a hospital gown, has a neck hole, and lets you breathe in a very controlled way? Yeah, us too. For many healthcare professionals, seeing the same mask repeatedly can be depressing mainly because there’s so much more you can do with these simple pieces of fabric. And better yet, they’re not expensive! Plus, they look nice.

The first time we deployed the non-medical face mask (NMM) was on a new ICU floor. We were excited. The mask not only had an adjustable strap, so it fits both small and large faces, but it also had many different no-regulate fabrics to create a personal look with each one. The result? Amazing! Some of our nurses loved it so much that they would change the fabric on their masks at least once a day in order to get a new look!

as are available commercially for purchase or for free for use in hospitals. Still, in this chapter, we will cover three simple DIY options that will transform any NMM you have lying around the hospital into a fantastic-looking breathing mask no one can resist wearing: (1) torn paper tape; (2) cellophane tape; and (3) duct tape.

Incredible Results!!!

Let’s just turn your opinion of face masks upside down right now. Face masks are ordinary apparel—they can be comfortable or uncomfortable, durable or disposable…But think about how amazing your bedside manner would be if you could turn an NMM into something useful? This book is about finding creative ways to make simple things like bandages and heart markers fun and exciting—, and this is just one example of how you can do that with fabric!