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Joann Fabrics Will Give You Supplies To Make Face Masks For Nurses and Doctors

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Are you a crafter or sewer? Do you live near a JOANN fabric store? If so they have an excellent opportunity to help get masks and gowns to medical workers in your area.

In a press release, JOANN stores laid out their plan to let people come into their working classrooms, and make masks and gowns for FREE, as long as you plan to donate them.

Courtesy of the JOANN Website

Beginning Monday, March 23, while adhering to social distancing guidelines, JOANN will open its classrooms to any who want to help make these essential items. Participating locations will offer sewing machines, materials and guidance to help customers safely make facemasks and covers, gowns and other items to donate to America’s hospitals. JOANN will provide and donate 100% of the supplies needed for these projects for those who come in to make.

JOANN Press Release

Those who want to make-to-give to the effort at home will be able to take advantage of JOANN’s Ship-to-Home and Curbside Pickup options, and find tutorials to create the items at joann.com/maketogive.

JOANN Press Release
Courtesy of the JOANN Website

Hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country are scrambling to find enough PPE — Personal Protective Equipment — including masks and gowns to deal with this coronavirus epidemic.

Courtesy of the JOANN Website

This is a GREAT way to help donate to the cause! Reusable masks and gowns would GREATLY help the medical community.

Courtesy of the JOANN Website

All open JOANN locations will serve as collection points for those making in their homes, and all items created by customers will be donated to help medical systems extend their dwindling supplies of protective equipment, and will be used at the hospital’s discretion.

JOANN Press Release

Now, at first, I’ll admit, I wondered why JOANN fabric stores wouldn’t just provide fabric, thread, and elastic to people that wanted to make masks and gowns from home.

But, think about it. Not everyone is as honest as you and me. They could potentially lose TONS of product and money, if they just handed out free fabric and supplies.

JOANN is giving a DEEP discount on cotton fabric, and the supplies you will need to make masks at home.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B98lo_wD1Vh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Then, you just drop them off to any JOANN store, and they will have them delivered for you. It couldn’t be easier.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B96hk5CjwOw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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257 Comments

  1. please know, they don’t tell you they have a limited amount they have available each day. even when you call to see if that location is participating. 12 miles one way to find out I could come back in the morning. otherwise I could just purchase the supplies from them. Of course no elastic. I live 2 miles from 3 different hospitals that could have used them, including the Navy Hospital we use 7 miles away.

  2. When I make my masks for the clinics, hospitals, I use interfacing on the inside for further protection!! #Also, they are washable & can even be worn over other pre-made masks.. ..
    Being a seamstress, I have so much fabric, especially scraps; so this has proven to be a great way to help, while using what I already have!! ❤️

    1. I use non woven in the liner too, then my cotton front and back! Great job!

    2. I have fabric at home but I’m looking for the pattern to make masks. Could u plz send me the pattern ..ty

      1. Look at freesewing.org for their mask pattern. There are three patters in one, so print it three times and cut each size out separately. It fits the face well. But remember to add seam allowance. It is not included.

  3. These have a 97% FAILURE rate. This is about the same rate as wearing nothing at all. Our healthcare professionals deserve better.

    1. Where are you coming up with this information? What does a 97% failure rate even mean?

      The research in this area is limited, but no scientific body is suggesting cloth masks are terrible choices (unless they are being reused without cleaning!) Cloth masks can provide protection for droplets, which is the form many people are exposed to viruses as. In healthcare settings, N95 respirators are preferred, when working in situations where virus can become aerosolized, like during intubation. I’d prefer if all healthcare workers were supplied with N95 masks, but that is not the world we are living in.

      See: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763187
      OR
      https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/16/coronavirus-can-become-aerosol-doesnt-mean-doomed/
      OR
      https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11637/reusability-of-facemasks-during-an-influenza-pandemic-facing-the-flu

  4. Fake News! I just checked all the stores in a tri-state area around me. When malls were shut down Joanns shut down.

  5. DO NOT buy from Joann’s. They’re forcing their workers to continue to work in open stores with customer contact, with NO sanitization. They are claiming their stores are “essential” (they’re not), while not allowing employees to wear any PPE, not providing endangerment pay, not providing paid sick leave (only unpaid LOA which means the worker can’t claim any EI).

    In addition, the materials are being handled by customers and staff alike with no protection or store sanitization.

    If your local Joann’s is open, call your local police to report it as they are mandated to be shut down.

  6. What kind of liner are u suggesting?
    I read somewhere flannel betwern
    Cotton would help. IS this true?

    1. Activated Charcoal. You can buy sheets on Amazon

  7. Hi My name is Jacqueline Benvenuto. I am deaf. I am sixty years old. I need a mask cuz I had a cancers (bladder cancer in 2016 and lung cancer in 2018) Cancer free was 2018 and recently cancer free last January. I cant go out to the store and bank without masks cuz heres no mask at the stores. They dont have a masks (sold out). Wonder is anyone can make a masks for me I can pay for it Please let me know ok. Have a nice smiley day. Thank you. Jacqueline Benvenuto

    1. Where do you live? Has anyone helped you yet?

    2. Did anyone get you a mask yet?

      1. I am a nurse by profession. I am looking for a mask to play with my child who is 2 year old and take care of a mom who is 60+. It’s sold out everywhere. I will be happy to pay and pay for shipping. I will need 5 mask. Can someone help.
        thanks

  8. I was wondering if putting in a thicker grade of interfacing fabric (Pellon) would help out. You wouldn’t need to sew it in, if you make one with a pocket and it could be changed out for another one when needed.

    1. I’m putting interfacing in all of mine…. understand it will be better protection!
      Cathye

    2. I am cutting up Merv 13 air filters to put in the masks.

  10. I am making the pleated ones, would be happy to send some wherever they are needed! Email me at gr8auntpam74@gmail.com and I will get as many as I can in the mail ASAP.

    2. I am a nurse. Currently taking care of all Covid 19 patient’s on our floor. I need mask to wear at home and avoid exposure to my family which includes a 2 year old toddler and a 60+ year old mom. Please let me know if you will be able to send me atleast 4 that I can wash and reuse. Thanks

  11. Our stores are closed. They dont even answer phone! I have orders for senior homes and nerd elastic. Noe available till May.

    1. If you have hose or kids tights that are no longer wearable you can cut them up and use them as elastic until you can get some. However, many nurses are saying they would rather have them with the long ties as some elastic is melting in the sterilization process. 36″ long ties/binding on each side is what one maker advised.

  13. I would love to do this but our stores are closed in Kentucky.

  16. I am making pleated and formed masks with a HEPA filter. Have run out of elastic and can’t find any anywhere.Any suggestions. Joanns has nothing under 1 inch. Amazon shows 1/4 and 1/2 inch but delivery isn’t until May.

    1. Stretchy headbands! But I see a lot of requests for string ties so they can adjust them over the bigger masks.

    2. could you just make cloth straps to be tied instead?

    3. I just watched a video about this. The lady said you can take 1 inch wide elastic and cut it down the center. It will fray. So, you take a fut piece and just keep stretching it. Those outer rows will fray and fall off, leaving you with a piece of elastic that will fray no more. It works. I tried it.

    4. You can actually cut the elastic down to the size you need. One of our neighbors made this suggestion when I said I only have 1” elastic. I tried cutting a piece and it worked!

      1. Vaccum bags are usually hepa filters.

    7. You can get kids elastic hair ties and use them

    8. You can’t split the 1”” into smaller pieces , tedious but it works!

  17. A quote from my niece who is a nurse: “We don’t have actual filters as far as I know. But what we have come up with is that we put those over our masks so then we can preserve the mask we have for longer periods. Right now we are wearing masks 5 days in a row… soon we will be using one mask indefinitely probably”

  18. I would be glad to help. Joanne’s in Indianapolis, East Washington st.

  20. What is NECESSARY to have inside the mask? Do they/or us, if we wear one, ONLY need two pieces of fabric as a barrier to the virus. Is that all it takes? I love the “accordion” type pattern. Seems quickest and good. But I don’t know. I guess the fabric could catch the spittle of another?

    1. I would like to help but are you able to mail supplys to make masks

  21. I submitted a request for medical masks for my health unit and for the county’s fire police responders. We’re in a small county that consists of 3 towns that have fire and police presence in need of masks. We also have 4 small clinics that are running out of PPE,including masks. I am the local health unit’s administrator and I have been trying to get masks and other needed supplies for all of them in my county. I forgot to add a number to the amount needed for the clinics in my submission.

    1. If you have hose or kids tights that are no longer wearable you can cut them up and use them as elastic until you can get some. However, many nurses are saying they would rather have them with the long ties as some elastic is melting in the sterilization process. 36″ long ties/binding on each side is what one maker advised.

      1. I have a lot of 5/8 grosgrain ribbon that I would love to use. However, I am curious about whether I should use it since it has a rough texture. Would the little ridges hold germs?

  22. Would like to help what do I do? Would need directions can sew have machine and time.

    1. Where do I find a local Joann store participating in this

    2. I have a lot of 5/8 grosgrain ribbon that I would love to use. However, I am curious about whether I should use it since it has a rough texture. Would the little ridges hold germs?

  23. I work in healthcare, will you teach me how to make masks for my staff? We need to use a fiber that will limit the size of the particle thT can enter the mask. I can get the liner we would like to use, but I need instruction.

    1. Use hepa air condition filters as the “fabric” and sew in a nose piece and sew to same shape and size as n95 so that the mask will seal and filter

  24. Ready to help
    Sierra Vista has a Joanne’s here 85635
    Please contact me

  25. Ready to get started
    There is a Joanne’s here in Sierra Vista 85635

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