Keep a mask on you at all times by folding this simple plastic sleeve to keep in your pocket, your purse, your car or your backpack.  A very simple, and inexpensive mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet.

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I’ve bought 18 reusable masks now – for the three of us – knowing that I need one each day for work, and the girls will each need one each day for school.  Of the brands I’ve tried, I’m most impressed with the ones from The Gap – but they do run a bit pricey at 3 for $20 CDN.

I justify it because they are washable up to 400 times and so my cost per use is roughly $0.02 per use (not including laundry detergent etc for washing).  Still, considerably less than the disposable masks, and certainly better for the environment.

What I would like however, is a way to keep a mask on my person at all times without it getting gungy and gunky in the bottom of my purse, in my car cup holder or in my back pocket.

Sure a ziplock baggie would work, but if you put your mask in after using it, you’ll get moisture in the bag and then you still run the gunk-risk.

To that end, I started looking up ideas for storing masks… and the simplest idea was a piece of plastic.

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

 

A simple piece of folded plastic – roughly the thickness of a report cover – works so perfectly and is so easy to make!

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

 

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

Sure, you could buy a few online, but I’ll do ya’ one better and show you how to make your own in minutes:

I tried making my mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet out of a few materials – the video shows with some Silhouette shirt transfer paper – but the best version was made from a plastic box I found in my recycling.

Truly!

recycling plastic box into a mask storage pouch

This held a loofah sponge I received from Fab Fit Fun in their last box, and the plastic is about the same thickness as a report cover.

From this box, I was able to make 2 mask storage pouches / mask storage wallets.

I cut my plastic with regular scissors down to 12cm or 4 5/8″ by 19cm or 7 ½” – just slightly bigger than my mask.

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

In the video I show folding the plastic in half and then in half the other way, but with this thicker plastic the actual fold lines are at 9cm and 10 cm on the wide side (3 ½” and 3 ¾”) to give a book-like spine to your mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet.  Then fold again on the short edge at 5.5cm and 6.3 cm (approximately 2 1/8″ and 2 7/8″).

Use scissors or a craft blade to cut out the narrow (book spine) section that runs on one side of the horizontal centre line of your mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet.

This isn’t my photo, but it shows you what I mean:

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

Place your mask onto your now creased sheet of plastic, fold in half then in half again and mark where your ear ties are.

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

Cut a small notch through all four layers of plastic so you can wrap your bands to keep the mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet closed.

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

That’s it!  Super-simple – and if you can find some thickish plastic in your recycling, it’s totally free!

You can keep this tiny mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet in your purse, your lunch bag, your back pocket or your backpack and you’ll have a mask with you at all times!

mask storage pouch / mask storage wallet

I’ll link to the report covers I’m referring to and the items you might need/have on-hand to make a few of your own for friends and family.

I believe – if my math is right – one plastic report cover will make 6 mask storage pouches / mask storage wallets.

Quick!  Go fold stuff! lol

Have a great one.