How to Make a Kid's Sleeping Mask

A poorly sized sleep mask may fail to block all the light.

A sleep mask might help if your child has trouble sleeping at night because of bright lights that you cannot control -- such as a streetlight outside his bedroom window. Making your own sleep mask lets you choose a size that will fit your child just right with a look he'll love to wear.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Felt
• Scissors
• Elastic
• Sewing machine
• Fabric glue (optional)
• Wiggly eyes, felt eyebrow cutouts or other decorations (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure your child's face to find the distance between the outer corners of her eyes and add an inch to define the mask's width. Measure from eyebrow level to the cheekbone below the center of her eyes to determine the mask's height. Measure from eyebrow level to the top of her nose for the mask's height at its narrowest point, above the nose.

2. Cut a piece of elastic that reaches around the back of her head from ear to ear without stretching, or from eye to eye at the outer corners with a comfortable stretch.

3. Draw a pattern on the felt in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners with the width and height you determined. Mark a rounded wedge-shaped cutout in the center of the bottom edge such that the distance between the top of the mask and the top of the wedge equals the distance between your child's eyebrow level and the top of the nose.

4. Fold the felt in thirds to make two additional layers under the outline and cut along the pattern to create three mask-shaped cutouts. Trim 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the edge of one layer to make it slightly smaller than the others.

5. Layer the three mask cutouts with the smallest one in the center and 1/2 inch of one end of the elastic between the top two layers an inch from the top. Sew the layers together, sewing across the elastic band and around the outer edge. When you reach the other side, place 1/2 inch of the other end of the elastic between the top two layers an inch from the top of the mask and sew over it. Continue sewing around the whole perimeter of the mask.

6. Decorate the mask if desired by adding felt eyebrow cutouts, large wiggly eyes, sequins, ribbon or other decorative items to the front with fabric glue. Let the glue dry completely before using the mask. Your child can then place the mask over her eyes and stretch the elastic around the back of her head to hold it in place.