DIY Eye Mask for Sleeping

This DIY sleep eye mask is easy to make with a basic sewing machine, and costs less than $1 to make.  An eye mask for sleeping is great for light sleepers, frequent travelers, and can be a great frugal gift idea, stocking stuffer, or added as part of a spa gift basket.

Here’s what you need to make a cute eye mask for sleeping:

• 1/8 yard of silky fabric – get creative with your patterns!
• 1 sheet of craft felt
• 12″ black or decorative 1/4″ elastic
• filler (optional – flax seeds, rice, lavender buds etc)
• matching thread and sewing machine
• pins
• pinking shears

This amount of silky fabric and craft felt will cost less than $2 and make you two eye masks. For the material you can use anything that feels nice on your eyes, including decorative brocades. The fabric I used for this tutorial is charmeuse.

First, cut out the eye mask pieces.  You can trace an existing eye mask, or make a pattern to trace on the fabric fold.  Be sure to include a seam allowance. You will need two pieces from the silky material and one from the craft felt.  Use pinking shears to cut the silky fabric, as it will likely shred.

Measure the elastic to a comfortable length around the back of your head with one of your eye mask pieces.

Second, stack your items as shown:

• silky eye mask piece right side up
• elastic
• silky eye mask piece right side down
• craft felt eye mask piece

Make sure your silky pieces are right sides together with the elastic in between.

Pin everything together and sew around the edge, leaving a gap for turning. Turn the eye mask over and make sure you got all the edges in your stitches. Add some extra stitches to secure the elastic ends.

Turn your eye mask right side out through the gap.  If you want to fill your eye mask, do it now. I added about 4 tablespoons of plain, uncooked white rice to mine. The weight is soothing on the eyes. The rice will also stay cold for some time if put in the freezer.

Pin the gap closed. Press the eye mask smooth and top stitch around the outside, very close to the edge, closing the gap.