I made my first batch of cloth pads about 14 years ago. I was motivated by environmental concerns and I was also a broke college student. I had a pair of flannel cheshire cat PJ bottoms that had ripped and some old cotton T-shirts. I'm still using these pads. They are definitely ugly because there's light stains from being used so many times but the cheshire cat still manages to smile at me every month. They're definitely not as pretty as the ones here on TH-cam but they work for me and nobody else will see them anyway.
I tried to make a cloth pad tonight, and I felt discouraged, because it was a bit wonky, and the wings were a bit short. I was going to give up, but your video gave me hope, because obviously others start out messing up too! I never think of this, I always think others start out amazing, and I'm the only one in the history of the world who can possibly mess up my attempts. lol. It's great to have perspective. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of upcycling, for many different reasons! I'm feeling excited to attempt again tomorrow. It's super late right now, I should be sleeping. LOL. xx
So glad this video helped you feel you could try again! Trust me we have all started at the beginning with the wonky sewing, wonky wings and layers in the wrong order lol xx
Just subscribed. I'm an 'old gal' now but I've been a fabric, around the house, up'cycling person for YEARS. People laugh at me and say 'life's too short" too .....for eg,make dusters out of old pillowcases.....but I do think it's a good thing to do. I make hundreds of those lovely pillow case dresses for girls abroad and am ALWAYS lookin for duvet covers to up'cycle. But I am fussy fussy about my dresses, they have to be lovely.
I love the positive encouragement at the end! I tend to rather harsh with myself and expect perfection way too much! So thank you! Very informative and I'm gunna give it a go!
I'm fortunate enough to have materials left over from making cloth nappies but I would also recommend looking in op shop for materials like fleece jackets or flannelette sheets.
Thank you, my teen daughter has asked me for washable pads do this has been very helpful though I'll have to sew by hand. Now am fighting the urge not to go looking for stuff around the house I could use.
I have ( after all week of getting whatever I can cycle in my closet , cotton shirts and hand towels , etc) and today after a week and a half of trying to draw out my own pattern and messing up each time and went thru tearing up a few shirts, finally got it right today , going to start hand sewing it tomorow by hand , til I get the hang of learning how to use a sewing machine. So excited about this and can't wait to get my pretty pad from you coming across the pond ! :) Thank you ! Stacey A. Smith
This makes me feel a whole lot better about things. I started trying my hand at pads yesterday, and well? Ha ha... I need some practice. Upcycling is great, for sure. So glad I discovered it's possible.
Loved it. The owls and the cats are probably, definitely cute! Very informative about the things people can use. I loved that you showed your very first pad. I too have seen people stress about their first ones. Glad to see Ellen got involved in the video process again.
this is awesome!! i'm over here giggling because i finally made my first (3) cloth pads 2 days ago and I was SO bummed out because they weren't cute at all!! it wasn't funny 2 days ago and the main takeaway from my first ones (i started wearing cloth about 5 years ago and ordered all of mine online) was that they're functional...they will definitely get the job done. thank you so much for showing us your first one, i swear the second of my 3 turned out a lot like yours...snaps way off and stitching was all over the place. BUT i have 3 new pads now :) i have PUL for backers and Zorb for core but i appreciate your core suggestions and will try others/upcycling!!
I use cloth pads every cycle, I love them and these are great tips on getting started on sewing your own :) or even for a freind who wants to get into them a really personal gift to somebody xx
I've got quite a few friends who are wanting to try cloth pads. Also I'm a keen (but very amateur sewing fan) and I have a huge fabric collection. I think I've found my next project.
I'm so glad I found this channel, having just started making my first cloth pads (made 3 so far) and wanting to use some of my pretty big fabric collection and a few bits bought from work (I work at Hobbycraft) yours is one of the most informative channels I've found during my search for inspiration and making tips. Thank you!
The soft "Cell-O" dish sponges make a fantastic absorbent middle layer, there are often several in a $1 package, and they are very easy to wash out and sanitize. It's easy to trim them down around the edges for size/shape/comfort. (obviously get brand new from the package and wash well before use). After washing as clean as possible, soak your pads and liners in hydrogen peroxide which will destroy the remaining blood cells. Then wash again. (repeat if needed) This will eliminate most problems with any staining orodors.
I have been wanting to reduce my shopping bill and plastic usage and cloth pads is one of the easiest ways. I am going to make some up after dinner camp, I have a ton of fabric both new and waiting to be upcycled, the only thing I don't have on hand is the snaps
So Im looking for things I have in the house, as this is the first time trying this. I found some childrens flannel jammies, but theyre polyester. Can I still use them?
It really depends on it fabric. Many polyester fabrics repel water which is why you see fleece used as a backer so often. The only way to know would be to test it and see if liquid soaks right in or sits on the surface :-) Ideally you want cotton flannel for absorbency and breath-ability.
I purchased several king size microfiber holiday themed blankets from my local grocery store for about $16 each, and think they would make excellent reusable material. I (think, but arent sure that) they are waterproof because any water spill on them or washing two in a washing machine together makes a soggy mess. I end up separating them and washing one separately. I have terry cloth, flannel, t shirts, etc, material also, but wonder how to layer what I have to make reusable, absorbant, heavy flow, overnight pads. I bleed from front to back so they would be about 14" long. Please advise.
can I just quickly ask, what does the softener actually do to the pads? I wash all my clothes in a detergent with softner added, including underwear and don't see how it would be different when washing cloth pads?
Softner is designed to stay on fabric (to make it soft) and it does this by creating a film on the fabric. On everyday clothes this makes no difference but on pads the coating builds up creating a water resistent layer so instead of your topper grabbing the fluid and it absorbing the blood starts to be repelled slightly. This can lead to slow absorbtion or fluid running off to the sides of the pad itself. Its the same reason as when you buy microfirbre cloth for the house it says no softner in care instructions :-)
also great to use a toothbrush to clean your dryer lint trap(under running water) as it too gets blocked with film and can cause dryer to overheat or not dry efficiently due to lack of air flow.
I’ve found your videos very informative. Living the USA it’s difficult to find the super good fabrics locally so up-cycling is a great idea. I was wondering when you suggest for a heavy flow pad to use terry cotton and flannel how would you suggest the order of layering as some fabrics absorb quicker than others or do you suggest that the fabrics alternate in the sandwiching?
For a heavy flow i would make sure some flannel is on top and that you have a quick absorption topper. Terry is slower to absorb than flannel so its better under something that absorbs at a faster rate for gushes :-)
"It's as bad as having childreb having cats", I laughed sooo bad hahahaha while I was watching this video my cat was running around the house making a mess!
+saringongin lol I am glad im not the only one with naughty fur babies!! Im trying to film a video at the moment and one keeps running across the screen! Hence why usually a cat shows up in my videos lol.
I made my first batch of cloth pads about 14 years ago. I was motivated by environmental concerns and I was also a broke college student.
I had a pair of flannel cheshire cat PJ bottoms that had ripped and some old cotton T-shirts. I'm still using these pads. They are definitely ugly because there's light stains from being used so many times but the cheshire cat still manages to smile at me every month. They're definitely not as pretty as the ones here on TH-cam but they work for me and nobody else will see them anyway.
Another way to get pul is by using baby bibs from thrift stores!!! And some have snaps you can cut off and use on your pads!!!
Thank you! I'm trying to make pads for all my shoe boxes ^^
you have the most beautiful soft speaking voice, so reassuring and gentle!
I tried to make a cloth pad tonight, and I felt discouraged, because it was a bit wonky, and the wings were a bit short. I was going to give up, but your video gave me hope, because obviously others start out messing up too! I never think of this, I always think others start out amazing, and I'm the only one in the history of the world who can possibly mess up my attempts. lol. It's great to have perspective. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of upcycling, for many different reasons! I'm feeling excited to attempt again tomorrow. It's super late right now, I should be sleeping. LOL. xx
So glad this video helped you feel you could try again! Trust me we have all started at the beginning with the wonky sewing, wonky wings and layers in the wrong order lol xx
Just subscribed. I'm an 'old gal' now but I've been a fabric, around the house, up'cycling person for YEARS. People laugh at me and say 'life's too short" too .....for eg,make dusters out of old pillowcases.....but I do think it's a good thing to do. I make hundreds of those lovely pillow case dresses for girls abroad and am ALWAYS lookin for duvet covers to up'cycle. But I am fussy fussy about my dresses, they have to be lovely.
Thanks for such an informative video especially for beginners who have just switched from the disposables.
I love the positive encouragement at the end! I tend to rather harsh with myself and expect perfection way too much! So thank you! Very informative and I'm gunna give it a go!
I'm fortunate enough to have materials left over from making cloth nappies but I would also recommend looking in op shop for materials like fleece jackets or flannelette sheets.
Thank you, my teen daughter has asked me for washable pads do this has been very helpful though I'll have to sew by hand. Now am fighting the urge not to go looking for stuff around the house I could use.
Maybe we can also use old underwear, no longer worn but normal fit, and permanently sew a pad in it so they dont move around at all.
Yes absolutely :-)
Or attach snaps in crotch area n snap in pads as needed
Such a good idea!
You're a pro 😂 my first liner was HORRIBLE 😂😂 but the 2nd one was all good and now I'm loving my stitches!
I have ( after all week of getting whatever I can cycle in my closet , cotton shirts and hand towels , etc) and today after a week and a half of trying to draw out my own pattern and messing up each time and went thru tearing up a few shirts, finally got it right today , going to start hand sewing it tomorow by hand , til I get the hang of learning how to use a sewing machine. So excited about this and can't wait to get my pretty pad from you coming across the pond ! :) Thank you ! Stacey A. Smith
The owl pad that you made is just darling!!! If you decide to destash it, please let me know!
This makes me feel a whole lot better about things. I started trying my hand at pads yesterday, and well? Ha ha... I need some practice. Upcycling is great, for sure. So glad I discovered it's possible.
Loved it. The owls and the cats are probably, definitely cute! Very informative about the things people can use. I loved that you showed your very first pad. I too have seen people stress about their first ones. Glad to see Ellen got involved in the video process again.
this is awesome!! i'm over here giggling because i finally made my first (3) cloth pads 2 days ago and I was SO bummed out because they weren't cute at all!! it wasn't funny 2 days ago and the main takeaway from my first ones (i started wearing cloth about 5 years ago and ordered all of mine online) was that they're functional...they will definitely get the job done. thank you so much for showing us your first one, i swear the second of my 3 turned out a lot like yours...snaps way off and stitching was all over the place. BUT i have 3 new pads now :) i have PUL for backers and Zorb for core but i appreciate your core suggestions and will try others/upcycling!!
I use cloth pads every cycle, I love them and these are great tips on getting started on sewing your own :) or even for a freind who wants to get into them a really personal gift to somebody xx
I've got quite a few friends who are wanting to try cloth pads. Also I'm a keen (but very amateur sewing fan) and I have a huge fabric collection. I think I've found my next project.
🙏very helpful I'm now sitting in a pile of clothing to start my first pad 💖💪😍 X
"you may be wanting to upcycle because you have budget restrictions or are eco conscious..." Nahhh I'm just lazy af and don't wanna go to the store
girltogirlinfo2498 hahahaha love the honesty
That is so meee lol
Same lol
Thank you for this. You just saved me so much money.
I'm so glad I found this channel, having just started making my first cloth pads (made 3 so far) and wanting to use some of my pretty big fabric collection and a few bits bought from work (I work at Hobbycraft) yours is one of the most informative channels I've found during my search for inspiration and making tips. Thank you!
Thank you Jenni, so glad you have found my channel helpful :-)
I’ve got to be honest- I adore Claire and extremely enjoy everything she says to us but Ellen is by and far my favorite part of these videos 😂😂
The soft "Cell-O" dish sponges make a fantastic absorbent middle layer, there are often several in a $1 package, and they are very easy to wash out and sanitize. It's easy to trim them down around the edges for size/shape/comfort. (obviously get brand new from the package and wash well before use). After washing as clean as possible, soak your pads and liners in hydrogen peroxide which will destroy the remaining blood cells. Then wash again. (repeat if needed) This will eliminate most problems with any staining orodors.
I have been wanting to reduce my shopping bill and plastic usage and cloth pads is one of the easiest ways. I am going to make some up after dinner camp, I have a ton of fabric both new and waiting to be upcycled, the only thing I don't have on hand is the snaps
Thank you . You helped me so much! I'm making my own. Awesomeness
Very informative, Thankyou!
Wow!!! God bless you a lot. Thanks for this video
Thank you for this very helpfull video! So why didnt fleece backing work for you and what to you use instead?
I was just wondering why we should rinse out the fabric softener? I am all for it just curious why.
It develops a film which makes them more un-absorbant.
So Im looking for things I have in the house, as this is the first time trying this. I found some childrens flannel jammies, but theyre polyester. Can I still use them?
It really depends on it fabric. Many polyester fabrics repel water which is why you see fleece used as a backer so often. The only way to know would be to test it and see if liquid soaks right in or sits on the surface :-)
Ideally you want cotton flannel for absorbency and breath-ability.
I purchased several king size microfiber holiday themed blankets from my local grocery store for about $16 each, and think they would make excellent reusable material. I (think, but arent sure that) they are waterproof because any water spill on them or washing two in a washing machine together makes a soggy mess. I end up separating them and washing one separately. I have terry cloth, flannel, t shirts, etc, material also, but wonder how to layer what I have to make reusable, absorbant, heavy flow, overnight pads. I bleed from front to back so they would be about 14" long.
Please advise.
💖
❤
Not sure If this would work but for the PUL fabric could u use a resuble sobeys bag the green ones? They seem water proof to me
I have 95% cotton 5%elastine is that good for a topper
What is it about having to be pretty? Who is gonna be looking at your pad anyway? If you are just practicing what does it matter?
You have to look at them. Periods are awful might as well get some joy from at least getting something cute.
Is plastic sheet/bag instead of PUL good for waterproofing?
Can I use washing up gloves instead of PUL?
thanks.
can I just quickly ask, what does the softener actually do to the pads? I wash all my clothes in a detergent with softner added, including underwear and don't see how it would be different when washing cloth pads?
Softner is designed to stay on fabric (to make it soft) and it does this by creating a film on the fabric. On everyday clothes this makes no difference but on pads the coating builds up creating a water resistent layer so instead of your topper grabbing the fluid and it absorbing the blood starts to be repelled slightly. This can lead to slow absorbtion or fluid running off to the sides of the pad itself. Its the same reason as when you buy microfirbre cloth for the house it says no softner in care instructions :-)
awesome! thanks for that! :)
No problem at all hun, glad i could help :-)
also great to use a toothbrush to clean your dryer lint trap(under running water) as it too gets blocked with film and can cause dryer to overheat or not dry efficiently due to lack of air flow.
I’ve found your videos very informative. Living the USA it’s difficult to find the super good fabrics locally so up-cycling is a great idea. I was wondering when you suggest for a heavy flow pad to use terry cotton and flannel how would you suggest the order of layering as some fabrics absorb quicker than others or do you suggest that the fabrics alternate in the sandwiching?
For a heavy flow i would make sure some flannel is on top and that you have a quick absorption topper. Terry is slower to absorb than flannel so its better under something that absorbs at a faster rate for gushes :-)
"It's as bad as having childreb having cats", I laughed sooo bad hahahaha while I was watching this video my cat was running around the house making a mess!
+saringongin lol I am glad im not the only one with naughty fur babies!! Im trying to film a video at the moment and one keeps running across the screen! Hence why usually a cat shows up in my videos lol.
What's your name for facebook?
I made nursing pads once and I did not water check it.... please always water check!!! Dont be like me its embarrassing.