Option #1

No Sewing Necessary.

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Purchase absorbent terry-cloth dishtowels. Wash them before using them. Fold them into rectangles about 3 or 4-inches by 10 or 12 inches.  Use safety pins to pin them into your underwear at both narrow ends (the front and the back).  These are a bit bulkier than home-sewn pads.  They are quite comfortable though and are a legitimate alternative.  They may be washed the same as home-sewn pads.  I’ve also seen washcloths recommended.  Fold them into thirds, or quarters (long ways) and fit them into your underwear.  Apparently they stay in place without pinning because of the friction between the terry-cloth and underwear.  For heavier flows fold together 2 or more washcloths.

Washing and Care:   When you make your own pads you have to wash them instead of tossing them into the garbage.  Keep a small bucket of water with a lid in the bathroom, preferably out of the reach of children and pets.  Add a spoonful of vinegar if desired.  Remove the inner pad from the outer pad.  Soak the used pads in the bucket of water.  Drain the water into the toilet before washing the pads.  The water can also be used to water house plants because they like all the extra vitamins and minerals. Make sure you use cold water so that the stains will come out.  I wash every morning.  Some women stash all of the used pads in a pillowcase or plastic bag and wash them all at once when their period is over.  I don’t do this because I have a washer in the house and I find it more sanitary to wash them every day.  They can drip dry or machine dry.

If you do not have a washing machine, then they may be washed by hand.  Run cold water over them in the bathtub to remove most of the blood.  Place the pads in a medium bucket or tub.  Add a little soap and cold water.  Using a clean plunger, plunge the pads until they are as clean as you can get them.  Plunge for a good 10 minutes for the best results.  Rinse the pads well and squeeze them dry.  Hang each pad by its own clothespin and they should dry pretty fast, even in the winter.

 

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Option #2

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You will need:

¼ yard oil cloth, ¼ yard soft flannel, 3-4 layers of old toweling or all cotton batting, 1 #16 snap, one gallon size plastic bag.

Instructions:

Zigzag stitch 4 layers 2 ½” x 6” 100% cotton batting or terrycloth (could use old toweling or washcloths) between 2 layers of soft flannel. Zigzag down the center as shown in the pattern.

Stitch using ¼” seam the above pad to the right (shiny) side of oil cloth. Carefully clip curves. Leave a 3” opening to turn pad right side out.

Hand stitch opening closed.

Or Layer the batting/terrycloth between two layers of soft flannel and zigzag down the center. Place this “pad” on the wrong side of the Oil Cloth/PUL and zigzag around the edges and clip the edges to pretty it up.

Package pads in a gallon size baggie to keep them clean.