Crafts

By Angela Sweeney

There are numerous reasons why you might want to make a cloth sanitary pad. For a start, a reusable pad can save the environment thousands of trash pads just in your lifetime. Imagine everyone using and throwing them away and how much trash that makes. People talk about nappies/diapers causing issues with the environment but no one looks at sanitary pads.

The other reason might be it’s so much cheaper. Especially if you use material from around the house. Imagine you spend $5.00AUS every month. Over a lifetime this can save up to $2400. And that is not counting inflation!

To start you will need:

• ½ mtr cotton (I used black) (Could use an old shirt to recycle something else)

• ½ mtr of thin wadding (Could use an old blanket or babies blanket wadding)

• 1 press stud (high quality)

• Hammer

• Pencil

• Scissors

• Pins

• Tracing paper

• Sewing machine

• Thread

Method

1. Make the pattern: Get a purchased sanitary pad with wings of any brand and trace around the pad onto tracing paper. I used Libra Ultra thins. Be sure to trace around even the extra frill bits. Right around the outside. If you feel like the pad will be too small after the seam allowance, add another .5cm to create a seam allowance. Cut the tracing paper shaped pad out with scissors. This will make the pattern that will create the pad. Or alternatively you can download my pattern here: Pattern link.
2. Cutting the cotton: Fold the cotton into 2 so as it creates 2 layers. Pin the pattern to the 2 layers of fabric and cut right around the pattern to create 2 cotton pads.
3. Cutting the Wadding: On the pattern, fold the wings over to create a long thin ad without wings. Pin the newly shaped pattern to the wadding and cut around it. Be careful when cutting not to get too close to the pattern and cut the wings off. Cut 4 of the wadding.
4. Pinning: Pin all 6 layers together fitting the middle padding into the correct spot on the pattern. Make sure to pin the padding to the outside of the pad. Layers should go 1. Cotton, 2. Cotton, 3. Wadding, 4. Wadding, 5. Wadding, 6. Wadding.
5. Sewing: Sew all the way around the outside of the pad but leave an opening on the side of one of the wings. Clip around the curved parts and turn inside out using the opening. Sew all the way around the middle of the pad. Sew the opening closed. Use hand stitching to make this look neat.
6. Adding the stud: Add the stud to the sings. One side on one wing and one on the other. Make sure that it clips together and creates a loop.

Cleaning

There are many options for cleaning but here are 2:

1. Have a bucket in the laundry with some detergent in it and water. Put all used pads in there till done and wash all at the same time.
2. Wash pads with water and soap after each use. You could do this by hand in the shower or sink and ring it out as much as possible. Put in the laundry basket as normal.

To make I found this takes about ½ an hour from the cutting to the sewing to the press studding. During use I found I needed to change them once every 12 hours to avoid leakage. I have considered putting in a layer of something water proof or water resistant on the bottom like plastic bag or an old supermarket reusable bag, but have not tried this yet. If you change it every 12 hours you should be fine, and depending on how heavy you are, you can add more padding. I made one with 2 layers of padding first and found I preferred 4 to be safe.