How to make a cloth menstrual pad
Step 1: Make a pattern
You can use the disposable pad that works best for you as a template. If you’re like me you might have a couple of changes to make (like length or width). You might want to measure with a measuring tape how long it should be. This should be the approximate shape:
Step 2: Get your cloth
I used cloth diapers, both the thick folded kind and the thinner kind and changing cloth. The thicker cloth diapers and changing cloths I used for the base and the thin soft diapers I used for the part that would be touching my vulva. Choose something absorbent, cotton, and soft.
Step 3: pin your pattern to your cloth and cut it out
You will need one base cloth, one cloth that will touch your vulva, and then two halves.
When you’re done these will be the pieces you have:
Step 4: make the terrycloth insert.
use an old towel
make a rectangular pattern that would fit in the body of your first pattern and cut it out:
You’ll end up with these pieces:
Step 4: Sew the terrycloth on the base cloth. Make sure it’s a very strong stitch as you don’t want this to move.
Step 5: Put the two full pieces together
Step 6: Hem the flat sides of both half pieces
Step 6: Put the two half pieces on top of your two full pieces put together.
Step 6: Sew all around the edge. Use a strong stitch.
Step 7: Using the half pieces turn it inside out (or really inside in as this is the way it is supposed to stay)
(front)
(back)
As you can see it doesn’t lay flat, which not only would make it awkward to fasten and wear it’d also make it easily damaged in the wash.
Step 7: Sew around the edge just a plain running stitch.
This makes it stronger and lay flat.
(front)
(back)
Step 8: sew on snaps
This is your finished product:
(front)
(back)
I’d run them through the wash to get any germs they picked up during the sewing process off and to make sure they survive the wash.
On heavier days, you can put more terry cloth inserts in the back (which is why you sewed a kind of pocket in with the half pieces)
