Hey, guys! Today's post is a fun repurposing DIY to make your own washable and reusable cloth rounds to replace those disposable cotton rounds we love so much. Cotton Rounds are so handy for removing eye makeup or applying toner but they're a one-time-use item and we can do so much better. These reusable fabric rounds are easy to make and you probably have everything you need on hand already. You can make them with a sewing machine or bind the edges by hand if you don't have one. I'll walk you through it step-by-step!
Today's post came about because of guilt. Every time I would use a cotton round and throw it in the trash, I felt guilty. I try not to use too many wasteful options in my home but this habit stuck around for a little too long.

I love the small pad surface to apply my toner every night (my favorite toner) but the waste was too much. I decided I would finish the package I already had and never buy another.

There are a lot of places that now sell these little washable rounds and I'm all for it, but they're so simple that if you're just a little crafty, you can make a load of them yourself for free!

The Tarte Micellar Magic is fabulous, btw!

'For free' means that we're repurposing terrycloth fabric from old towels, hand towels, or washcloths for this. We all have them.

Maybe your old towel set wore down and you bought another set but those hand towels are perfectly fine so they sit in your linen closet for the next 10 years. Maybe that happened multiple times so now you have an army of hand towel orphans that you don't know what to do with.


You can always cut them up into cleaning rags, but if your cleaning rag bag overfloweth? Use them to make other useful things!

Just a tip for you: For these rounds, I'm using black toweling because I'll also be using them to remove eye makeup and it won't show stains (and I have it already). I will probably make an additional set later in a prettier toweling just for skincare!

If you don't have a sewing machine, I'll give the hand sewing directions underneath the machine sewing directions.

Sewing machines are super-handy to have around and you can get a decent machine for a beginner for around $100+. I'm still using a $150 basic Janome machine 10 years later.

If you'd rather sew by hand, you can pick up a decent hand sewing kit for around $20 that includes everything you'll need to start sewing and can be used for years to come.

DIY Repurposed Reusable Cotton Rounds
Source: Southern Mom Loves


Supplies:

• a hand towel or a few washcloths
• matching thread
• a sewing machine or a hand-sewing needle
• scissors
• straight pins (I like these) or plain safety pins

• a ruler
• a cup or mug
• a pen or pencil
• a scrap of thick paper or poster board

Directions:

1. Let's make our pattern (if you didn't print the template pdf)! Find a cup or mug with a lip width of about 3"; It doesn't have to be exact. We'll just be using it to draw a circle for our pattern.

2. Trace around the cup on a thick piece of paper to draw a perfect circle.


3. Cut it out and label it. Now we have our pattern! We can use this to cut out lots and lots of circles and don't have to worry about measuring every time.


4. Cotton towels are finished with a hem so we need to cut this off from all sides.



5. Place the pattern on your fabric and trace the circle. If you're using a dark fabric you can use white chalk to help you see it. You could also pin your pattern in place and cut around it.


6. You'll need 2 circles for each pad you're making.

You can use Fray Check or another seam sealant on the cut edges of the fabric at this point, but it's not mandatory. You may have to retrim after the first few washes but after they stop shedding, they'll be fine.

7. Sandwich the 2 circles and pin them together.


8. We're first going to secure the 2 layers together. If machine sewing, use the longest stitch length on your machine (usually 4mm) to sew a 'Z' or an 'A' shape from edge to edge.

If sewing by hand, do the same with a long running stitch.

Running Stitch

The result will leave the edges easier to sew because they won't slide around so much.


9. Now it's time to finish the edges. If machine sewing, use a zig-zag or blanket stitch, but on a stretch-stitch setting. These pads are going to be used and abused, so a fixed-stitch is much more likely to snap and unravel. Sew all the way around the pad, making sure to back-stitch at the end.

If sewing by hand, use a whip stitch (or a buttonhole stitch if you want to totally enclose the edge) all the way around.

Whip Stitch

Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch

10. You'll need to wash these to get rid of loose threads from cutting into the terrycloth loops. You'll also free some threads that need to be trimmed, so after washing, trim your pads up and you're good to go!


I'm using a lingerie bag for my pads because they will easily get lost in the wash. You can get a drawstring-style lingerie washing bag and hang it in your bathroom for used pads. When it's full, just cinch the bag up and toss it in a warm wash!

If you're still not sure if you have the skills to make these double-thick cotton rounds, what about small, single-layer cotton squares? Mini facial cloths to replace makeup remover wipes? Use your imagination and get rid of those disposables for good!