DIY Cloth Pads

After forking out $14.99 a piece for cloth menstrual pads, and loving them, I decided to be more...frugal. A client of mine gave me several old receiving blankets and baby bath towels, and I promised her I'd make her some nursing pads.

So I started out by tracing one of my Lunapads on a piece of paper. You can use any brand, cloth or disposable, to make your pattern.

It wasn't very even, so I cut it in half and used the half to cut my fabric.

What type of fabric should you use? After looking on several websites for ideas, I decided on flannel and bamboo. The green material is a receiving blanket my client gave me, and the bamboo is some I bought from a cloth diaper supply shop last summer.

I traced the pattern for the center panel out of the bamboo. I decided to use 3 layers or bamboo and 2 layers of flannel for absorbency.

This is an idea of what the pad will look like when done.

I don't have a serger, so I did a basic stitch on my machine around the edge of the pad body.

Then I laid the 3 layers of bamboo on the center of the pad and stitched it with the same stitch, creating the absorbent center. The bamboo is so soft! I know it's going to make a fabulous menstrual pad!

Now, I don't have any metal snaps on hand, but I have the plastic KAM snaps I use for diaper-making.

To apply KAM snaps, you start by punching a hole where you want to apply the snap.

The cap of the snap has a long prong, which sometimes needs to be trimmed when being applied to thin fabric. I do this with PUL, and did it again with the flannel.

After this you need to put the stud or the socket over the cap and use the pliers to apply the snap.

This is a socket.

See how well they fold up and snap when not being used?

Total Cost for this project: $.60

Flannel, free. Bamboo, less than .50 for enough fabric for this project. Snaps: .10

Now, go out and DIY!

Good day, and God Bless!

Frugal Mama

EDIT: I had issues with leaking through the pad, so I added a layer of PUL fabric and it worked fabulously!