We’re always looking for new ways to create less waste and reduce our carbon footprint. Admittedly, the most difficult aspect of this journey has been beauty because it’s not like you can buy mascara in bulk and just refill the tube as you need to. But small changes can make a big impact, so with that, we’re sharing how we make our very own reusable and washable makeup wipes from our favorite bloggers over at A Beautiful Mess.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Terrycloth towel fabric
- Cotton fabric
- Ruler, mat, rotary cutter
- Sewing machine and straight pins
Here’s how you’ll do it:
- First, cut your cotton fabric into as many 4″ squares as you want finished wipes. Usually, projects will tell you to wash your fabric first and then sew, but I was a little worried about the terrycloth unraveling in the washer without finished edges. So I decided to sew and then wash them in this case.
- Repeat and cut the same number of 4″ squares with your terrycloth fabric. Pin your terrycloth fabric and your cotton squares together (right sides facing each other) and pin in place. Sew all the way around your square with a 3/8″ seam allowance and leave a 1″ gap so you can turn your square right side out.
- To reduce bulk when you turn your square, clip the corners and trim the seam allowance of the terrycloth in half. Turn your square right side out through the 1″ gap (you may want a chopstick to help you push it through and make sure the corners are properly turned) and pin flat.
- Sew a topstitch all the way around the square with a 1/4″ seam allowance, which will also sew your opening shut.
- Once your wipes are complete, give them a quick wash in the washer and your wipes are ready to store in a glass jar and use on demand!
Note: To wash your wipes, load them into a small mesh laundry bag for lingerie and wash on warm/hot with another load that you would wash on that setting (towels, etc.). FYI: Your wipes probably won’t stay pure white for very long, but you’ll know they are clean, so that’s the main thing (you could always get a darker fabric too if you didn’t want to notice the makeup staining)