Make your own makeup remover wipes

We explain in detail and in video (video at the bottom of the page).

Nothing could be simpler and more eco-friendly than making your own wipes to clean your face or remove make-up!

It is an eco friendly gesture; we use scraps of fabric and we can do without single-use cotton discs.

Reusable wipes are super easy to make; it is a perfect seam for beginners.

2 sewing options.

- a single square of approximately 12x12cm (but you can make it smaller or larger depending on the use...6x6 for a simple make-up removal for the eyes or targeted areas, 12x12 for a wipe that will cleanse or remove make-up from the entire face, It can be even bigger if you want to make wipes to clean baby's bottom!This square will preferably be made of slightly thick sponge and you simply overstitch it on the 4 sides.Using a classic sewing machine, the use of a high but rather tight zig zag stitch is then recommended. And the threads are tucked in with a needle in the rows of zig zag stitches made. With an overlocker, it's super fast; we overlock the 4 sides and we tuck the threads in the end in the seams.

- a square with 2 faces so 2 squares assembled to each other...in the dimensions mentioned above but you will then have to think about adding about 1cm for the seam allowances. It is therefore necessary to cut 2 squares of 13x13cm to finally obtain a wipe of 12x12cm, etc...

The subjects :

One face in bamboo sponge (thin or thicker as desired) or in honeycomb . Bamboo sponge is super soft, very absorbent and dries much faster than cotton. The honeycomb is also quite suitable for bathroom linen.

Another side (optional therefore) in cotton with or without a pattern to look pretty and use its scraps.

Equipment :

ideally a rotary cutter and a suitable cutting board, a patchwork ruler is also ideal, but you can simply use scissors and a graduated ruler. Finally, a textile marker is useful for drawing the marks. You can also use pins or pliers, thread, a needle and a sewing machine.

Sew the 2-sided wipes:

Here is the complete tutorial for sewing the 12x12cm wipes (finished product)

In about 50cm of terry cloth (which is generally 140-150cm wide), we will be able to cut about 30 wipes.

1. The cut.

We mark and cut the squares of the desired size (here 13x13cm including the seam allowance).

We also make the cut of the cotton squares that we want to put in front N°2.

I'm going to make squares in Fanfan cotton satin from the exclusive Ikatee collection printed in the Lyon region. I will use Fanfan in marmalade, pink and quetzal green

and here are my terrycloth and cotton sateen squares are cut!

2. Sewing.

We are going to put right sides together a square of sponge (you put the side you prefer in place, I always put the softest of the 2) and a square of printed cotton.

We pin the sides together and we will then stitch the sides, leaving an opening (here about 8 to 10cm) to be able to turn the wipe right side up. nb: I marked with a textile pen to show you the stitching line. We start with one to two stitches back and forth to secure the seam. Then we stitch in a straight stitch. At the corners, we will leave the needle planted in the layers of fabric, we raise the presser foot of the machine, and we rotate the work 90° (it pivots 90° around the needle), we lower the presser foot and we continue to sew until the end, etc...at the end we finish on the 4th side with a few stopping points back and forth.

3. Flip the wipe

We will strip the corners by bevelling the seam (without cutting the seam). Then we will mark the angles with our fingers (see the video).

Finally will return the work with the place of the wipe visible. We will mark the corners well and iron everything.

5. Topstitch around.

To finish, we will just topstitch all around the wipe 2mm from the edge (this is called a rib stitch) starting with the side left open until then then continuing all around in a single stitch.