How To Make Homemade Feminine Pads: Free Pattern List

If you’re into the environment and saving money, this is a great tip–imagine never having to buy disposable menstrual pads again!

Reusable homemade pads really are soft and lovely. Even though I don’t faithfully use them, I did make a large stack for myself (with a complimentary flannel drawstring bag to hold them in) and packed them away in a “survivalist kit” to have on hand in case I ever needed them.

For women who suffer from regular yeast infections or find manufactured pads irritating (causes itchiness or skin irritation), these are definitely something to look at trying. They’re so soft and so comfortable, but I had a hard time dealing with the washing aspect. I didn’t find them to be as “gross” as I thought I would, my problem was finding a place to keep these soaking that was convenient and out of the way until I could wash them (our bathrooms are tiny).

Please Note: Some of the patterns and tutorials below are hosted on free web pages and if those pages get busy with traffic, they may be unavailable for a bit. Try again later and you’ll get through .

Free Patterns: Feminine Menstrual Pads

*Some patterns look similar, but there are subtle differences in each. Mix and match to find your favorite.

• Make Your Own Cloth Pads: Cloth pads designed for custom absorbency and there is no need to have a serger machine to make them. These are turned and topstitched pads with custom absorbency sewn in, and you also have the ability to add in extra inserts for heavy days.
• How To Make A Circle Pad: When the sides fold in they make a wing unlike any other pad out there. There is no way they can leak!
• Cloth Pads: Winged snapped cover with folded liner insert.
• Many Moons Pad Pattern: This page is dedicated to providing instructions on how to sew your own washable pads. They have been redesigned several times over the past years to provide maximum effectiveness and ease of use. Give them a try, make as many as you want – use them!…give them as gifts!..most importantly, have fun!!! The more cloth pads out there the better for the health of women and our planet!
• DIY Cloth Menstrual Pads Tutorial: Instead of paying sooo much money every month, these are pretty cheap, really easy, and last for years.
• Instructions for Cloth Menstrual Pads: Design with snapped wings (or buttoned if you prefer), also details a pattern layout for getting the most pads from fabric that you can.
• Beveled Pad Tutorial: Several layers sewn together for inner liner, has wings.
• Mommy Pads: This tutorial will walk you through making a serged edge, PUL backed AIO Mommy Pad with snap closed wings (say all that in one breath)!
• Cloth Pads For Dummies: They do take a bit of effort but the benefits far outway the negatives.
• Washable Menstrual Towels (pdf): Includes instructions for how to wash and care for fabric menstrual pads. Patterns include a winged wrap and liner.
• Homemade Sanitary Pads: Before the 20th Century, most women used cloth pads or “rags” during their menstruation. Disposable pads didn’t become common in America until after WW II. Among rural and low-income women they didn’t catch on until the 1960’s. As with diapers, there have always been people who prefer cloth to disposable. Disposable pads do not biodegrade very quickly. Plastic diapers and sanitary napkins are likely to be two of the most common artifacts that future archaeologists will find when excavating landfills from the 20 and 21 Centuries.
• Cloth Menstrual Pads: Once you try a cloth menstrual pad, you will never go back to plastic again. Don’t you deserve to wear cloth too?
• Pauline’s Free Cloth Menstrual Pads Sewing Pattern: These washable cloth menstrual pads are quick and easy to make, and very comfortable to use. Plus, they’re cute!

Make Pads To Give To Girls & Women That Need Them

Check out Goods 4 Girls:

Goods 4 Girls was started to seek out donors to sew or purchase new, reusable menstrual pads for donations to areas of Africa where these products are needed most. Providing reusable supplies not only provides a more environmentally friendly alternative for these young women (in areas of adequate water supply for washing), it reduces their dependence on outside aid organizations to continue providing for their monthly needs.

Please read the site for complete details, this donation program was initiated to provide a greener alternative to Proctor & Gamble’s disposable pad program.

Goods 4 Girls found via PlanetGreen – thanks!

If you’re interested in reusable feminine pads for your own use or would like to learn more about their benefits, here’s some good information. Treehugger has a great article too: Bleed With Pride: Make-It-Yourself Menstrual Pads, includes a few more patterns and tutorials found on the net.

*This was originally published December, 2006–Updated with new projects & combined with another post.

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