Homemade Makeup Remover Pads The Easy Way

Last Updated on July 5, 2022 by lydiaf1963

After some research, I found these homemade makeup remover pads to be easy to make. They can be used multiple times, eliminating the need to purchase single use pads or wipes to remove your makeup.

Many ways to DIY makeup remover pads

When I was searching for ideas I noticed some people made circular pads. My idea was to batch produce the pads. Cutting and sewing circles seems like “too much work” to me. Something like this pin which makes square pads suited me better.

However, the technique from the pin requires leaving a gap and turning each square, then top stitching the open edge shut. The 2″ x 2″ size seemed small to me, so I increased to 2.5″ squares. I ended up with small pads after all the seaming and turning. Not to mention the microfiber cloth I chose as the working side was fiddly to tuck inside for the final seam. See the photo above for comparison.

In the end I decided make my pads without turning them. To help keep the edges from fraying I used pinking shears to cut the makeup remover pads apart. No tedious turning or top stitching required!

The microfiber cloth (actually a baby blanket from the dollar store) is much softer on the skin compared to quilting cotton. A roughly 15″ x 30″ piece of scrap fabric yielded 28 pads.

Materials and Equipment

• scraps of quilting cotton
• thread
• friction or heat erasable pen to mark the fabric
• microfiber cloth or thin fleece
• cutting mat and rotary cutter
• ruler or straight edge
• pinking shears
• basic sewing machine

How to make reusable makeup remover pads

1) Using the cutting mat and ruler for guide, mark a grid on the right side of the quilting cotton.

You can make your pads whatever size you like. Mine are 3″ (7.6 cm) square.

2) Make the fabric sandwich

Place the microfiber or fleece material right side down on your work surface. Place the quilting cotton on top, right side up. Pin together to prevent the fabrics from shifting while sewing.

3) Sew on both sides of the gridlines

I used the edge of the presser foot as a guide. The photo above shows what the back of the fabric looks like after sewing the gridlines.

4) Use pinking shears to cut the squares apart

I followed the original gridline as much as possible when cutting.

How to wash your reusable makeup remover pads

After using, store your pads in a mesh washing bag. I plan to wash and dry them as I would for my delicates.

This post is part of the Sustainable Pinterest Challenge where every month we make something inspired by a pin we’ve curated. This month’s theme is: Reduce Single Use.

You’ll want to visit these bloggers to see the projects they’ve made:

Julie | Sum of their Stories
Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Julie | Treasures Made From Yarn
Lydia | Life Beyond the Kitchen
Mel | Decor Craft Design
Niki | Life as a LEO Wife
T’onna | Sew Crafty Crochet
Donna | Modern on Monticello