Cloth pad sewing steps

Here's a photo overview of how to sew your own washable cloth pads.

Here are some videos for those who prefer that format.

Print pad sewing pattern

Download your pattern and cut out the paper templates. You can download the beginner pattern, below, for a quick start.

cutting out paper pattern templates for sewing cloth pads

You need 3 fabric layers

Each pad has 3 parts: a topper, a core, and a base. The topper sits next to the body and touches your skin, so you can choose a fabric type that feels nice to you.

three colorful cloth pad parts laid out on a cutting mat

Draw the sewing line on the topper

Trace the sewing line onto the back of the topper fabric using washable marker or a fine tip permanent marker. For a dark fabric, you can use a gel pen to get the line to show up.

hand using a washable marker to trace sewing lines

Cut the fabric

Rough cut around sewing line. Cut core exactly on pattern line.

cutting muslin fabric with a rotary cutter

Place core center in sewing line

Make sure your stitched core falls within the traced turn/stitch line so it gets enclosed properly.

core centered inside stitched guideline on fabric

Stitch the core to the topper

Sew around the edge of the absorbent core to secure it to the topper using a zigzag or straight stitch.

sewing machine stitching core to topper fabric

Pin right sides together

Lay the base fabric and the topper (with core) right sides together, and pin all around the edge.

pinning fabric layers with sewing clips and pins

Stitch top and bottom layers together

Sew around the pad on the marked line, leaving a small gap for turning the pad right side out.

sewing around the pad shape with a small gap left open

Trim the seam allowance

Trim down the seam allowance to reduce bulk, especially around the curves and wings.

cutting down seam allowance on a fabric pad

Make little snips to release tension

Cut small notches or slits into the seam allowance at curves to help the pad lay flat when turned.

Clip off sharp outer tips

Carefully trim the very tips of the wings and corners to help with sharp points when turned.

Turn the pad right side out

Reach inside the pad through the gap and gently pull it right side out.

Poke out seams and corners

Use a blunt stick or turning tool to push out all corners and curves fully.

smoothing out corners of turned fabric with a blunt tool

Align with presser foot and topstitch

Press the pad flat and topstitch all the way around the edge, closing the turning gap.

pad aligned with presser foot for topstitching

Add wing snaps

Add plastic snaps or sew-on Velcro to the wings so the pad can be fastened around underwear.

Beginner pattern to try

Click the image to download.

Print 2 pages, at 100% scale.

Here's a link to the Cher pad sewing video.

Absorbent core layering guide for sewing cloth pads

This image is a quick reference for how many layers of each fabric type to cut. Always prewash absorbent fabrics before sewing, so they can shrink ahead of time.