I first saw this idea on Instagram, inspired by the talented @ledressingdecindy. I had saved it to my To-Make list on my Kustom Couture IG account, and finally decided to give it a go after finding a placemat at a local market for just two euros. It turned out to be a fun and practical way to reuse something simple and turn it into something useful!

Unlike the original version, I chose to add a fabric lining that matched my zipper — a small detail that really elevates the final result.

Materials Needed to Make a DIY Placemat Pouch:

• 1 placemat (any material that holds shape)

• 1 zipper – I used a 50 cm (20 inch) neon plastic open-end zipper from Mondial Tissus

• 1 piece of fabric (same size as the placemat) for the optional lining

• Sewing scissors

• Pins or sewing clips

• Sewing machine

#1 Use the placemat as a pattern and cut your fabric lining to the same size. This will give your pouch a clean, finished look inside.

#2 Place the zipper right sides together with the edge of the placemat. Pin in place.

#3 Sew along the edge of the placemat and zipper with a 1 cm (⅜ inch) seam allowance. This will secure the zipper neatly.

#4 Place the fabric lining right sides together with the placemat (the zipper now sandwiched between them). Sew around the edge with a 1 cm seam allowance, leaving a small opening on one side. This opening will be used to turn the pouch right side out later. Don’t forget to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam to secure the stitches.

#5 Turn your pouch right side out, so the lining is now on the outside. Partially close the zipper. Pinch the corners into triangle shapes (“beaks”) at each end of the zipper and sew across them to create boxed corners. Trim excess fabric to reduce bulk.

#6 Sew the small opening in the lining closed with a straight stitch — either by hand or using your machine.

Now that your DIY zipper pouch is done, the only question is: How will you use it?

• As a toiletry bag for your next trip?

• A makeup pouch?

• Or maybe a sewing kit bag?

The size makes it super versatile and the process is so quick, you might just end up making more than one!

I’d love to know how you plan to use yours — drop a comment below and share your ideas!

L’article Turn a Placemat into a Stylish DIY Zipper Pouch est apparu en premier sur Kustom Couture.

I’m sharing with you today a zero waste DIY tutorial. It may seem complicated to some, but it’s not. It is a way of life that consists in limiting waste by opting for responsible alternatives. A movement to be encouraged when we know that 324 million tons of waste are produced each year in France. There are simple ways to adopt in your daily life to reduce this very important figure and DIY is one of them The tuto I propose today is not original, you must have seen it everywhere as a DIY addict but it is important to get the message across. I propose you to try to remove the cottons from the bathroom garbage can by creating washable makeup remover pads, I decided to offer them to the women in my family in a pretty handmade pouch too They in turn can encourage the use of washable pads  

To make reusable makeup remover pads, you need:

• 13*13 printed cotton pieces, I chose these prints: yellow palms, pink scales, pink and gold pineapples and green palms you can also recycle pieces of cotton fabric that you have at home,
• white organic terry fabric,
• pins,
• thread,
• scissors,
• a sheet of cardboard to cut out a 13x13cm template,
• a sewing machine (but you can sew the wipes by hand).

To make the ribbon pouch, you need:

• printed cotton pieces, I chose these prints: yellow palms, pink scales, pink and gold pineapples and green palms,
• 50cm of cord,
• pins,
• a safety pin,
• thread,
• a sewing machine.

Let’s start with the DIY makeup remover pad:

#1 I first created a template on a 13x13cm square piece of cardstock.

#2 Using this template, trace and cut out 13x13cm squares in the printed and terry fabrics.

#3 Place a square of printed fabric and a square of terry cloth right sides together and pin them together.

#3 Sew at 1 cm from the edge of the two fabrics and leave an opening of 3 cm to be able to turn the wipe to the right side.

#4 Cutting out the corners.

#5 Overstitch the seams using the zig-zag stitch on the machine.

#6 Turn the wipe over through the opening left and bring out the corners. Iron.

Let’s continue with the DIY fabric pouch:

#1 Cut out a rectangle 50 cm wide and 25 cm high.

#2 Overstitch the sides and bottom of the rectangle using the zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine.

#3 Fold the fabric in half right sides together and place a pin as a marker 5 cm from each side.

#3 From the mark sew 1cm from the edge and stop at the mark on the other side of the rectangle.

#4 Form a triangle with the unsewn edges and sew them on the machine.

#5 Form the hem: from the top fold the fabric a first time 1cm and then another time 1cm. The hem should be 2cm all around.

#6 Stitch at the edge of the hem.

#7 Use a safety pin to thread the cord through the hem. Spread the gathers well.

The washable makeup remover pads are ready and will be offered in their matching pouch. Don’t hesitate to spread the word: let’s reduce waste to preserve our planet.

You won’t be able to do without the softness of organic terry cloth. To wash the wipes, just do it in the washing machine to remove all traces of makeup.

I hope you enjoyed this zero waste DIY.

L’article How to Make Reusable Makeup Remover Pads? est apparu en premier sur Kustom Couture.

I propose you again a zero waste DIY to remove another element of your trash, and not the least for us women, the sanitary napkin. ological gesture, these homemade protections limit the allergies and irritations to the periodic towels. They can be used for daily protection or menstrual periods, whatever your flow.

To make this DIY washable sanitary napkin, you need:

• organic cotton, preferably dark in color for the outside of the towel (in contact with the skin),
• organic terry cloth for the insert of the napkin, it is an absorbent fabric,
• PUL, waterproof fabric which will be in contact with the panties,
• fabric clips to avoid piercing the PUL,
• snap fasteners to close the towel,
• thread,
• a sewing machine,
• two sheets to make the pattern of the sanitary napkin and its insert,
• a classic sanitary napkin,
• a pencil,
• scissors.

#1 The pattern of the washable sanitary napkin

• Glue the classic sanitary napkin on a white sheet of paper and draw the pattern around it.
• Add 1.5 cm on each side of the wings to obtain a width of 18 cm.
• Trace the middle of the model and cut out the shape.
• Fold the model in half along the middle and readjust the shape so that it is symmetrical.

#2 The pattern of the insert

• On the classic sanitary napkin, fold over the edge or cut it out (there is about 1 cm of thinner paper border around the napkin).
• Transfer this shape to a new blank sheet of paper.
• Trace the middle of the shape and cut out the pattern.
• As for the pattern of the sanitary napkin, fold the pattern in half and readjust the shape so that it is symmetrical.
• Transfer this pattern to the pattern of the sanitary napkin by placing the middles one on top of the other and 1 cm apart.

You then get two patterns

#3The Insert

Cut out the shape of the insert from the organic terry cloth as many times as you like. It depends on the flow, the more it is abundant, the more thicknesses of this fabric are needed.

If light flow: one layer, if medium flow: two layers and if heavy flow: three or four layers.

If you have several layers, sew them together with a zig-zag stitch at the edge of the fabric.

#4 The outside of the napkin

• Cut out the shape of the sanitary napkin on the back of the organic cotton fabric and transfer the location of the insert.
• Also cut out the shape of the sanitary napkin on the back of the PUL (plasticized part).

#5 The assemblage

• Pin the organic sponge insert to the back of the organic cotton fabric in the designated area.
• Sew at the edge.
• Using the fabric clips, hold the organic cotton fabric and the PUL fabric right sides together (the right side of the PUL is the unplasticised part).
• Leave an opening of 5 cm to allow the work to be turned over later.
• Sew at 1 cm from the edge.
• Cut the entire seam allowance to 0.5 cm and notch the rounded edges.
• Turn the napkin over through the 5 cm opening.
• Bring out the seams with a sharp object (I used my sewing ruler).
• Gently iron the napkin with a damp cloth so as not to burn the PUL.
• Stitch along the edge of the napkin.

#6 Closing the napkin

• The napkin is finished, just place the snaps: simulate closing the napkin and draw a mark where you want to place the snaps.
• Follow carefully the indications integrated in the box to place the buttons, I believe that it is the most complicated part of this towel :D. Be careful, the snaps should not be on the wings in the same direction to allow the closure.

#7 The Pouch

• Cut two rectangles of 32 cm length and 14 cm width in the organic cotton fabric.
• At 4 cm from each side, draw a mark. Also draw a mark in the middle of the width. Join the marks with a ruler and a pencil, then cut.
• Place right sides together and sew 1 cm from edge. Leave an opening of 4 cm.
• Remove the corners.
• Turn fabrics right side out and iron.
• Topstitch all around.
• Fold this rectangle in three.
• Draw a mark on the top of the pouch.
• Put a snap to close the pouch.

I hope this DIY to sew a washable sanitary napkin and its storage pouch will be useful for you. This DIY is not original, you may have seen several on the web. It is mostly about sharing what can reduce our waste and do something for the planet

Feel free to comment and/or share.

L’article How to make a washable sanitary napkin and its pouch? est apparu en premier sur Kustom Couture.

For as long as Covid-19 has been around, the importance of handwashing has been stressed. That’s why I’m offering you a new tutorial via this article:

How to create homemade liquid soap for hand washing?

To do so, I spent hours on the web to get inspired by recipes already shared and on Etsy to find the right ingredients. A real gold mine, there are creators from all over the world who offer beautiful handmade, vintage, personalized or unique products.

As I told you, hand washing is essential, both now because of the pandemic and all the time. Instead of using commercial products, sometimes too aggressive for the skin, the ideal is to do it yourself to be sure of its composition.

For the necessary material, you surely have what you need at home but I still put you the links of the designer stores on Etsy on which, I could take these products.

For the liquid hand soap recipe, you need:

• 500 ml of hot water,
• 3 tablespoons of grated Marseille soap,
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil,
• 3 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin (replace with honey if you don’t have any),
• 5 drops of Essential Oil of your choice, I chose cinnamon,
• a pretty glass bottle to incorporate your recipe.

#1 Grate the Marseille soap.

#2 Boil the water and pour it over the soap in a large bowl.

#3 Add olive oil and mix.

#4 Add the glycerin and mix.

#5 Add the drops of essential oil, once the mixture cools.

#6 Using the funnel, transfer to the glass bottle.

The liquid soap to wash your hands regularly is ready.

L’article DIY Liquid Hand Soap est apparu en premier sur Kustom Couture.