Am I cheap, environmentally conscious or lazy that’s up for debate around here but sometimes it doesn’t real matter. Some ideas are great ideas no matter the motivation. Credit where credit is due I stumbled over an image of this on Pinterest and immediately picked up my hook. You know those little white cotton puffs us girls are always using. You know the ones for toner, nail polish removal, wiping excess foundation up and cleaning your computer screen, we go through a ton of them and they fill our garbage bins. Will cutting them out save the planet, no not by a long shot but every bit helps and it’s practically free. Plus you’ll never have to run out to buy them again!
I recently cut disposable make-up wipes out of my life and it’s been a great experiment. It’s so easy and once the cloths are done as face wipes they’ll make great rags. So when I saw this idea it was a no brainer. If you have any skills at all in the world of crochet you need to do this. If you have no skills this is really easy so watch some learn to crochet videos because this is truly is a beginner project.
Why you want to do this
- It’s probably greener
- It’s cheaper
- You don’t have to leave the house to get stuff
- Fun DIY project
- Once they’re too old to use you can potentially compost them, cut them up if you want that to happen faster
The yarn
Really anything goes here as long as you like it. I made my white ones with regular old red heart worsted wool and they work fine. I find them a little extra exfoliating. I went with white because even though it’s gross I like to know what’s coming off my face as proof it’s cleaner now. Admit it, you look too! Cotton is probably the best choice though since it’s soft, absorbent and natural. I couple of the pink ones I made are cotton I made these ones pink for nail polish removing and they work so much better than the old cotton version! Really if you’re already yarn-y shop your stash and experiment. What ever yarn you use there is probably a coating on it that preserves it and makes it easier to work with. I’ve heard you can wash a whole ball in pantyhose tied tightly before you work with it but I just wash my items the first time I have to when they’re done. If you want and in this case it’s a good idea to wash you’re pads before you use them on your face for this reason.
The stitches
This really is easy. I taught myself to crochet by watching youtube videos and truth be told I’m not amazing at it. My knitting projects tend to work out better. So chances are yours will even turn out better. Which is to say be nice about the pictures if there is something wrong but you’ll get the idea.
- Start a magic ring
- Put 5 single crochet stitches on your ring, pull to close it a bit but not all the way yet (just get them closer to each other if you need to.)
- Slip stitch your ring closed
- Add one chain stick to start a new row
- Place 2 SC into each stitch of previous round (10)
- Slip stitch to close this ring
- Add one chain stick to start a new row
- Place 2 SC into each stitch of previous round (20)
- Slip stitch to close this ring
- And you’re done!
- Now you get to pull that magic ring closed
- Weave starter end to edge and tie tightly to end string. I tied three knots since they’ll be in the washer a lot!
Use them for
- Toner
- Nail polish remover ( I made pink ones for that)
- Mask removal
- Wiping excess product
- I don’t really need to tell you this, everything you end up using the cotton ones for
How to care for your puffs
I also know that I’m not the only lady out there doing her makeup at a desk watching their computer in the morning. I got a little cute plastic basket that I keep next to my desk (or wherever you use all those pads) that I throw my dirty pads and face wipe cloths into while they wait for laundry day. I’ve made the switch to reusable makeup wipes for cleaning my face at night, in the morning and giving my brushes a quick in-between cleaning. They get really soiled and since I use them on my face I want to give them the best chance to get clean. So I save up until I have two loads of laundry to do, not that hard to do, and I make sure to put this stuff in the first load and then just let it ride for the second cycle. So I wash them twice each time. Do tie those knots tightly so they don’t unravel. In nautical circles we say “If you can’t tie knots, tie lots.” Remember these are for from over function. I air dry mine but there is no reason you cant put them in the dryer. If over time the stains on your puffs bug you soak them over night or you can even bleach them. As for storage I bought a puff dispenser a few years ago, at the dollar store and once they are dry, I just leave them in there. A plastic bag or container works well too.
What DIY green projects have you done? Do you think you’ll give this one a try?
Sweat Sweetly 