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How To Make Your Own UnPaper Towels

So cool! Make your own UnPaper Towels!

Perhaps you have heard of unpaper towels and have wondered what they are? Unpaper towels work just like the paper towels used in the kitchen and for cleaning but are reusable because they are made of cloth. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of waste produced by paper towels. Unpaper towels can be used like paper towels but when you are done you just have to wash and dry them and they are ready to be used again!

Here I’ll show you how to make your own DIY unpaper towels! It’s not too hard – you can do it!

Supplies Needed to Make Your Own Unpaper Towels

  • 1 ½ yards of flannel / ¾ of each fabric if I want two different colors
  • 1 ½ Yards terry cloth / ¾ of each fabric if I want two different colors
  • 24 snap sets
  • Snap Pliers
  • Pins
  • Scissors / rotary cutter
  • Something to mark fabric
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine
  • A pencil or stick
  • An empty paper towel roll

Directions to Make Unpaper Towels

1. Wash and iron the fabric before cutting.

2. Cut 13×13 inch squares of each fabric, 12 of each or 6 if you’re using two different colors. You can mark the fabric to know where to cut with scissors or to know where to put the ruler when using a rotary cutter.

Unpaper Towels DIY

3. Now separate the fabric into pairs, one terry cloth with one flannel. Put the right-side of the flannel facing the terry cloth.

Unpaper Towels DIY

 

4. Secure the fabric together with pins in each corner and in-between the corners so it does not move while you sew. You may want to use more pins if it is easier for you.

5. Adjust your machine as you like for straight seams. Here is how I have it set.

 

Unpaper Towels DIY

6. Sew around the fabric, leaving an open space between where you start and stop for when you have to turn them right side out. I sew by lining up the edge of the sewing foot with the edge of the fabric. When you reach the corners make them squared.

Unpaper Towels DIY

 

7. With scissors cut the corners of the squares without cutting the thread. This helps so that the corners are not bulky.

8. Now turn the squares right-side out through the opening you left.

Unpaper Towels DIY

 

9. Push the corners into points using a pencil or stick.

Unpaper Towels DIY

10. Sew around the edge of the towels.

 

Unpaper Towels DIY

11. Sew a line from one corner to the other dividing the towel. This helps the towel maintain its shape when you wash it.

 

Unpaper Towels DIY

12. Put snaps in the corners of the towel. Make sure you face them the right way so that the towels can snap together.

Unpaper Towels DIY

 

13. Roll the towels onto an empty paper towel roll.

 

Unpaper Towels DIY

Now put them where you normally put your paper towels and they are ready to use!

I use these DIY Unpaper Towels for everything: cleaning up spills, drying dishes, household cleaning jobs (washing windows, cleaning in the bathroom, wiping down the table, etc.). I love using this homemade all-purpose cleaner recipe with these paper towels. It’s so simple and all-natural! Not only will you save a lot of money since you no longer need to buy Bounty, you’ll also produce less waste too!

You can save even money around your house by utilizing this homemade dishwasher detergent recipe and this homemade laundry soap recipe.

*Thanks to Raquel from the blog Pompa En Tela for sharing this guest post with me today.*

How to make your own unpaper towels

Amber

Sunday 8th of November 2020

This is a great idea, I'm skipping the diy towels and putting snaps on bamboo towels. They last 80 washes but most of them I use a few times before washing or they're for the art area and last months if the kids are careful. Thanks!

Sherry Franks

Tuesday 16th of June 2020

I love this idea. I will make some for my family. God bless you

Alyssa

Saturday 4th of April 2020

I made these, but stopped short of adding the snaps. I'll just keep them in the drawer. Looking forward to see how durable they are.

Deanna

Sunday 15th of January 2023

@Alyssa, I also did not use snaps either. I purchased a real cute Dollar Store bin that holds about 10+ and leave it on my counter. They get washed constantly and have held up for years so far.

Roz

Thursday 25th of June 2020

Which makes sense to me - I do wonder about the benefits of avoiding paper towels, which can probably be recycled, but using plastic snaps, which can't :(

Mary L Brown

Saturday 28th of March 2020

Would flannel and mirco fiber toweling work?

Janessa

Monday 20th of April 2020

Hi Mary, This post was actually written by one of my writers who no longer writes for me. I am not a great sewer myself but I do think this would work with that combo. Let me know if you try it!

Sara

Friday 17th of January 2020

Great idea! I used my serger!! Made it even easier!