Why use cloth napkins and "unpaper" towels? The main reason I wanted to make the switch was to reduce waste. Although we rarely use paper napkins in our house, we do use paper towels on a pretty regular basis. I'll admit, they are handy: Just tear off a piece, clean up your mess, and toss it away.
The second reason to make the switch is to save money. Although it does cost money to wash laundry, napkins and small cloths take up very little space in the machine, so we can just toss them in along with the rest of the dirty laundry.
Finally, I just like the idea of using cloth napkins and decorative pieces of cloth for cleaning up small messes. They can be cute, and perhaps, even add an elegant touch to a dinner party. Best of all? You actually don't have to make a huge initial investment in your collection.
Where to buy cloth napkins and "unpaper" towels
- You can, of course, buy cloth napkins brand-new in department stores or order them online if you wish.
- There are numerous stores at Etsy.com that sell various styles of decorative cloth "unpaper" towels, as well as sets of cloth napkins.
- You could follow the route I took and look at thrift stores for gently-used sets of cloth napkins (pictured above, you can see the set of eight that I recently bought for less than $5 at the Salvation Army).
- Or, you could buy fabric in a pattern you like and create your own paper product alternative at home.
DIY ideas for no-sew cloth napkins and reusable towels
As someone who hasn't quite mastered the art of sewing (yet!), I love the idea of no-sew cloth napkins. Keep scrolling down for three no-sew ideas.
Cut up old sheets to use as cloth napkins
Flat sheets are easier to work with, but fitted sheets could work too, once the elastic band is removed from the edges. Measure and cut cotton or linen sheets to the desired sizes, pre-washing if they are brand new. Once they have been used and washed a time or two, the edges might start to curl up a little, but they should work still.
Or, here's how I made fancy, no-sew linen cloth napkins (inspired by the blog On Sutton Place):
1. First, buy a piece of fabric in the color or pattern of your choice. I found a couple pieces at the local thrift store that I liked. Measure and cut the fabric into your desired napkin size, keeping in mind that they will be slightly smaller on each side once finished.
2. Start pulling out the threads on each edge, creating a frayed look, until the frays are about a quarter of an inch long. Trim each edge to neatly finish it off.
3. Wash your cloth napkins and trim the edges a little more if needed. Mine didn't turn out to be the exact same size - they aren't even perfectly square - but that's okay. As long as they are pretty close to the same size, slight imperfections shouldn't be noticeable.
I once used a pack of washcloths to make a Mother's Day gift of "unpaper" towels. I even added snaps so they can snap together onto a roll, similar to regular paper towels. Of course, you can always keep your designated kitchen clean-up washcloths in a napkin holder or the like, but if you want them to resemble a roll of paper towels, here's how I did it.
You will need a dozen washcloths, an empty cardboard paper towel roll, snap pliers (affiliate link), and snaps in your preferred color. Pre-wash the cloths. Apply two "female" snaps and two "male" snaps to the corners of each washcloth, measuring them equal distances apart so the female edge of one cloth will snap into the male edge of another cloth. Additionally, apply two snaps to the cardboard roll, measuring the correct distance between the two so it is equal to the distance between the snaps on the washcloths.
Snap them all together, rolling each washcloth around the roll as you go.
(I apologize that I don't have pictures of the process. Maybe I'll make them again someday and post pictures afterward.)
Cut up old t-shirts to use as rags for cleaning
Of course, there is always the option to save old t-shirts and other pieces of clothing to cut up for use as cleaning rags. We do this quite frequently at our house. There are always old t-shirts that are too worn to be used as clothing anymore, so we use them for cleaning bathrooms and particularly yucky areas that need to be wiped down.
Tip: If you do choose to use paper napkins and towels on occasion, take note that they can be composted; check out this post on composting to learn more.
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**Disclosure: Although this post may contain affiliate links, all opinions are my own.
Your challenge: This week, think about ways you can switch to cloth napkins and non-paper towel alternatives.
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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during
which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to
lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**
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