Fabric Scrap Unsponges

Eloise and I spent twenty minutes with the sewing machine this weekend, cranking out fabric scrap “unsponges”. To assemble them, we used three types of fabric: one to make the sponges cute, one to make them absorbent, and one to make them abrasive (for scrubbing). For the cute layer, we used a pre-washed soft, cotton (corduroy) material; for the absorbent layer, we used 2-3 pieces of terrycloth from an old towel, and for the abrasive layer, we used burlap. Having made and used these now, I can say that the burlap works okay, but the ends tend to fray from wear. In the future, we plan to use the mesh bags that oranges and lemons come in at the grocery store. I hate buying them and throwing them away, so hopefully we can upcycle them and put them to good use. Heres the tutorial (if you can call it that!).

Materials

1 piece of pre-washed cotton fabric, cut 3” x 5”

2-3 pieces of terrycloth, cut 3” x 5”

1 piece of abrasive material (burlap or mesh bag), cut 3” x 5”

Directions

Place the cotton fabric right side down. Stack the terrycloth on top, evenly, then add the abrasive material. Pin pieces together to hold them in place, then sew them together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Once the sponges are soiled, toss them in the washing machine and dry them in a machine or on the line.