Babbling Panda Yarns

I was running to the store for more cotton pads to wash my face with when I realized how annoyed I felt. My waste bin was filled with the things and I was spending at least $2 a week on them. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up. ($104 a year, by my calculations). I knew I had to do something. This is the moment Babbling Panda Yarns was truly born.

Img Source: Beautylish
Ugh, so much waste.

Babbling Panda Yarns is my Etsy shop where I sell some eco-friendly versions of everyday household items. So far, I have washable facial pads, tea towels, reusable coffee sleeves and crochet baskets but my head is filled with ideas for the future.

That day that I ran to the store for more cotton rounds was the day that I worked on a pattern for reusable, machine washable, yarn versions of the store kind. I tried a few patterns before ultimately creating my own. Needing something that didn’t let the product through, was just absorbent enough and easy to hold were my biggest priority. I now have three sizes and shapes that I’m happy with: small round, large round, and a medium heart shape.

My reusable version of face pads.

I also tried several different types of yarn: bamboo, wool, acrylic blends, silk blends, and others I’ve forgotten. My last count was 7 different kinds or blends of yarn. I wasn’t happy with any of them. There were different reasons. Some of the yarn types stayed too wet and caused the face pads to retain smells after a few uses. Others were too absorbent and “ate” product, while others were too flimsy or slippery to use easily. Some of the yarns didn’t wash well or had fussy washing instructions.

In the end, I was happiest with plain, 100% cotton, without anything blended into it. Cotton yarn is easy to wash in the machine, gets softer with each use, doesn’t break down, “eat” product or dry too slowly.

Heart-shaped face pads sending love to you..and the environment.

My daughter loves the face pads for her overly sensitive skin (she’s prone to eczema and irritated skin). Isabella was my original test subject! She’s 11 years old and uses one every morning and night to wash her face and apply moisturizer.

The fibers that the store-bought cotton rounds left behind severely irritated Isabella’s skin, causing red bumps, dry peeling areas and inflamed pores. Her skin has healed now- just in time for puberty! Haha. We’ll continue to use the face pads I’ve made as they wash up well in the machine and don’t leave fibers behind.

My sweet daughter, who helped me test the face pads

I just leave a delicates bag in the bathroom and we pile them in there after we’ve used them. When I wash the towels or sheets, I throw the bag in with them and bring them back up when they’re done. Although the face pads keep their shape better if they’ve been laid flat after a delicate cycle to dry completely, I can’t be bothered. So I just throw my face pads in with the towels on a low-heat setting and let them stay in the dryer until completely dry. The only consequence is curled up corners. I made these to be more convenient, after all.

The face pads were largely created to lessen my impact on the environment and create less waste. Seeing the disposable ones pile up in a bin made me sad. What a waste of money and resources! I wanted to spend less money, create less waste and have a more convenient option.

My fellow nature lovers.

The towels on my website are tea towels with toppers, created completely out of nostalgia. They’ve kind of replaced paper towel in our kitchen and we always have one on the stove to wipe our hands on! Did your mom or grandmother have one around? I have fond memories of seeing them in my family’s homes.

A product born out of necessity and nostalgia.

I have a few other things to check out in my Etsy shop, Babbling Panda Yarns, and I’m always thinking of more! Updating it frequently is becoming an obsession. 🙂

Reusable coffee sleeve ideas fill my head. Here is one of the finished sleeves.

Hopefully, this explains the passion and drive that spurred me on to create Babbling Panda Yarns. Mainly, it was to lower my environmental impact and create sustainable options.

I hope you get a chance to stop by:

BabblingPandaYarns on Etsy