Grain Free Paleo Cereal Recipe

     One of the big holdouts on the whole family completely adopting a paleo lifestyle is breakfast cereal, pizza, and pasta. We only eat pizza a couple times a month and we only have pasta on Thursday nights. Cereal, however, is a daily staple. I may have found a solution with this recipe.
     When we tried veganism, we stopped eating dairy. That was several months ago and we don't even miss it. The hardest part was getting my child on board with nondairy milk. That took a little doing. We did a taste test between almond and coconut milk. The choice was neither. So I started mixing almond milk with some organic chocolate syrup from Trader Joe's for awhile. Next I used those milk flavoring straws and eventually just plain almond milk. Never even went noticed.
    Feeding your child sugar cereal, or even Cheerios, feels awful when you know it's not the best thing for them. What else can you do if they refuse to eat eggs and you want them to have a grain free, protein rich breakfast? I just gave up and kept buying cereal.
     Meanwhile, I found a few recipes for grain free energy bars for lunch. Since I can't get my child to eat meat without prodding, it's not even an option for lunch. I used to pack store bought granola bars but started to feel bad about some of the ingredients. The bar recipe I tried said to refrigerate so I figured if I froze them and packed them they'd be thawed by lunch. What happened instead was a crumbly, greasy mess. Cleaning out the bento box, a lightbulb went off over my head. The mess was tasty and looked like granola. A few tweaks later, I had a granola cereal that's full of protein and fiber and has a little fat and fruit in it as well.

     Without further ado...

GRAIN FREE PALEO CEREAL

8 oz. unsalted, roasted, crushed pecans
8 oz. unsalted, roasted, slivered or sliced almonds
1 cup almond meal (I used what was leftover after making almond milk, but you can use whatever nut flour you like)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup dried fruit (I used raisins)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter

Mix all ingredients well and place in an airtight container. Done!

*NOTE: The container is half gone, the recipe makes twice this much cereal.


You are welcome to adjust the ingredients to your tastes/needs. It's not a cake or a bar or anything that needs to set up solid, so the amounts of things don't really matter. This is the recipe I used and it turned out mighty tasty so I plan to make it this way again and again. I used sliced almonds and mashed them up with my handy-dandy Chop & Stir tool. You could also swap out agave or maple syrup for the honey if you want. We like this served with cold almond milk, but I bet it'd be good alone or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream too. Just go easy on your portion sizes or this is not very figure friendly.







   

What're You Eating?

     Every time I see somebody who really looks like they have their life together I always wonder, "what're you eating?"

     

     We've been trying to eat better around here for several months. My husband and I watched Forks Over Knives and tried veganism for a bit. Then we lightened up and tried vegetarian/flexitarian for a bit. Then I saw The Perfect Human Diet and now we're slowly easing into paleo. Paleo is short for The Paleolithic Diet also known as the Caveman Diet. It's the idea that we're better off eating like our ancestors rather than the Standard American Diet (appropriately abbreviated SAD).
     I've always felt it's best to prevent a problem rather than cure one. American medicine is too centered on symptomatic treatment rather than preventative treatment. If you study the science of nutrition you will find it contradicts much of what you've been taught. The government and the food and drug industry are so tied together it is frightening. Every president as far back as the Depression has influenced agriculture. They promote food industry executives to positions of power and influence. Everything you know about the "4 food groups" has been influenced by politics and ultimately money.
     When I first started hearing all of this I denied it. I chalked it up to conspiracy theory nut jobs. I was well educated, I was informed. The government won't guide us to eat things that'll harm us. WRONG! What swayed me was learning about the Monsanto Seed Co. This company controls almost all of the produce grown in the US. Their main goal is to have the highest yield possible from their crops.The way they go about it is by creating seeds that've been genetically altered and sprayed with chemicals to resist disease, weather and rot. These seeds can cause genetic mutations in humans (especially fetuses, children, the sick and the elderly). This is not to mention how they have almost taken out every farmer who won't use their seeds. Presidents George Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama have all appointed former Monsanto employees to government offices.  Hillary Clinton and Clarence Thomas both worked as legal council for Monsanto, and the Deputy Director of the FDA and HFS is a former Monsanto scientist. The real kicker, they are the company responsible for Agent Orange! Agent Orange! Doesn't that raise the hairs on the back of your neck?
     For the last year, I have spent countless hours researching food. I've studied what we should eat, what we shouldn't eat, what causes cancer, what cures cancer, what causes weight loss, what causes weight gain. I've come to the conclusion through researching documentaries, medical journals and surveying friends and family members that the best way to gain weight and keep it on is to eat grains and sugar. It is also a wonderful way to turn benign cells lingering in your GI and organs into cancer cells. I'm not a scientist or a RD or a MD. I'm just a smart, informed person trying to make good choices based on the wealth of information I've studied.
     Other documentaries I recommend are Farmageddon, Food Inc., and The High Cost of Low Price. These are alarming looks at the food industry and what the government doesn't want you to know. Many of the cheaper foods we buy here--and I'm talking vegetables and raw meat as well and not just processed foods--are from foreign countries that don't regulate safety. I was just reading about China's food safety nightmares yesterday. I immediately searched my kitchen for anything Chinese and tossed it. Think that was crazy? How do you feel about eating meat and FISH that're fed rotten animal carcasses? Ever hear of Mad Cow Disease? Call me nuts but I'm not going to be a test case for Mad Fish Disease.
     What really won me over to paleo was understanding something I'd noticed long ago but didn't know what to do with. A couple of years ago I decided to pull up the government's latest guidelines for healthy eating and live by it. I researched how many calories and other nutrients I'd need to be my optimum weight. I exercised and ate exactly according to their guidelines for over two months. Funny thing happened. I stopped losing weight after the first week. I lost eight pounds. Read that last sentence again. I was obese and followed the governmental guidelines for health and exercise for over two months and I was still obese. I had no medical conditions preventing me from losing weight and was not on a single medication (other than a daily multivitamin, a calcium supplement, and a baby aspirin) and I only lost eight pounds. I also noticed that almost everything labeled "high fiber" or "excellent source of fiber" had hardly any fiber in it. When I would fill out my food chart each day, I noticed my fruits and vegetables had more fiber than the "whole grains" I ate. My piddly half an orange had as much fiber as two slices of whole wheat bread. If the only reason to eat grains is for the fiber, then there's no reason to eat them.
     The other reason I decided to go paleo was the emphasis on organic and local, unprocessed food. This is the best way to combat all the nasty problems that go along with eating genetically modified foods.
     I'll leave you with this thought. The Bible reports that many of the people in the early years of civilization lived to be hundreds of years old. This is one of the things those not believing in the Bible use to discount it. It's also a debated topic among believers as well. I think it's true and makes good sense. No, there were no vaccines or cutting edge surgeries and procedures back then. Would they have needed them? I have seen leprosy, epilepsy, consumption, paralysis and fever mentioned in the Bible. I haven't seen any mention of cancer or diabetes in there though. They also didn't have car accidents, acid rain, smog, plane crashes, pollution, etc. Could eating local, unprocessed, organic food, and daily, moderate exercise have been their answer for longevity? I think so.
 

Magnetic Fridge Photo Frame

     Have you ever walked by a store window and didn't recognize your reflection for a second? Something similar happened to me this week. I went outside for a minute and when I came back in, I couldn't believe what an out of control mess my kitchen looked like! I grew up with a mom who thought (who'm I kidding, STILL THINKS) every photo, every drawing, coloring sheet, report card, etc. belongs on the fridge. I vowed I'd never do that. My concession was to put them on the side of the fridge. 

     I never know what to do with school wallets and the photos friends and family send of their kids. They're too precious to toss but you can't frame them all...or can you? Sorta.

     I thought maybe if I group them all together in a frame it'd look a bit neater. I couldn't believe how bad it made the whole kitchen look, just having this one surface all messy. The finished frame did exactly what I hoped it would. It still showcases all the pictures we love seeing every day but it a much neater way.

I used mostly things I had on hand from other projects. 

MATERIALS:

4 canvas stretcher frame bars

scrapbook paper

Mod Podge (or white glue & acrylic medium/varnish) *I used the glue/varnish combo because I didn't have any MP handy

glue (I recommend E6000 for this)

4 strong magnets (I used 3/4" round magnets w/a strength rating of 6)

foam brush

scissors

staple gun & staples (optional)

STEP 1--MEASURING, ASSEMBLING THE FRAME

   First things first, measure the spot you want to frame. Round your numbers down to the nearest even number. My area was 26" x 15". So I went with 26" x 14". I bought two 26" stretcher bars and two 14" bars. These are used to stretch canvas for paintings. They sell them in the craft store with the pre-made canvases. They are super duper simple to assemble. They have grooves at the top that fit together. Once you have them together, you may want to grab a level or a T square and true them up to make sure its a real square or rectangle and that it'll lay really flat. I usually pop in a staple at each corner to make sure it doesn't wiggle out of shape, but that's totally up to you.

STEP 2--COVERING THE FRAME

   The first thing I did was cover the corners because I knew they'd be exposed after fitting the paper to the flat sides. I cut about a 2" square of paper and used the white glue to stick it in the corner (left photo). Clip the bend of the paper on each side so you can fold it down to lay flat (right photo).

Here's the finished corner.

   Next, I fitted the sides and glued them down with white glue. Sometimes I painted it on the back of the paper, sometimes I painted it directly on the frame. It really doesn't matter. I chose a paper with a busy pattern that'd hide my edges easily and I knew I wouldn't have to match up exactly. 

 
 As you go along, you'll have to clip edges and trim away the excess. On outside corners I clipped it up to the edge and folded down (left photo). On inside corners I clipped it from the corner and folded down (right photo).

 STEP 3--DECOUPAGE
   After you get all of your frame covered in paper, slap on a nice neat coat of the varnish or Mod Podge. You can see how this makes it shrink up a little and takes out any bubbling the glue may have done. I did a couple coats since this was going in a wet area.

 STEP 4-- APPLYING THE MAGNETS
   Apply a generous dollop of glue (I love the classic, E6000) and press on your magnets into each corner. I know, I know, E6000 is not approved for paper crafts. Before you send out the craft police, bear in mind this is not the same as gluing two pieces of paper together or scrapbooking, is it? It also has a warning label (like most adhesives) so it's not something I'm going to be allowing my child to use. Also, you can tell by the picture I used my scraps to cover the back of the frame too. I just worked piecemeal so it isn't exactly beautiful but I thought it looked better than all the raggedy edges.

Here's the finished product after moving my photos back into their rightful spot. I think it looks great!

Homemade Reusable Lunch Bags

     Get ready, here's another sewing project based on making less waste. Since plastic food bags can't be recycled, here's a tutorial on how to make your own.
     What got me started on this idea was when I used to eat Lean Cuisines I collected their Delicious Rewards points and ordered a set of Lunchskins through their catalog. I loved them so much that when I saw them at The Container Store I started to buy some more. When I saw the price tag I put them back! Maybe $9 for a baggie is reasonable to some, but the Scotsman in me couldn't pull the trigger! I knew I could make my own for less and they'd match my kitchen and my child's backpack and lunchbox.
     It's been several months since I made these and I don't have my receipts anymore so I can't do a cost breakdown for you but I took pictures along the way so I can show you how I did it.

MATERIALS:
1/2 yard fabric
1/2 yard lightweight vinyl (BPA free!)
package of hook and loop tape (velcro)
thread
scissors
sewing machine

STEP 1--MEASURING AND CUTTING
 Sorry, I don't have a photo of how I measured. But I do have one from before I sewed so that'll have to do. I folded my fabric in half and placed a sandwich bag on top. I cut about a half inch extra all the way around. I repeated the process for the vinyl.

STEP 2--STAY STITCHING

 I stitched the fabric to the vinyl before continuing, to make things easier. The vinyl goes against the WRONG side of the fabric. Sew really close to the edge. You can straight stitch or zig-zag to prevent raveling.

 NOTE: In case you've never sewn with vinyl, it will stick like a you-know-what to your presser foot and sewing machine plate. Be sure to use the paper that it comes rolled up with to help. Lay it over the exposed vinyl. After stitching, just tear it gently away.

STEP 3--ATTACHING THE VELCRO

 Take out your velcro and leave it hooked together to save time. Place it at the short end of your bag and cut to the same length. 

 With wrong side/vinyl side up, fold down the fabric and vinyl edge just a bit, about a quarter inch and place one side of the velcro over it and stitch it down. I ran a stitch on the top and bottom of the tape to make it sturdier than if you just did one down the middle. Repeat on the opposite end, using the other piece of velcro.

STEP 4--ASSEMBLING

 Fold the bag in half with right sides facing and sew along the three open edges. In this photo you can see me using the paper over the vinyl to keep it from sticking to the machine.

Turn the bag right sides out and you're done!

VARIATIONS:

1) Use scrap fabric to reduce cost.

2) Upcycle old dish towels or old picnic tablecloths.

3) For a Fold-Over Style Bag: Sew the hook/sticky side of the velcro to the vinyl side of the bag. Sew the fuzzy side of the velcro to the right side/fabric side of the bag. Attach the two sides of the velcro and lay as you want it to look when finished. Flip wrong side out and sew down. Open velcro and flip right side out.

4) You could use bias tape to hide raw edges inside bag.

5) You could fold cut edges inward before sewing down to eliminate raw edges inside bag.

6) You could use just patterned vinyl and skip the fabric layer.

  

Reusable Cloth Food Covers

     In my efforts to try to cut back on what we throw away, I decided another way we can reduce is by cutting out how much plastic we toss. Cling wrap can't be recycled, unless you save and reuse it---which I have been know to do! 

It's been awhile since I made these so I don't have my receipts anymore but I can still give a pictorial tutorial (say that 5 times fast!) with a materials list.

Materials:

1/2 yard fabric (feel free to reuse scraps)

1 package elastic cord

thread

scissors

sewing machine

STEP 1--MEASURING AND CUTTING

 Lay out your fabric on a surface you can't damage by accidentally cutting through (we've been over this, lol). Take a typical sized container lid or a favorite bowl that you cover often and place it, on top of your fabric. If you're using a container, place the open end of the container against the fabric for measuring (duh!). 

I am lazy, so since I was making these for myself, I didn't measure carefully. I cut about 2 inches around the lid I chose. I only went halfway around and then I removed the lid and folded it in half and then half again and cut the other side. I have had difficulty in the past with symmetry when cutting without measuring and this helps. If you measure, skip this step and just measure about 2" all the way around. If you're lazy too, here's some pictures if it helps.

STEP 2--STAY STITCHING

 Next, you need to stay stitch the edges so it won't ravel, especially since this is something you will possibly be tossing in the washer. If you have a serger, use it, if not a tight zig-zag stitch will work just as well.

STEP 3--SEWING

 Fold down your edge about a half inch or so and sew down with a regular straight stitch. In case you're an inexperienced sewer, sewing down an edge on something round is a bit challenging. It won't lay flat. Be prepared to fold it a bit here and there or stretch the fabric or whatever you need to do to get that edge sewn down all the way around.

 NOTE: Okay, here's a step where I'd have done something a bit different. If I make any more of these, I'll be putting in a buttonhole close to the edge of my stay-stitching before folding down and sewing. 

STEP 4--ELASTIC

 Take out your elastic cord and measure around the rim of whatever you're planning on covering with these. Subtract about 1/2". It's not an exact science but unless you want it to fall off, you'll need it to be a bit smaller. Snip a hole in the pocket you've just created with your straight stitch and thread through your elastic. If you made a buttonhole, you can open it with a seam ripper and place the elastic through there. Tightly knot  the ends of the elastic.

 NOTE: In case you've never threaded elastic through a hole, the best way is to attach a safety pin to the end and push the pin through the casing. Since it was cording and not flat elastic, I tied a knot and pinned the knot.

VOILA! Bowl Covers!

VARIATIONS:

1) You can reuse scrap fabric to save cost and recycle.

2) You can use vinyl backed fabric to make these stain resistant and water proof

Homemade "Paper" Towels

     Okay, brace yourself, because apparently this idea is insane. That's the look I get every time I tell anyone about it anyway. I decided to cut down on paper waste by making reusable cloth paper towels.

     For the last year I have been really mindful about what I can do to show God that I am a good steward of the Earth that He allows me to live on every day. The first thing I did was convert our main household trash can into a recycling bin. We are lucky enough to live somewhere that doesn't make you sort your recyclables but the downside is that we have to drop them off rather than getting them picked up weekly. Up until now, I emptied that big bag into the trash once a week. I am ashamed to say, it still goes out once a week and it's just as full but it's going to the recycling bin now. We have a small 8 gallon can for just trash and I empty it once a week also (unless it's stinky). I can't believe how much of our trash was recyclable. Almost ALL of it!!
      So recycling got me thinking. Where else can I reduce waste? The first thing I thought of was paper towels and napkins. Did you know the average American uses an estimated 55 lbs of tissue paper (paper towels, Kleenex, toilet paper, napkins) each year?! That's about 6 napkins per person per day. It's also about 3,000 paper towels per year per person. That results in around 6 BILLION pounds of waste each year because these papers can't be recycled. Don't ignore the 350 gallons of water per day and the trees used to make the towels. Also, I didn't realize until I researched online, tissue paper releases methane and carbon dioxide as it decomposes. Annnd consider all of the gas and emissions produced by the factories and delivery trucks and the materials used in packaging the products. It goes on and on.
     The first thing I did was find some super cheap napkins that match my dishes and decor and I throw them into the wash each week. It doesn't make any more laundry than before because I already had to wash dishcloths and dish towels. We don't use many rolls of paper towels but it's still somewhere I can easily scale back. I saw some cloth "paper" towels online and thought they were a bit pricey and knew I could do as good a job on my own. So here's the whole process in pictures.

My first floor is decorated in shades of turquoise and light grey with black accents. My kitchen is black and white. So I chose several  fabrics in different patterns of black and white. You can choose whatever fabric you like, obviously. Your individual choices may alter the materials you may need but this is exactly what I used and the steps I made. Please read all directions and notes before starting to cut or sew. There are a few variations you may rather try.

MATERIALS:
pack of 18 washcloths ($4)
3 half yards of fabric ($7.70)
4 fat quarters ($7.96)
a spool of white thread ($1.39--I have no idea why this was half off, but yay me!, right?)
a spool of black thread ($2.79)
fabric scissors

sewing machine and bobbins, seam ripper, etc.
If you want to keep them on a roll you'll also need:

pack of Babyville Boutique white snaps ($7.99)
Babyville Boutique plastic snap plier set ($9.99--This is because I had a 50% off coupon thanks to a good
     Samaritan in line behind me. The regular price is $19.99)
.
 *NOTE: These prices are for the items I had to buy that I didn't already have. Obviously it'll be a cheaper project if you already own a snap plier set or are using old washcloths/dishcloths or scrap fabric, etc.
*ADDITIONAL NOTE: In case you didn't know what a "fat quarter" is (I didn't), it's literally a quarter of a yard but it's different than if you ask for a quarter of a yard at the cutting counter. Fabric comes folded in half on a bolt. For a fat quarter, they cut a half yard and open up the fold and cut off half of that. So if you ask for a quarter of a yard it's going to measure 9" x 44" and a fat quarter will be 18" x 22". So that means you will get more usable fabric for this project. I bought them because they were cute fabrics and on sale. Good enough reason as any!

TIME:
I really can't even estimate the time it took me to complete this because I did it here and there for about a week until it was done. I think if you were a decent sewer and were really motivated and had no distractions it could be done in a Saturday afternoon.

STEP 1--CUTTING:
     Lay out your fabric on a hard surface that you can't cut through. (Stupid mistakes happen to
everyone...hopefully only once. Hello, I'm pretty smart and pretty careful but I ruined an antique quilt by
cutting fabric on my mom's bed when I was in high school).
     Place a washcloth on top and line it up with your selvage edge (that's the finished edge--not the cut edge--of a roll of fabric that's sewn to be least likely to ravel).
     Cut the fabric to the same size as the washcloth.
     IMPORTANT! Cut one piece of fabric to fit one washcloth and set it aside. Start the next one with a new washcloth, and so on. Sometimes they are slightly off and if you cut them all the same as one, that may be the only one it'll fit. (I found this out the hard way.)

Place the fabric on top right side up (I offset them so you can see both layers).

STEP 2--"QUILTING" :

     I used black top thread and white bobbin thread so my stitches wouldn't be obvious (especially if you're like me and can't ever seem to sew a straight line). 

     Now I sewed the two layers together so that when you wash them they won't wad up. 

IMPORTANT STEP: (In case you're skimming the instructions, don't miss this.) When you stitch them together make sure you start in the center and don't pull. This is an old quilter's tip. This will keep the washcloth from stretching and the two layers from not fitting as well together. I did a giant X pattern on each one.  If you try to go from one corner to the opposite one it will get really off. 

     The left picture shows me starting to sew from the middle. I pinned the middle and the 4 corners before starting. (If it gets a bit off kilter as you sew, it's okay, you can fix it later when you do the edges.) When you get about an inch from the edge, do some reverse stitching to lock it in place (photo on the right). 

   

     Now flip it around and start in the middle where you started last time. (You will be completing the line you made from the middle to the first corner.) Do some reverse stitching to lock in place the starting points of this and the last line of stitching and end it like the last one, locking the stitches about an inch from the corner. You should have one line of stitching from one corner to the opposite corner dividing it in half diagonally at this point.

     Here it is after the X is completed. I know it sounds complicated but as you do it, you'll realize it's not. I just described it as well as I could for anyone who may not have much experience sewing. It takes only about a minute to make the X on each towel. It's difficult to see the stitching because of the color of the thread against the busy pattern in the same color. As you can see, my edges are wonky. It's okay.

STEP 3--SEWING:
     Starting about an inch or two below the corner, tuck in the edges of front and back layers toward the middle and sew together. Stop about an inch before the corner.The photo is at the end of the first side so you can see how the layers are folded down the middle.

     For the corners, first I folded the washcloth layer of the second side like I did for the first. This makes the corner come to a point.

     Next I folded up the point and held it in place with my finger. This helps hold the sides in place too while you repeat the steps to the fabric layer.

     Again, I know this sounds like origami and like you need a third hand, but it's super easy. If you need to, stick a pin in it while u work on the fabric layer. I promise by the end of the first towel you won't need to pin anymore. Here's what it should look like as you sew the corner together.

   
     Here is a finished corner. As you can see, the X doesn't go all the way to the corner but it doesn't matter as long as the middle is sewn together it won't bunch up.

If you don't plan to keep these on a roll then ta-da! You're done!

STEP 4--ATTACHING THE SNAPS
     After all of the towels are individually sewn, it's time to attach the snaps. Wait until they're all done because an important part is stacking them all together and lining up all the corners. If they don't all line up it's okay, just make sure as you attach the snaps that THEY all line up. This way you don't have to have them in the same exact same order when you wash them and put them back on the roll (what a pain in the butt that would be!).

READ CAREFULLY:
     Snaps are difficult to  remove if you put them on wrong so make sure you're giving this your full attention.

     The top two corners of each towel should have the "male" side of the snap facing away from you. The bottom of each should have the "female" side facing toward you. This is a top and bottom corner of a finished towel.

     To attach the snaps to the top edge, poke the prong of the flat disk through the patterned side and on the opposite side place the "male" closure flat side toward the washcloth. Place the flat disk in the pliers on the same side as the little black cup/tray. Line up the top part of the snap in the pliers and squeeze hard. This will smash the sharp prong inside so that the two pieces will be locked together.

     For the bottom corners of the towel repeat the process, but this time, the flat side of the disk goes on the washcloth side and the "female" closure goes on the fabric side. Here's the finished photo again.

     Once you get all of your snaps attached you can snap all the towels together.

     Now you can place them on a paper towel holder and wind them into a roll just like real paper towels.

Voila! You've now single-handedly saved the planet!


*UPDATE* I've been using these for nearly a year now and we absolutely love them. Here is one of my favorite functions that I've found after using them for awhile. You can snap them up to make little pouches to set aside either to drain and keep warm or sometimes I do this with lettuce so keep it cool, damp and crisp in the fridge if it'll be a few hours before I use it.

2: Snap together remaining corners.

Here's some sausage I'm draining for pizza night
1: Snap together opposite corners.

There you have it!
Warm and draining the excess fat while the crust prebakes.

SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES:
1) I now wish I'd put an additional absorbent layer in the middle of each towel. How I would've done it is, I'd have trimmed off the edge of another washcloth and placed it between the outer layers before quilting them all together. By cutting the edge off the inner layer it wouldn't add bulk to the edge being sewn down. A microfiber cloth or cloth "chamois" would work too.

2) A variation I tried first was turning the fabric layer right side DOWN and sewing it like a pillow. I left a small opening and turned it right side out, and stitched shut the opening. I used a zigzag stitch the join them together so the fabric layer wouldn't unravel. Then I quilted it down. I didn't like this method, even though it went a little quicker because you don't have to fold in the edges or corners. It didn't look as good when it was done because the edges weren't nice and flat and it was a bit smaller. I sewed a straight stitch close to the edge to try to help it lay down but it still looked warped. That also created an extra step which seemed tedious to me.

3)Another variation (and my original plan) is to place right sides out and run a zigzag stitch or serge the edges instead of folding them in. I didn't end up doing it this way because as I cut them out, my OCD kicked in, and I kept trimming the edges over and over trying to make them the exact same size as the washcloth. This made them a little smaller than rest of the washcloths. The washcloths I bought were cheap so they weren't exactly square or all the exact same size. So all the fabric I cut fit the first one, but not the rest. (Hence the note I made in the cutting step.)

4)You can upcycle old washcloths or old clothes for the fabrics.

5) You can use a microfiber cloth instead of a washcloth for a lint free towel.

6)You can use cotton duck canvas or oilcloth for the outer fabric to be water resistant so they're only absorbent on one side.

7) You can add a layer of thin transparent vinyl between the fabric and the washcloth to save your fabric from staining.

8)You can get cute and creative with this idea like the ones I saw online. You can buy terry cloth in really bright colors and use coordinating fabric and colored snaps and contrast stitching.

The possibilities are only limited by your own imagination!