The average child will go through over 6,000 disposable diapers in the first two years of life: when you consider the impact this has not only on the environment, but on your pocket, cloth diapers seem like the only option. So how do you make cloth diapers for your little one?
Firstly, even if you’re a dab hand with a needle you’ll need a sewing machine. You might think this will be expensive, but you can pick up sewing machines at pretty low prices these days and might even find there’s one in your extended family that’s just sitting gathering dust in someone’s attic.
Carefully consider the material you want to use. This will form the diaper that sits on your baby’s skin, so it needs to be gentle: flannel, Birdseye, jersey, terry and cotton are excellent choices. You may have samples, or old clothes made of them, lying around your house: you can even make diapers out of two old t-shirts! You will then need to make a separate cover for these diapers, which has to be water resistant: PUL, ultrex, fleece or wool are great choices for this. If you want to make an all-in-one diaper, you can find a pattern here.
You will now need a pattern to follow: you can find lots of diaper and cover patterns on this site, but some fabric stores also stock patterns. If it’s your first time sewing, be sure to pick one with clear directions.
The last thing you will need is fasteners – Snappis are by far the easiest to attach and are pin free for safety. You can also sew Velcro, buttons or ties in to the diapers if you’re feeling crafty.
Making your own diapers is a snap with a little know-how, so join the reusable revolution today!
