How To Make A Diaper

Why are DIY diapers a great craft project for moms?

Do you have to know how to sew to make cloth diaper items?

What are some of the easiest methods to make your own cloth diaper?

DIY diapers can make a great project for moms-to-be who are looking for some hands-on experiences while they await the new arrival. If you’re looking for a way to make your own diapers, there are plenty of methods out there, ranging from the challenging to the very quick and easy.

In this article, we’ll show you how to make diaper varieties depending on whether or not you can sew. You’ll find solutions for sewing machine creations as well as no-sew diapers, and we’ve even included a simple guide for making your own diaper inserts to use with your homemade cloth diapers as well.

With these guides, you should be ready to find the ideal diaper-making project for your needs. Read through each set of steps and figure out which one meets your individual needs the best.

And if you’re unsure as to whether or not you can make one of the harder diapers listed here, why not give it a try and see how it goes?

Read through the information below to learn how to make a homemade diaper you’ll love.

Cloth Nappies

Materials Needed

• PUL waterproof material
• Microfleece or microsuede
• Diaper pattern (trade a disposable diaper onto a piece of cardboard)
• Snap pattern (print offline or make yourself from another diaper)
• Snaps
• Thin elastic
• Marker
• Scissors
• Awl
• Pins
• Sewing machine, needles, and thread
• Seam ripper

Steps

1. Fold the PUL fabric in half and cut out your pattern along the fold.

2. Repeat the process for the microfleece or microsuede to create the inside lining of the diaper.

3. Cut the microfleece or microsuede about three inches away from one side of the cut fabric. This will create a flap for inserting your diaper inserts.

4. Cut a rectangular strip of microfabric to stretch along the top portion of the diaper where the snaps are going to go.

5. Spray this strip of fabric with basting spray and lay it on the inside of the outer shell fabric of the diaper.

6. Line up the snap pattern and mark each of the snap locations with a marker on the front of your fabric.

7. Lay the fabric on top of a piece of cardboard and use an awl to poke holes through the fabric at the location of each of the snaps.

8. Attach the snaps according to the packaging directions.

9. Line up the top portion of your microfabric that you cut earlier, making sure it is flush with the top edges of the diaper’s outer fabric shell.

10. Lay the other, longer piece of prepared microfabric so that it overlaps the first piece by about an inch.

11. Pin the microfabric to the outer shell fabric with right sides together.

12. Use your sewing machine to sew all the way around the edges, hemming the diaper and the inner lining together.

13. Turn the finished diaper right side out using the flap you created for using diaper inserts. Be sure to turn out the edges entirely.

14. Turn down edges of the diaper and sew in place to form casings for the elastic around the front piece, back piece, and legs.

15. Insert elastic and finish casing edges.

16. Place snaps on tab closures.

Diaper Inserts

Materials Needed

• Flannel
• Microfiber towels
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter
• Fabric square
• Sewing machine, needle, and thread

Steps

1. Fold flannel in half and cut two pieces that are about one inch wider than the microfiber towels on all sides.

2. Use your sewing machine to sew straight lines two inches apart from each other up and down the layers of fabric, leaving the edges unfinished for this step. This will create a quilted appearance.

3. Square the edges and use a rotary cutter to remove the unfinished edges. This should be about an inch on all sides of the layers.

4. Measure the length and width of the remaining square.

5. Cut the remaining square into four-inch-wide pieces.

6. Finish the edges with a serger or a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

7. Backstitch or straight stitch to reinforce the edges once more.

No-Sew Diapers

Materials Needed

• Clean t-shirt
• Diaper pattern, optional
• Cardboard, optional
• Pen or marker, optional
• Scrap fabric for inner layer, optional

Steps

1. Fold the bottom of the t-shirt up to the middle.

2. Fold the top down so that the sleeves of the shirt make the wings of the diaper.

3. Fold the left side up and over to create three total layers of fabric.

4. Repeat this folding process on the right side.

5. Your t-shirt should now be a diaper-like shape and ready to use.

6. If you have more time and a few more materials on hand, you can create a longer-lasting t-shirt diaper option instead.

7. Print out a diaper pattern and trace it onto cardboard, then cut it out to use as a pattern on your shirt.

8. Fold the t-shirt in half vertically and trace the pattern along the fold.

9. Cut out the pattern along the fold of the t-shirt, making sure to leave long strips on the sleeves that you can use to tie the diaper.

10. With remaining pieces of the t-shirt or with any other scrap fabric, cut two long strips of fabric that can be laid inside the t-shirt diaper layers and use as an absorbent middle section.

11. Sandwich the inner layer between the two layers of t-shirt.

12. Diaper the baby and use the ties to close the diaper securely.

Conclusion

Did you learn how to make a diaper you can enjoy using for your baby? These guides provide a variety of different functional uses for homemade diapers, and you can easily pair your skills with one or more of the outlines listed above.

But how do you know whether or not you want to move forward with making your own cloth diapers? Is this really a good idea, or is it something that may be more trouble than it’s worth?

Here are some advantages of making your own baby diapers:

• You can make cloth diapers in almost any type of fabric you can imagine, as long as it is baby-safe and waterproof.
• You can make diapers as your child needs them without having to wait for ordered diapers to arrive.
• Making your own diapers can help you feel closer with your baby.

And here are a couple of disadvantages to keep in mind:

• If you aren’t very skilled with sewing, it may be difficult to create cloth diapers that will last more than a few washes.
• It can be very costly to buy fabric and other supplies, and it may not really be any cheaper than buying premade cloth diapers—especially if you don’t already own a sewing machine.

By considering these pros and cons, you’ll be well on your way to deciding whether or not homemade cloth diapering is right for you. If not, don’t write off cloth diapers altogether—try buying some and see what you think instead!