When my son was born, I was determined to cloth diaper. Researching online lead to many options, which lead to many confusions. What helped was when my friend lent me some of her cloth diapers, so that I can experiment what worked for me and what didn't. In the end, I preferred the following features on my cloth diaper cover:
- Velcro tabs instead of snaps—it's quicker to put on.
- Fold over pockets for the Velcro tabs—to protect laundry during washing.
- Soaker pads that are not sewn permanently on to the diaper. I like the soaker pads to come apart freely in the washer. It washes cleaner, and if it's really soiled after many uses, it can be replaced. It dries faster too.
- Simple to construct.
Here are instructions on how I made my own cloth diaper cover for my new born.
Materials
- Polyurethane laminate (PUL)
- Fleece
- 1/2 inch wide elastics
- Absorbent fabrics for the soaker pads (I use cotton flannel)
- Safety Pins
- Velcro
Instructions
Print the pattern below, and join the pieces by lining up the arrows.
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Step 1: Cut out the pieces |
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Step 2: Fold the Velcro tab pockets in half, and sew 1/4 inch along the folded edge. |
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Step 3: Pin all the pieces, right sides together. |
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Step 4: Sew 1/2 inch all around, leaving a 3 inch opening. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4 inch (except the opening), and clip around the curved edges. |
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Step 5: Turn right side out. Sew 1/2 inch along the edge as shown. |
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Step 6: Cut three 5 inch pieces of elastic (or your desired length), and thread it through the side "channels" you've just created. Sew the beginning and the end of the elastics in place. Remove the safety pins. |
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Step 7: Close the opening. |
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Step 8: Sew on the Velcro. The soft side (loop side) can be machine stitched on the front. Hand sew the hard side (hook side) only to the fleece layer. |
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Step 9: Layer your soaker pads and it's ready to go! |
To make a soaker pad, cut a 9 inch square from your soaker frabric, fold it in half, and zig-zag stitch along the three sides. I use 5 pieces of soaker pad at a time for my diapers.
During change time, excrement is rinsed off and the tab pockets are folded over the Velcro before placing the diaper into the diaper pail.
omgsh thank you for this :o and I have that same Pul fabric too XD it's so adorable
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThis pattern will fit a new born. I made larger ones once my son was about 10lbs.
no pdf file for pattern?
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