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More questions about diapers
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A while back, many of you guided me through the overwhelming world of cloth diapering. As time approaches I have another question.
I found a helpful YouTube video that demonstrates various ways to fold a flat diaper. The lady in the video uses a red flannel diaper (and makes it look easy). It occurred to me that in a box of fabric that was passed down to me are large quantities of flannel. Couldn’t I cut my own diapers? Is that absurd or crazy? I’m not trying to be über frugal, but the box of fabric is taking up precious space and I’d like to do something useful with it. If I cut out flat diapers from the flannel, what size do I cut? Does flannel shrink (and therefore I need to allow for shrinkage)?
I’m hoping someone here has some experience with this and can direct me. Thanks!!
Flannel works, but I prefer birdseye of traditional flats. Flannel has no “give” and birdseye has just enough I always got a better fit, fewer leaks onto covers. I also like snappi clips, and you can not use them on flannel.
I tried out the idea of flats with flannel receiving blankets, before taking the plunge to buy flats. Flats seem to also fold/fit a bit trimmer than flannel did.
Fkannel works, it is just a personal preference 🙂
Go to greenmountaindiapers.com and look at the flats page. It gives the dimensions, and yes either allow for shrinking or prewash before cutting.
GMD were my favorite flats. I still have ones purchased 3.5 years ago and they are still going strong.
Flannel makes great reusable wipes! I cut 9×9 squares, 1/2 inch seam allowance so the finished wipe is 8×8, double top stitch the edges (1/4 in apart).
I had unbleached Birdseye flats. I was not a huge fan of flats at all. But, they are my most favorite & most used burp/spit/mess cloths. 🙂
I use flannel for wipes. I make the double layered 8″x8″ and I serge them together, with rounded corners. One loop with the serger, no turning right Side out. I am using the same ones now that I made 3 kids and 6 years ago. I just keep a peri bottle (I have 3, one from each birth) and squirt water into the wipes as needed.
Blessed Mommy and Kayla,
Thank you for that suggestion! I think that would be the easiest/best way to use up my flannel supply.
I agree about flannel for burp/spit cloths. They were my favorite with my first two. I always give them as baby gifts.
Curious- why did you not like flats, Blessed Mommy?
Thanks again, ladies!
One could also use the flannel for cloth nursing pads, I’ve read online to do them 5-8 layers thick, and serge/zigzag or other stitch the edges. About 5″ diameter is what I kept coming across.
Love flannel wipes! We have some that are flannel on both sides, then others that are flannel/velour, or other soft fabric. My daughters and I use them instead of toilet paper (for #1, sorry TMI:) and they work great and saves money. You could also make doublers with them, just find the size you need for your baby and sew them to lay in for extra absorbency. Although you can also just buy cheap fleece and that makes them stay-dry, but if you are wanting to use up the flannel, it’s another idea. Have fun!
JenniferM I found them to be to awkward & big for the newborn days and just not absorbent enough when they were bigger. I was a bit spoiled with much easier to use diapers though (Bum Genius Elementals). (No stuffing, folding, pinning etc). My favorite economical choice was Prefolds tri-folded and laied into a Flip cover.
Thank you for the responses.
I am surprised to see fleece mentioned for wipes as I thought fleece was moisture-repellant. My box of fabric also has lots of fleece!
Do the prefolds dry easily? I thought I’d read that they don’t always dry thoroughly because of the extra bulk in the middle. Also, am I correct that they have to be purchased on different sizes? I guess that was one appeal of the flats for me, that they are one-size-fits all.
Thanks again! What a fun adventure! (as if having babies and raising children and homeschooling isn’t adventurous enough!!). 😉
Yes, PFs are sized. I loved the NB size PFs when they were tiny and they work great as doubler, especially overnight. The nice thing about sizes is they fit trimmer.
Cloth is much bigger than sposies, so be prepared to size up clothes. My favorite was to skip onesies, just use shirts or cut off the onesie bottom, and use fleece or wool pants/shorts/skirts as the diaper cover and bottoms, no need make snug pants fit over fluffy bum. I crochet and made pants, shorts and skirties out of wool yarn, so much fun and cute! Fleece is also easy to work with. Not quite as water tight as wool, because wool can absirbe moisture, but fleece works great too! I only had a few PUL covers bevause they wore fleece and wool bottoms all the time right iver flats or PFs.
I never had trouble drying PFs
Flats come in two sizes. The smaller size is great for folding into the larger size for extra boost overnight. The smaller size is nice when little but as they get bigger you need the extra inches of the larger flat.
Side note, flats and PFs purchased in “big bix” stores are not even close to the quality of flats and PFs purchased at a cloth diaper specific store.
Prefolds are sized however, if your just folding & laying them in a good cover, then you really only need the regular/medium size. (12 lbs & up. If you plan to do cloth for the newborn phase, you will need something smaller.). I would fold the prefolds short edges into the center (making it shorter overall) until about 18-20 months (and my kids are tall) and then I would start folding them long edges into the center (making it longer).
I dry the prefolds on high heat for a full cycle and they are always perfectly dry.
If you have no issue with synthetic fibers on baby’s skin, cutting your fleece into liners will 1.) wick moisture away from skin when using natural fibers such as prefolds and 2.) fleece makes it really easy to dump/spray off poo. My kids react to polyester so I made my own liners using Organic Bamboo Cotton Velour. (Still ultra soft all these years later).
And yes, Dont get the ones in stores. Those are really just cheap burp rags. I have 12 Bummis Organic Prefolds and a ton of OsoCozy Unbleached Indian Cotton Prefolds… Both feel and work exactly the same so, if you’re not picky about organic, save your money and just get a good quality Unbleached prefold.
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