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Quick and easy pre-folded cloth diapersFlannel receiving blankets can often be purchased very inexpensively at thrift stores or garage sales. These flannel (100% cotton) receiving blankets make excellent pre-folded cloth diapers, with very little sewing involved. First, be sure you're watching for a good deal. Ideally, you should be able to find the used blankets for about ten cents each, and never more than fifty cents each. Be sure you're using 100% cotton blankets. Receiving blankets commonly come in two sizes, a smaller square blanket, and a larger, rectangular blanket.  Here is a pre-folded diaper made from a smaller, square receiving blanket. The diaper is folded in a "z" shape, with three layers in the middle and one layer on each side. Sew in two straight lines, to hold the fabric in place.  The finished diaper can be folded in half (for a newborn) and then used as a pre-folded diaper.  For an older baby, fold down as much as necessary to make the size of pre-folded diaper needed for your child.  Fold sides in...  ...and fold front up. There's the diaper, ready to be pinned on the baby!  Here is a diaper made with a larger, rectangular blanket. Depending on the size of the blanket, your diaper will have three layers in the middle and either two or three layers on each side.  Lay your rectangular receiving blanket horizontally. Fold each side inward, basically folding the blanket in thirds. Overlap the two sides, so that there are three layers in the middle. Sew in two straight lines to hold the blanket in place.  To use this pre-folded diaper (it will be a larger one, since it is made from a larger blanket), fold front down according to the size of diaper you need.  Here is the finished pre-folded diaper! I have made homemade pre-folded diapers from cotton t-shirts, but wasn't pleased with the results. Flannel receiving blankets make excellent diapers, with less sewing involved. Leave a comment if you have more questions... I'm not sure if this was clear enough but my children just woke from their naps! :) Edited to add: Here is more detail about folding the larger, rectangular receiving blankets! :)  Start with the blanket horizontally in front of you.  Fold one side in -- probably a little more than half way, but not two-thirds (unless the blanket is very large!).  Fold the other side in the same amount. The idea is to fold the sides in enough so that your diaper will be about 13-14 inches wide -- the width of a standard pre-folded diaper.  This is what your layers will look like. Three layers in the middle, two layers on each side. You'll need to pin this so it doesn't come apart while you sew. You just need to sew two strips down the middle, to hold the layers together.  The finished diaper will be longer than a normal pre-fold from the store. For boys, I folded down the front of the diaper. Now that I'm using these diapers on a girl, I fold down the back so the extra fabric is there. :) Also, the amount of fabric that gets folded depends on the size of the baby. These diapers are very flexible and can be use for big or small babies! Some of my receiving blanket diapers were fairly thin (made from smaller square receiving blankets). I sewed two of the homemade pre-folded diapers together to make a thick night-time diaper. This works nicely, though you could get the same effect by just using two thin diapers for night time. (I like them sewed together since it's less work to hang one piece on my clothesline than it is to hang two!) Someone emailed and asked:
Personally, I found that t-shirt material wasn't as absorbent as flannel. I made sure to use 100% cotton t-shirts, and was optimistic, but ended up disappointed. I thought that cutting the numerous layers and sewing the diapers took a whole lot more time than pinning and sewing a receiving blanket. I also used pins on mine, and after a while the pins made holes in the outer layers of t-shirt. Not a functional hindrance, but they definitely didn't look as nice as any of my other diapers! :) If I were to ever use t-shirts for diapers again, I would probably use some flannel along with the t-shirt, at the very least. Even better would be to just use old flannel shirts. I have a couple of diapers made from an old flannel night gown, and they work great! I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually made t-shirt diapers and thought they worked as well as flannel or Chinese Pre-folded/DSQ pre-folds! :) Some final thoughts for you: The Chinese/DSQ pre-folds are relatively inexpensive and are good quality. Receiving blanket diapers are cheaper for me since I get my receiving blankets for about 10 cents each. I would buy chinese pre-folds over making diapers from t-shirts. And the cheap flannel at Wal-mart will wear out fairly quickly, whereas the Chinese pre-folds will last a long time. For dealing with poopies, there is a wonderful invention called a diaper sprayer, availabe at many places where cloth diapers are sold. It looks a lot like a kitchen sprayer, and hooks up to the faucet behind your toilet. Actually, DH and I were thinking that someone with plumbing skills could probably make a kitchen sprayer attach there and save a bundle of money. Cathy  I have bought receiving blankets at the thriftshop for making fitted cloth diapers. They often have so many and in great condition too. ~Tanya  This is great! I've never CD'd before but with the next one/ones I certainly plan to. I'm going to start scouring yard sales & thrift stores for these & make most the dipes myself. Thanks! I read that the flat fold diapers (just a plain cloth where you have to do all the fancy folding yourself)get cleaner than prefolds since all of the surfaces are exposed to get clean. Have you ever had any trouble getting prefold diapers nice and clean? I think prefolds sound more convenient, but wasn't sure about the cleaning issue. I just wondered about your experience. Thanks! I think prefolds get really clean if you make sure that you unfold them before putting them in the washer, so that there aren't any hidden pockets or creases with bf baby poop or concentrated urine in it. Also a good wash routine including not too much detergent and a thorough rinse cycle will get 'em nice and fresh too. Line drying helps but, isn't mandatory. God bless!  Kelly, for babies who are exclusively breastfed, you don't need to rinse out the poopies before laundering. I never did with Yehoshua, but I did end up doing that with Eliyahu when he had blow-out diapers every couple days! ;) But you're probably talking about babies who are on solid foods... in which case, fleece liners help a lot (the solids just fall off and not much sticks!) Yeah, poopy diapers are an unpleasant fact of life. If every diaper were poopy, I wouldn't like using cloth diapers so well! ;) However, I don't feel like I'm exposed to that much more smell when using a cloth diaper. The changing part takes the same amount of time, whether using cloth or disposables. Rinsing the poopy diaper in the toilet literally takes less than a minute. Maybe try a nose plug? :) Tanya, I want to see your homemade diapers sometime! I've never used fitted ones. :) Tara, good for you! :) I love cloth diapering. And it's so much better for the baby and the environment! :) Anonymous #2, good advice! I've never had trouble with my prefolds not getting clean. I usually do a pre-rinse, a wash, and an extra rinse. :) Thanks for the answers about cleaning prefolds. I just wanted to comment that my husband did make a homemade diaper sprayer for me. THe only thing is that after buying all the parts etc. it really didn't cost any less than the ones you see online. However, he also made a bucket thing that could 'hold' the diaper for me while spraying and let it drain before putting it in the pail. For some reason my computer isn't working with me so you can go to greenmountaindiapers.com and then click on accessories I think and they have a link showing the bucket/sprayer combo. I had two in cloth for awhile and I used a combo of prefolds and fitted diapers, then shelled out for the Fuzzi bunz pocket diapers. They are on my third child now and have held up beautifully. Poopies still aren't fun, especially with my kids cuz the poop a lot! Thank you for this article, those look so easy to make! And who doesn't end up with way more receiving blankets than necessary? =) After three children, I've got a good stack of them and was trying to think up a good use for them. I also make my own wool covers. You can find 100% wool knit sweaters for very cheap at places like Goodwill and so on. There are all kinds of instructions on the web for making "bum fuzzies" out of these. I really prefer wool covers at night because my boys have sensitive skin (reason we starting using cloth in the first place)and they need something that breathes through the night since that's when they are in them the longest. I am loving your blog! I have done cloth when I had 2 in diapers for cost efficency. I had to buy expensive diaper soap because my son was sensitive even to All free and clear. When my daughter potty trained I quit since the soap and the store brand diapers were the same amount per month. I am now pregnant with #4 and will have 2 in diapers again in August. I am using cloth again, and I love it again. Also, I'm going to try your homemade laundry detergent to cut out the cost of diaper soap. All the store brands seem to have too much build up. PS I use rubber kitchen gloves when rinsing out the poopy diapers in the toilet. I have used a diaper spayer and it was wonderful, but I'll have to wait a month or so to get one again. This is day 2 of cloth diapering:) I have been cd'ing for the last 4 years and I have used kissaluvs, motherease and chinese prefolds. I have been having a hard time with the amonia smell that comes with my son urinating. The problem mainly is with the kissaluvs. I have boiled them, I have ran them through numerous rinse cycles to get the detergent build-up off and still they seem to smell AWFUL when peed in! I actually had to put the cloth diapers away and I started using disposables...that bad! Do any of you have any advice? Blessings, Annette, My suggestion would be to "strip" the diapers. Wash the diapers in hot water with no soap, but put in at least a cup of white vinegar. Rinse and then dry the diapers (outside in the sun if possible!). This should really help with stinky diapers -- I have experienced what you wrote about (awful smell when wet!) in the winter when I wasn't able to line-dry the diapers outside. Usually the hot vinegar wash will cure the problem, at least for a few weeks. I think I usually have to do it every 2 months or so in the winter (i.e. 2-3 times each year/winter). In the summer, it seems that the sunshine takes care of any detergent build-up or whatever causes the stink... hard water build-up can cause the bad smell, too. The vinegar gets rid of the build-up. :D Hope this helps!! :) Thank you, Tammy...I will try this! I will try anything at this point. But now my 23 month old is potty trained!! YEAH!! I have some time to get the cloth diapers ready before baby #7 comes in September... Thank you again! My mom used flannel receiving blankets for flat diapers. She's the one who gave me the idea of making diapers from receiving blankets, and since I prefer pre-folds, I sewed mine. There are two common sizes of receiving blankets -- a smaller, square blanket, and a larger rectangular size. The rectangular ones could be easily folded (into thirds) and used, but the smaller square ones, when folded in half, wouldn't give many layers. My sewn pre-folded diapers from the smaller size blankets have one layer on each side and three layers in the middle. But anyway, there are lots of different folding techniques and receiving blankets would make great flat diapers! :) I found a bunch of receiving blankets at the thrift store. I have made these diapers and I really like them. At first I was afraid they wouldn't be absorbant enough, but they are great. I also made your detergent and it works well too. Thank you so much for keeping the site current...I like seeing what new adventures you are going through. That's great to hear! :) I am so enjoying my designed diapers -- the variety is fun! :) I'm glad you like the ones you made! :) I am a bit confused about the larger rectangle shaped diapers. I am a visual learner and I think the pictures got me all confused.I just don't get how you folded them. I know that it's simple but the light hasn't clicked yet. Do you think you could do a more detailed post? I am very intrested in making my own diapers and this is truly simple. I believe making them this way would be cheaper than any other way I have found. Thanks Jennifer, I will try to take pictures soon and add them to this post, and hopefully I can explain it better! :) We recently taken the plunge into cloth diapering with our 3rd child who is 21 months and we are expecting #4 in september. This morning I actually commented that We should have done this with our first and probly would have saved a ton of money $$$.. The only thing I'm having a problem with is the Kushies Diaper covers since they have velcro on them she tries to get them off or else when she is running around and climbing on things they open.. Anyone have any advice on this?? Cryssie Going back to when they used safety pins to close the diapers? As long as you grip the sides of the diaper, I can't see how you could poke the baby. And then just put rubber pants on top? (do they eve make rubber pants anymore??) Ooh, I would worry about poking holes in the cover using pins, I don't think they're really made for that. Offhand, I might recommend putting the diaper on backwards, but knowing how my little one (ahem) *doesn't care for* diaper changes, that might be difficult. Pants? A onesie? Other ways of covering it up - if you're crafty, maybe sew a band out of an old t-shirt with a velcro closure to keep it covered? I have found lots of good cloth diaper information on www.diaperswappers.com - you can look things up by type of diaper, do searches, and if you register, you can post questions. I'd bet others have the same problem and you could find some solutions there. Yes! :) I kept my babies in onesies until they were out of diapers. Covers with velcro would be ruined with pins. Pins (if used) are for the diaper, not the cover. :) Been reading your site for a while and LOVE the recipes. I am cloth diapering my 2nd and we've been using Fuzzi Bunz for a year. I had major urine ammonia smell after about 2 months of use(she was 8 mo old) despite using the recommended detergent, in the recommended amounts. I tried the manufacturers recommendations to eradicate smells to no avail. I researched and found that a cold wash (not just a cold rinse) with some baking soda, followed by a hot wash with the recommended amount of detergent for your diapers (generally half the amount that you would use for a normal load) and white vinegar in the rinse cycle works wonders. I haven't had any problems with detergent build up, repelling, smells, etc since changing to this. I even switched to just regular detergent several months ago and have had no problems. If I wash them before I go to bed, I run a cold rinse in the morning and they still have no foul odors after sitting damp while I get some sleep. Hope this helps - it's worked for me and my diapers are still in great condition! I'd love to cloth diaper, and have a lot of AIO and pre-folds I have bought very cheaply at 2nd hand stores, but haven't had the courage to use them long-term, as my (now 2.5 yrs) girl has toddler diarrhea. I am really hoping any future children we have don't have this frustrating and at times painful problem! But thanks for the tips with the receiving blankets, they are great ideas! A good probiotic from a health food store always clears my kids diarrhea up almost immediately. I've heard yogurt is good too. Hope she feels better soon! I have sewed up a number of my own fitted diapers. I found flannel works best, I tried t-shirt material, but it just is not as absorbent as flannel. I used flannel and t-shirt material in the same diaper, hoping it would work, but not as well as I would have like. I will have to try making some from receiving blankets, I have bought used ones and cut them up into fitted diapers. Cheaper than buying the flannel new. :) ~Tanya - mama to 5 :) Hi, I have learned alot from this website, but I still have questions. I am going to try the reciving blanket diapers but do I need to make a diaper cover? If so, how and what kind of material do you use to make it? My Aunt is willing to sew the covers for me. I know how to use the prefolded diapers and pins. But if she makes the covers, do I put on the prefold diaper and pins and then a cover with pins? Please email me back with tricks of the trade. patoblisk@yahoo.com Thanks everyone!! Patty You will need a waterproof cover with the receiving blanket diapers. I use the Gerber plastic/vinyl covers from Wal-mart or else my favorite cheaper cover -- Dappi Nylon covers from http://www.babybestbuy.com. (The Dappi nylon ones are soft and durable; the sizes run a little small in my opinion.) You can also make diaper covers from fleece or wool or PUL (polyurethane laminate -- a waterproof-like fabric). Usually the covers don't have pins -- they are either pull-on or else have snaps or velcro. You'd need either pins or a Snappi (google for more info) to hold the diaper on. Hi, I'm new to the site, but I was under the impression that vinegar ruins waterproof diapers. I use a one size fits all AIO, and sometimes it still smells, so I run a cold wash with half the amount of detergent, then a hot wash, without adding any extra detergent. The second wash seems to get all the detergent out. I use the Pyrex Natural Elements. I love cloth diapers!!! Post new comment |
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I love cloth diapers. I really do. I love having my babies in cloth....I love being able to change them and not worrying that I'm "wasting" a diaper...I love holding them in cloth. But I *HATE* poopies!! How do you handle it?!? I gag and almost throw up when I have to deal with them. Help! Any advice?!?
Thanks~Kelly