I've officially entered the world of cloth diapers. Never in a million years did I imagine myself ever saying that. Just the thought made me want to get sick..And then I got used to poo. It doesn't even phase me anymore. One of my friends spoke so highly of it that I thought it would be worth a try. Little did I know, I would become obsessed with collecting every color of the rainbow and doing extensive research on every little aspect of cloth diapering.
So here we are..trying out various brands (Charlie Banana and BumGenius ROCK, by the way) and I am quickly realizing that I will forever be in charge of "diaper-changing sessions" as Jordan absolutely despises the whole idea of reusing something you pooed in. I'm sure he will give in eventually.
Something that I realized was a huge hassle was throwing the diaper in the wet bag and then having these random wipes that I would have to get rid of. Sure, I could just throw them in a trash can separately, but I prefer just throwing them in the diaper and being done with it. SO...I decided to make my own reusable cloth wipes last night when Declan went to bed. I was able to make 18 wipes last night in about an hour and a half. I am by no means an expert seamstress, but even these can be made by beginners:)
Handmade Reusable Cloth Wipes
What You'll Need:
Fabric... I used a flannel fabric, but I am sure a fleece would work too as they are both soft and absorbent. You probably want to know how much fabric to buy..Well, that all depends on how small/large you want them and how many you want to make, so this will depend on what you particularly want. These are two layers thick, so keep that in mind when heading to the craft store to pick up your fabric. Flannel receiving blankets are perfect for this too!
Thread...I stayed simple with white, but you could always use an accent color to spice them up!
Sewing Machine...I just have a basic Janome. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done and was super easy for me to figure out.
Empty Plastic Baby Wipe Container...This is where you will store the wipes and I have a SUPER COOL trick to make these bad boys pop out just like regular wipes!
First things first..Figure out how many and how big you want your wipes to be. If you have any questions, the ladies at the cutting desk are always so helpful and sweet, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
Get your scissors ready! Cut your fabric into squares correlating with the size you have chosen. Make sure that the "good" sides are facing each other and the backside of the fabric is facing out.
Time to sew! Simply stitch the edges of the square, making sure to leave an opening. You will need that opening to turn the fabric inside-out so that the pretty side is facing out.
Almost there! Gently, push the fabric through that small opening. Make sure the corners are pointy.
See that opening? Go ahead and tuck those pieces into the fabric so it lines right up with the sewn parts beside it. We will stitch this up and you won't even notice there was a hole there! If it's tricky to keep tucked, you can use some sewing pins to keep in place.
Last step! Sew around the edges of the square and you are on your way to your first wipe! I promise, you'll get better and it will go much faster as you go.
TA DA! And there you have it! An adorable, handmade and eco-friendly baby wipe! Now onto the next 20 or so:)
Now it's time for my super-duper trick to make these babies pop out of a regular baby wipe container.
1. Fold one wipe in half.
2. Slide another wipe in between the folded wipe.
3. Fold the second wipe over onto the first wipe.
4. Insert a third wipe right under the top of the second wipe.
Sound confusing? Try it out. It's much easier to grasp when actually doing it.
You will end up with a stack like so... Just place them in your wipe container and very gently, pull the first wipe through the opening. If for some reason the next one does not pop up right after, this means something went wrong with the folding process. Isn't this cool?! You know it's pretty sweet when Jordan thinks so too:)
I started using them today and I love them so far! Rather than wasting 2-3 wipes each diaper change, I have only had to use ONE! That's right, one will do the job! SWEET! These are great for whether you use cloth or disposable, however perfect for those cloth mamas out there as you can keep them in the diaper, toss in the cloth diaper load, and they are ready to go after drying!
And about that "Bum Bottom Spray"...
It is so extremely easy to make!
What You'll Need:
Coconut Oil...Just a spoonful, preferably organic, pure, cold-pressed, and unrefined.
Lavender Essential Oil...About 3 drops.
Water...A cup, hot or slightly boiled.
Spray Bottle... Any size will do.
To make, mix together the water (hot) with the coconut oil. The water temperature will melt the oil. Add your lavender drops and once the mixture has cooled down, very carefully dump into the spray bottle. A funnel may come in handy at this point;) Wasn't that easy?! It's now ready to use on your little one's bum! Simply spray and wipe dry!
So there you have it. An easy-peasy DIY project that will save you lots of money in the long run! Enjoy!
Happy Thursday!
Amber
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