So, I know I told you I wouldn’t be posting much. And now I’m posting twice in one day. But hey, I’ve got stuff to say so why not? Anyway…I’m part of an online ornament exchange. The mama I got paired up with uses cloth diapers too and I knew I wanted to make her a cloth diaper ornament. So I did. And you can too.
You’ll need:

• felt in the colors of your choice {I suggest white for the inside}
• needle
• thread {I used white thread}
• ribbon to match
• scissors
• paper and pencil {optional but I found it helpful}

Or...

• ETA: hot glue and hot glue gun {if you really, really don't want to try sewing you could totally do this project with hot glue, or maybe even fabric glue}
  

First, cut out a diaper shape a bit like the one pictured below. I did mine with paper first, then used it as a pattern for the felt. This first piece is the inside of the diaper. Sew {I hand stitched for all the steps, it’s easy when the project is this small} the inner piece to the piece of felt you want for the outside of the diaper. This second piece can be a rectangle {make it a little larger than the first piece} and once they’re sewn together you can trim the outside of the diaper to match the inside but a little wider.

After the two pieces are sewn together you can sew a felt rectangle and felt “tabs” to the front and sides of the diaper as the “Velcro.” Or you could sew on little snaps to make a snap diaper. I went with the Velcro look.

I also stitched a cute little heart to the back of the diaper. Then I sewed the diaper shut and added a ribbon for hanging. You might find it’s easier to add the ribbon before closing the diaper.

Adam kept telling me I should add a little “poo” in the diaper, but I decided to pass on that idea. And just in case my DIY ornament wasn’t as cute to my swap partner as I think it is I’m also sending her a purple picture frame ornament I picked up at the store. This project was inspired by a cloth diaper keychain a friend of mine owns. It was really super easy. I’m not a great seamstress, I swear. I was able to do a lot of this project while breastfeeding so that should tell you just how easy it is!

Do you think you’ll try making a diaper ornament? Tell me in the comments! And leave me links to any pictures you have of the completed project!

This one's for you, Kamis!

CLOTH DIAPERING FOR BEGINNERS

The modern world of cloth diapering is quite different from that of our grandparents. There's no need to fold, or pin (unless you want to). Moms nowadays choose cloth for a number of different reasons: environmental, health, and financial being the most common. Some added bonuses to cloth diapering (CD) are the cuteness factor and (often) earlier potty training. But when delving into the world of CD for the first time the differences between diaper styles, the laundering questions, and the lingo overwhelms. Fortunately, it's not nearly as complicated as it seems.

For a really thorough (but quick and easy) beginner's guide I'd go here.

Some things you ought to know about cloth diapering:

• Do NOT use fabric softener (unless you want diapers that are not absorbent and I can't imagine why you would).
• Do NOT use too much detergent. You don't need much (in fact...if you use this method you don't need any real detergent). Like fabric softener too much detergent can screw up the absorbency of your dipes and is terribly difficult to rinse out (which means it'll be sitting against baby's sensitive skin).
• Be careful with diaper rash creams. If diaper rash shows up make sure to use something meant for cloth (again, it's an absorbency issue). Some options that are supposed to be CD-firendly include this (although pricey), Aveeno, Burt's Bees, or breastmilk (also great for cuts/scrapes, acne, etc.).
• As for baby poop...exclusively breastfed babies don't have "poop" like we normally think of it. Their dipes can just be thrown in the wash (rinse, then wash, then rinse). For babies with more solid poop just shake the dipe out over the toilet (or swirl it in the clean water). Many moms like to get a diaper sprayer but it's not required.
• Consider WAHMs (work at home moms). There are plenty of women out there making and selling cloth dipes. Etsy is an excellent place to find them. In fact, the cutest dipes and covers available are usually made by business-moms (like this one). You can also find lots of patterns and tutorials online for making your own.
• Consider cloth wipes. If you're going to be washing dirty diapers anyway there's no reason you can't use soft baby washcloths (or old cut-up t-shirts) as baby wipes. You can find recipes for wipes solutions (such as these) all over the internet. However, I personally would avoid using lavendar oil (especially on little baby boys) as there are still concerns as to it's long term effects (better safe than sorry!).
  
• Do what works for you. If that means using 'sposies when going out and about then go for it! Maybe you'll want to do prefolds during the day and all-in-one's or fitteds at night to make midnight changes easier. The trick is to figure out what is best for you and your family.

And if you want some serious "crunchy" bragging rights with your hippy friends there's always elimination communication.