DIY Baby Products-Take 1 Wipes and Nursing Pads

My friend Abbie says there are two types of people in this world.

Makers and Buyers. She and I are makers. We see things online, at craft shows, junk shops, and go-“Please. I could make that.”

Sometimes its really great to be a maker. And sometimes it really stinks because you don’t realize that you don’t actually have the time to make things. Sometimes you should just suck it up and buy the things other people are making, let them enjoy the fruits of their labor. Because once in a while our time is worth what the price tag says.

I’ll admit it was kinda a lightbulb moment. So I’ve been trying to find more of a balance. But when it comes to baby things…it’s paying to be a maker. Baby things are expensive and always marketed as NEEDS. Well I decided if I “needed” some of these things I wasn’t going to spend money on them.

I put my maker’s cap on and got to work. First on my list was cloth wipes. We have decided to cloth diaper, to save money, to be better stewards of Creation, and because I happen to have some decent knowledge on the subject. Not everyone that cloth diapers uses cloth wipes and we probably won’t exclusively either, like when we are out and about. However, when you are home cloth diapering leads into a natural segue of cloth wipes. One pail, throw ’em in the wash with the diapers. What are cloth wipes made from? Generally flannel, what do I have a small stash of? Flannel.

Seriously one of the easiest projects I could do. I cut my squares around 6.5 inches some are smaller because I was trying to create as little waste as possible! I used pinking shears (zig-zag edge) so they won’t fray much. I put wrong sides of the flannel together, pinned and zig-zag stitched the square-ish shapes together. And done! I have about 30 wipes, plus some I received as a shower gift. Are they perfect? NO. But they don’t need to be-they are cloth wipes, they won’t be living a glamorous life.

Next stop-nursing pads. I’ve heard tell of leakage. Babies crying in stores, inconvenient and ill placed wet spots and milk stains. Disposable pads are available and serve their purpose but they won’t be as soft as cloth, they are expensive, and wasteful. So I dug into my stash again.

Since the baby gender is a surprise I couldn’t really use my girly flannel for the wipes. So I decided to sacrifice them for my nursing pads. Momma needs something pretty too right? I cut 4 inch circles of flannel and fleece. Each pad has 3 layers of flannel and one layer of fleece. I stacked them together, pinned them and stitched around the edge with a regular straight stitch, then over it again with a zig-zag, finally I trimmed the edges. I made 10 pairs. The flannel side goes against my skin, they are soft and pretty.

The flannel wicks away the moisture and is absorbent, the fleece keeps good air flow, is moisture resistant, and stops moisture before getting to your clothing. You change the pad when you feel they are moist.

Next on the list? Some extra cloth diaper goods. I feel a little like a flannel and fleece monster. In my head I think- NEED MORE FLANNEL AND FLEECE. Because you can never have enough and I naturally want the products to coordinate.

So for now and for a few projects I’ve got my makers hat on but I’m sure there will be a time for the buyers hat and that’s ok too. However, currently I’m sure my husband appreciates this hat.

Blessings!

Comments

Nattie says

January 21, 2014 at 4:18 pm

Hey Jess-If you are in need of more flannel, Joanns is having a sale right now for 50% off ($3.49 a yard). I was at Joann's and bought some to make burp cloths for some friends using flannel and Gerber cloth diapers. They have it online too but I don't think they have all of the selection they have in store.