Homemade Diapers

NKview

My mom is going to be making us cloth diapers. I think that they'd be considered fitted diapers. Since the diapers don't have a waterproof outer layer, I think we'll  need covers, as well.

 

Do any of you have experience making diaper covers? What type of material did you use?  How many covers do you use/need?

 

Thanks for your help! I've read quite a few of the CD links that I've found through this board, but I'm still confused about all of our options and what we'll need.

dulcinea03

There are 2 covers that seem to be most common- wool or PUL. Wool covers can be bought, knitted, or sewn using recycled wool. They aren't 100% waterproof, but are breathable and are favored for overnights and heavy wetters because they evaporate off the liquid faster than most babies pee. The downsides is they do require some special care - lanolizing, cannot go in dryer, and are more expensive than PUL.

PUL is the more common cover material these days. It is a waterproof fabric that is soft to the touch, yet won't leak. It is what is used on the outside of most commercial diapers- AIO, Pockets, and covers. It usually comes in either snap or aplix closure, and requires no special treatment. Thirsties and Bummis seem to be the favored brands for PUL covers, but there are many out there.

You can buy PUL by the yard and also cover patterns at verybaby.com and kidsinthegarden.com

Most people can get away with 6-8 covers. I have twins, so my stash runs roughly double that for obvious reasons. My mom and I have made all the covers I currently use- the pattern is one we've customized over the years using a combination of a Verybaby.com pattern and Thirsties designs.

bethandjoe09

I've sewn some PUL diaper covers and crocheted/knit some wool.  I have some wool interlock I'm planning to use to sew some covers as well.  To pp's list of downsides to wool covers, I'd add that it's really best to handwash them.  You don't need to wash them every time, though, just when soiled with BM or if they're stinky when dry.  I like them because you can have combo diaper cover/pants and because of the breathability; DS seems to sleep better in them

For sewing PUL, you'll want to keep a few things in mind.  You'll need a ball point needle, and you want to avoid putting any more holes in the fabric than absolutely necessary.  Use 100% polyester thread (cotton will wick).  FOE (fold-over elastic) is used for a lot of diaper covers; you can buy it at kidsinthegarden.com.  If you're putting in a front velcro panel, consider then putting in a second layer of PUL between the velcroed PUL and the diaper (in other words, you'll have velcro facing out, stitched to the outer layer of PUL, and then an inner layer of PUL just in front to cover the velcro panel - when I skip this, I get some wicking through the velcro when DS's diaper is really wet).  If your machine is sliding against the slick side of the PUL, cut some strips of tissue paper and sew them to the PUL.  They'll allow the machine to grip the fabric and when done you can just tear them off.  When finished with your cover, throw it in the dryer on hot once to help seal the holes.

I'd imagine that sewing wool is fairly comparable to sewing other fabric but I haven't tried it yet so I don't have any advice there.

kissntell

I've only made covers out of old wool sweaters, but you can also make them from PUL, which is sometimes available at JoAnn Fabrics or online (try verybaby.com).  Many of them are finished with Fold-Over Elastic (FOE), which you can also buy online.  The covers that worked the best for us had inner gussets (Thirsties brand).  For the newborn stage, count on needing 4-6 covers, and about 2-3 for older babies.

NKview

Thank you all so much for the great responses! This information will be incredibly helpful.