I'll show you how to make your own microfleece inserts, cloth diaper friendly detergent, and cloth wipes. The perfect gift for the new mom who is cloth-diapering! @littlegirldesigns.com

DIY Cloth Diaper Gifts

For those of you who are wondering what a cloth diapering post is doing in a craft and gift blog, well . . . A couple days ago, I was doing our diaper laundry and as I folded the microfleece inserts I had made, I thought how I really should write a post about them. Which led me to think about the homemade cloth diaper detergent we use and the cloth wipes my mom makes for us.

I figured since there are many moms-to-be out there today that are going to cloth diaper, you might as well have a few gift ideas up your sleeve, right? Here are some DIY Cloth Diaper gifts for you to share with that friend, or if you’re cloth-diapering at the moment, maybe you’ll want to try them yourself! So, first off . . .

How to Make Your Own Microfleece Inserts

You will need:

1 yard microfleece fabric (1 yard will make 13 inserts; you can buy less if you want)
Scissors
Small prefold diaper to measure

The microfleece inserts you buy come in cute packaging but they’re nothing compared to these. (I say this because I bought some before it occurred to me that I could make them for a fraction of the price!)

For those who are new to cloth diapering, an insert on top of a prefold cotton diaper wicks away the moisture so your baby doesn’t get a rash. This tutorial is for that kind of insert since I use prefolds and diaper covers.

DIY Cloth Diaper Gifts @jenniemoraitis.com

 

I have found that using a small prefold diaper to measure works the best.  A smaller insert will bunch up, which I am not a big fan of.

Wash the microfleece according to manufacturer’s instructions. Air dry. Using the prefold as a guide, cut your microfleece fabric into squares. Done! No need to hem it because fleece doesn’t unravel.

I highly recommend air-drying these inserts rather than tossing them in the dryer with the rest of the diaper laundry. They will air-dry very fast. Also note that you really need to buy microfleece for this project. Any other fleece will be much too warm for baby. If you’re concerned about the price, keep an eye out at your local fabric store for seasonal sales.

For a gift, I would fold these into squares for your cloth-diapering-to-be mom and tie them with a ribbon (and a note as to how to wash/dry them.)

 

Since I use cotton prefolds and covers, I also made the switch last summer to making my own cloth diaper detergent. My favorite thing about this detergent ‘recipe’ is I only have to use 1 Tablespoon per wash. You read that right. If the diapers are particularly bad, I’ll up the detergent to 2 Tablespoons. Since the worst thing for cloth diapers is residue, I don’t use more than that. Please note again, that I use cotton prefolds. If you’re making a batch of detergent for a friend’s baby shower, make sure that you ask her what kind of diapers she’ll be using. The jury is still out as to whether this is a good idea for ‘fancier’ cloth diapers.

I found these cloth diaper detergent measurements on The Eco Friendly Family. Her post is incredibly informative and helpful (as are the comments!) so be sure to go over and check out her post for more information if you’re interested. She shares a large batch recipe and a small batch. I use the smaller one since we are limited in storage space in our apartment.

 

How to Make Cloth Diaper Detergent

(I am including Amazon affiliate links above so you can see what these materials look like since I was initially unfamiliar with what 20 Mule Team Borax even looked like!)

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup 20 Team Mule Borax
1/2 cup Oxiclean (I usually use regular Oxiclean but her original formula calls for Oxiclean Free)

Mix together. Use 1-2 TBS per load.

The great thing about this formula is if you buy a box of each of the above items, you will have enough detergent for a long time. I’ve made several batches since last summer and am still on the same boxes of soda, borax, and Oxi-clean. Yay! (You can also use this no-soap detergent on your regular laundry.)

Update: Now that we’re out of the cloth-diapering world, I’ve updated this detergent. My recipe is now as follows:

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup 20 Team Mule Borax
2 drops essential oil

I also put a couple of drops of essential oil on wool dryer balls and don’t use dryer sheets anymore. (Dryer sheets are really bad for you anyway. :/ Wish I had known that sooner!)

Our laundry comes out clean every time, so I’m really pleased with this formula!

 

Here’s one last idea for those who like to sew. I realized early on that if I was going to use cloth diapers, I would also be using cloth wipes. You can buy these online at Etsy, which I initially did, but they were rather expensive (even though they were really cute!) After that initial purchase, I realized you can easily make cloth wipes.

 

How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes (or Baby Washcloths)

You will need:

1 yard of cotton flannel
Scissors
Sewing machine + thread

Wash the flannel (it will shrink slightly). Cut off the threads on the edges and cut into squares. Hem the sides.

My mom has graciously made these for us the last couple of years because my sewing machine is very pathetic. Cloth wipes make a darling gift as well. Just fold in squares, stack, and tie with a ribbon. (They also make very soft baby washcloths; I loved to use them as washcloths when my daughter was a newborn!)

 

So there you go, three easy DIY Cloth Diapering gifts. You never know when you’ll need these for your arsenal of baby shower gifts. Enjoy!

P.S. I made the Laundry Detergent label using a tutorial at Just a Girl and Her Blog. So easy and fun!


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17 responses to “DIY Cloth Diaper Gifts”

  1. Cathy Avatar

    Wow, this is cool! I wish I had known about this when my kiddies were in diapers! We have just gotten beyond this stage!
    Cathy

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks-I never realized how easy it was to make these things. Lucky you, though, to be beyond diapers! 🙂 🙂

  2. Jamie @ All That Srocks Avatar

    Love!! We don’t use our prefolds much, but I love cloth diapering and I love people who cloth diaper, too! 😉 Great post!

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks, Jamie! 🙂 Have a great day!

  3. Heather @ My Overflowing Cup Avatar

    This is wonderful, Jennie!

    I have teenagers and am way beyond the diaper stage, but I am pinning this to my gift board as I think it would make a terrific present for a new mom.

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks, Heather! This do make great (and cute) gifts! 🙂

  4. Kim Cunningham Avatar

    How great! We CD our third baby and it was a great experience!

  5. Karissa Avatar

    This is such a great gift idea. Thanks for linking up with Motivational Monday, I hope you will join up again.

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks, Karissa!

  6. Lou Lou Girls Avatar

    Hello cute lady! I’m loving it. Pinned and tweeted. Thank you so much for partying with us. I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm. We love to party with you! Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks! See you tonight! 🙂

  7. Jenny @ Refresh Living Avatar

    What a great gift idea! I love cloth diapering, but still have been using eco-friendly detergent to wash them. I need to start making my own and saving even more money!

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Yes, it does save a LOT of money! I would highly recommend making sure your diapers will work with this kind of detergent (read the comments of the Eco-friendly family’s post :)) but if they will work, then go for it! 🙂 This detergent is soap-free and scent-free so I even use it on our regular laundry. 🙂

  8. Jenny @ Women With Intention Avatar

    Great post! I cloth diapered my twins and there is nothing like a fluffy bum! 😉 Thanks for sharing at Women With Intention Wednesdays! 🙂 Looking forward to seeing you again this week!

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Thanks, Jenny! Stopped by your site this morning. 🙂

  9. Rebecca Avatar

    How many cloth wipes does the 1 yard of fabric make? 🙂 and how big are they? Wanting to try and make some for my best friend’s baby shower gift I’m putting together! Thanks for the great idea! 🙂

    1. Jennie Avatar
      Jennie

      Good question, Rebecca! The wipes I made were approximately 5×5 to 6×6 before I hemmed them. I’ll admit to initially measuring them and then just guesstimating since they were not for a gift. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how many I made out of a yard of fabric. It was a big stack, though! Two yards would make a long-lasting supply, that’s for sure! Hope this helps–what a sweet gift for your friend! 🙂

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