Do you moms think I'd have a market for...

[Starleigh]

prefolds turned into fitteds? I'm thinking I could make my own pattern, and use prefolds for the bulk of the diaper with optional closures, linings, outers, and gussets... And maybe moms could start with a sample and tell me what they'd like different and I could do custom fits. (wider crotch, tighter/looser elastic)
I think I could sell them starting at $5 -no frills- on up. I wouldn't be a WAHM since I don't have kids, but my mother sugested today that I make diapers to put myself through college. (I just made some for a relative, not from prefolds but a pattern. )
Any input would be great. Starleigh

[mija]

It's a good idea, but I think that when it comes down to it, your profit/effort ratio wouldn't be high enough. Most wahms really end up only making 1-3$ per hour- it's a labor of love. You would make a lot more money in less time waiting tables. If you want to sew, I personally would like to see more stylish baby boy clothes out there. Just my 2 cents.

[allformyboys]

well I don't think it would make you enough money

even if you could sell them for $5 each, you still have to buy the prefold ($2) and the supplies ($1 or so) and then that is a profit of $2 a diaper, which would take you at least 1/2 hour to complete. $4 and hour isn't even close to min wage so I would say waiting tables is a much better option.

That is one thing that most people don't get, even though some people pay $30-$50 for a cover or what not, sometimes it isn't much of a profit for the person making it. Like a knitted cover takes me 6 hours or so to complete, and then $6 in supplies at least, divide that by $25 it sells for and I am making diddly over all. Truely a labor of love!

[Starleigh]

Sewing is a leasurely thing for me. I really don't need more than 100-150 a month. If it got down to it I could clean houses or babysit for an agency. I think if I had my retail license I could buy the prefolds at wholesale. Also I could just sell prefolds, pins and snappis. Nothing more. Just keep it real simple and basic, YK?

[tinams8]

Originally posted by mija
It's a good idea, but I think that when it comes down to it, your profit/effort ratio wouldn't be high enough. Most wahms really end up only making 1-3$ per hour- it's a labor of love. You would make a lot more money in less time waiting tables. If you want to sew, I personally would like to see more stylish baby boy clothes out there. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with every word...especially about the stylish boy clothes!!

I remember someone made a bunch of prefolds into really nice fitteds at another site a while back and no one would buy them. It's a good idea, but definitely not a money maker.

[Starleigh]

Originally posted by tinams8
It's a good idea, but definitely not a money maker.

That's too bad. I guess I was hopeful for something simple. I like the boys clothes idea, but that would mean drafting a pattern myself since legally I can't use a comercial pattern for profit. I certainly don't want a legal troubles when I'm just trying to make a few bucks, KWIM? I was thinking I could make adaptive clothing for disabled/shortstatured children, but I talked to an LP friend of mine and she told me the market would be way too small. I'm taking advanced sewing and tailoring classes, so I can tailor locally. Until then I guess I'll have to get a job. Starleigh

[marisa]

oops

[marisa]

It's funny that you said you are looking for more stylish boy clothes. that is exactly the premise of the stuff i am developing. i have one son and another boy on the way, and i've found that girls have plenty of cute stuff available, but boys are stuck with gray, red, and navy blue clothes with sports stuff or cars on it. i'm starting off with shirts and onesies, and taking it from there!

oh and i agree that the markup on diapers might not be worth all the labor involved!

[tippytoes26]

Just a quick note because i've got to run. I thought about doing this and even had a design worked out.. I was going to charge $6.50 each. BUT, here is why it wouldn't work.. at least not to my standards. The CPF's I ordered were from green earth textiles (in washington) and you don't need any kind of biz lic. to order wholesale btw.. they just don't want people co-oping them. Anyway.. the middle panel of each diaper was SOOOOO inconsistent, .. somtimes it was three and a half inches wide and other times as wide as six and a quarter inches.. take that and give room for elastic on each side and serging.. and that's MUCH too wide for the crotch of any diaper. I didn't have control over that but I also couldn't sell something that inconsistent.. my fault or not. I DO think there is a huge market out there for very inexpensive diapers.. but I also think that it's not worth your time. I use to think wahms were making way more money on diapers than maybe they needed to.. so when I started out, I started my prices at the very low end... and, in doing so, I've hurt my business because I've had to raise prices 3 times now just to stay in business.. not even pulling in a profit.. just to stay in the game in hopes of pulling in a profit someday. I don't want to be discouraging.. I just want to save you some time, money, and frustration by sharing what I know. I hope you find something wonderful to do. Take care!

Amber

[Mattia]

Yea, I agree with the others. Not much profit to be had with cloth dipes in general. I recently changed my business approach because I did the math... and with all the competition in the dipe market, and the low hourly wage most of the diaper sewing mamas make, it just doesn't seem like it's worth it right now. It really is a labour of love... and I have so many other parts of my business plan to concentrate on, there's no way I can make it work when it won't help with finances as much as my other stuff.

I hope you find a good money-maker!