Snaps on diapers without a snap press?

[lisabc311]

Is it hard? How do you do it?

[mom2kbeth]

I've just started making diapers and have been using a Dritz snap press (you can buy them at Joann's for about $7) and the accompanying color snaps. The snaps are really nice, but haven't worked for everything I've tried them for yet. It's fairly easy to set them - figure out where you want them, place the pieces in the press, close it around the fabric and set with a hammer. I've so far had really good luck going through 2 layers of diaper cloth and a layer of flannel together, but the snaps pulled out of the fleece diaper I made as soon as I tried to open it the first time.
HTH!

[onediaperinmama]

The Snap Setter Tool or the Snap a Pliers seem to work better than the Dritz tool - and I'd recommend long prong metal snaps over the Dritz ones, they're prongs are awfully short & pull out of diaper layers really easily.

You can also utilize a snap service - lots of moms will apply snaps (metal or plastic) to your diapers or clothes. http://diapershop.com/snapservice.htm :)

HTH!

[Kerrie]

I've used the snaps that mom2beth mentioned you could also use a snapsetter (http://www.sewshoppe.com/snaps.shtml#snapsetter) . The problems that I've encountered are the same as her's as well as the price of the snaps. I figured that each dipe cost me about $3.00 for the snapsetter ones and $3.50 for the ones from JoAnn's as long as I got them 50% off. I also found that with the snapsetter ones I ruined one snap for every diaper that I did. If you realize that you are going to make a lot of dipes you could either find a WAHM that offers snap service or you could do what I did (with DH's help) I got the dies (http://diapershop.com/cat.cgi?s=sn600&c=_) at diapershop.com and an arbor press (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3551) from harbor freight. DH and my dad worked together to make the appropriate holes with a drill press. It works great and it is so much cheaper than the other options for the snaps or buying the actual snap press. HTH.