[peaceful mama]

I think I'm going to buy a serger. i want to learn to sew my own diapers. it's sooo expensive to buy diapers other than pre-folds and it makes me feel happy to see ds in a cute diaper and cover. i can't imagine how happy i'll feel to see ds and baby 2 in cute diapers.

how hard is it to sew your own diapers with a serger? how about covers? is their a pattern that any mama's recommend to start out with? where do mama's get their fabrics?

so how do you go about getting snaps on diapers? where do you buy them. they only had metal snaps at the fabric store?

i went to "the northwest's largest" (that's what they say at least) fabric store this weekend and they didn't have any of the fabrics i asked about. is it hard to find diaper fabric?

am i crazy to want to sew my own? we just can't afford to buy a whole bunch of diapers. i would love to be able to make cute clothes for the babies too!

any thoughts mama's? THANK YOU!

 

[laurabfig]

I have some materials and fabrics that I bought from some great online stores: www.onestopdiapershop.com www.janellespuls.com www.diaperfabric.com These are all great places with comparable prices and good customer service. Also ebay is a good place to find deals on diaper sewing fabrics. If you want microfleece, JoAnn fabrics has a great microfleece that doesn't pill up in the laundry...and with the frequent sales there you can usually find it for $5 a yard! (can't beat that price!)

I need to attempt to make my own now since I have a lot of materials to try, but I have often thought that by the time I buy all the supplies to sew my own, I probably have spent just as much as if I just bought them! :LOL I'd like to sew my own more so that I can pick what fabrics and styles I want. Anyway, HTH!

 

[pageta]

I make my own. There is a learning curve on the serger. The One Stop Diaper Shop has the best prices as well as good patterns (the Very Baby patterns), but they're offline right now switching to a new server: http://diapershop.com/ Another good source is the Sew Shoppe: http://www.sewshoppe.com/ They are a bit more expensive but carry many of the same things.

For snaps, unless you're going to make a ton of diapers, the snap setter with metal snaps is the best deal. It takes me about 10 minutes to put snaps on a diaper using it, but the snaps work very well. They're special long-pronged snaps that you can't find in local fabric shops.

SewShoppe also has patterns like Honeyboy, Cuddlebuns, and Poochies - all of which are also made by WAHMs. Very Baby are also made by WAHMs, but they're fairly new. The Very Baby patterns cost half of what the others cost unless you find them on sale. Of the three at SewShoppe, I like Poochies the best because they are multiple sized and fairly typical of WAHM diapers in shape. Honeyboy diapers are made with a regular machine, not a serger.

You do need a regular machine to sew in the

elastic as well as the velcro, if you choose to use velcro. Otherwise, a serger makes everything a lot easier. You can use just a regular machine and do everything with it, but it's a bit more complicated.

As for savings, I make my diapers for about $5 or so each, which is considerable savings over the WAHM ones. However, if you figure the time it takes to make them, the WAHM ones are a really good deal IMO. We only use homemade diapers, though, because of the savings and the fact that I can make them exactly like I want them.

 

[CraftyMommaOf2]

I am so in the minority on this :LOL I get my diaper flannel at walmart for $1.76 a yard (only place I can afford literally) and I made my own pattern at first and now I have to poopockets pattern that I love! They're great on ds 2.5 yr old and I am scaling them down for ds #2 while he's a wee little one. I don't have a serger (I'm afraid of them :LOL) so I turn and topstitch everything. I think things look nicer turned and topstitched anyways. I get my cute outers at walmart or joann's if they're on sale. I have never had a pilling problem with the flannel or fleece I've gotten at walmart. Joann's had/and is having a sale on fleece, including micro, so I got a yard for $5! I don't have a snap press or pliers...wish I did. We use pins

It is alot of fun and very addictive, so be forewarned!!

 

[mehndi mama]

You can find fabric for diapers anywhere, if you use your imagination! I bet you probably have a donation box stashed in a closet somewhere that is FULL of potential diapering materials!

If you're making a LOT of diapers, and know you want high-quality resin snaps on them, it may be worth your while to get a snap press (That's what I did) - you can sometimes find them used. But metal snaps work just fine, too, and are cheaper to buy & set. Noisier, but cheaper

You'll definitely want a standard sewing machine to go along with your serger - about the only diapers you could sew with just a serger are contours, inserts, and non-topstitched diapers (which will bunch up all out of shape in the wash. A serger is nice, but a standard machine is essential. YOu could probably find one to meet your needs at a thrift-shop - it's not like you'll be doing a bunch of fancy sewing.

 

[Hibou]

I don't have a serger, just an old '70's singer from my MIL, but it does the trick. I have used patterns, but now if I see a diaper or cover I like, I just trace it and try to adjust the size as necessary. I actually prefer to do it this way, because it's cheaper and I get to be more creative!

I don't have any experience with snaps though- I usually just use velcro. For fabric, I wait for really great sales and can usually make diapers and covers for under $3 apiece. Good luck with your diapers!

 

[megincl]

any advice on where to get hemp/hemp flannel/any kind of hemp for inserts? i bought some and now want to make some.

what other fabrics do you all find good for pocket dipe inserts?

thanks!
megin

 

[peaceful mama]

THANKS SO MUCH!!! for all your great advice. I do have my Mom's sewing machine from her highschool graduation and I think you all inspired me to just use that right now, and see how I actually like sewing my own diapers. Plus I can start today

I didn't even think of the fact that I could use this sewing machine and complete a whole diaper. I just figured since all the diapers from WAHM that I have are sergered I'd have to do it that way. I think I'll run to JoAnne's after my ds's nap and see what I come up with!

Velcro is easier? Is that right? Or should I do some metal snaps? I think I'll have to trace a current diaper and try and make my own pattern, and then order one from on-line.

I'm pretty anxious to get started since the new baby is due in 2 weeks

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[pinky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mehndi mama But metal snaps work just fine, too, and are cheaper to buy & set.

Actually, I found that metal snaps were much more expensive than the resin snaps--it's just the press for the resin ones that's so pricey--the snaps themselves are quite cheap. I sat down at one point and figured out how many diapers I'd have to make to break even (meaning pay for the snap press) and it was less than I thought...maybe 50 diapers? I can't remember exactly, but if you're planning on making a lot of diapers, I think a snap press is worth the investment. Plus then you can resell it when your diaper-making days are over.

Happy sewing!

 

[scrappinmomof3]

You know whose site I found to be helpful.... Stell's site with Diapering on the Cheap. I think you can find it in her sig line (she is mehndi mama). She has a lot of good information on there about how much it costs to make certain dipes and covers out of fabrics that you can find anywhere... that kind of thing.

HTH!

 

[Mommy2Brittani]

I want to second Meredith's reccomendation of Stella's site. It has the best comprehensive info I have ever seen all in one site. I got started making my own diapers cuz I couldn't afford Pampers, and couldn't afford pretty wahm dipes.

Oh, and if you straight stitch next to the edge and then zig zag over the edge with a wide close together zig zag stitch, it looks almost like a serged edge, and performs compareably.

 

[sarahbay]

You can make a bunch of "tester" diapers with fabric you have laying around, or old sheets or t-shirts just to get the hang of it, and figure out the fit of your baby before you invest infancy fabrics and patterns.

You definately do not need a serger to make super cute wahm looking dipes!

There are plenty of free patterns online to print out, check out diaperhyena.com
or at http://www.diapersewing.com/

Ottobredesigns.com also has a good pattern, I've never sewed it , but I know others that have.

GOOD LUCK!