For this tutorial you will need the following: PUL (Polyurethane Laminated Fabric), a zipper, sewing machine, coordinating thread, and a zipper foot for your sewing machine. The size that you make this is up to you. You can make it large or small and still follow this tutorial. Mine is a small/medium that is the perfect size for your diaper bag. It can fit 3-5 dirty diapers or one change of clothes for a toddler or preschooler.

I don't know about you, but I'm sort of a pack rat. I keep things "just-in-case" and also for sentimental reasons. Over the years (and I do mean years) I'll slowly and repeatedly weed through old boxes and thin out stuff I no longer need or stuff I finally decide I can part with, but I never really get rid of all of it.

Warm weather is here and the time is right for picnics, playdates, and trips to the beach. Warmer temperatures are often accompanied by an increase in humidity, which can bring about an increase in mold. While mold in diapers is not terribly common, the majority of the calls and emails we receive about moldy diapers come in the summer months.

Even though I wanted to cloth diaper before my daughter was born, I guess I'd resigned myself to using disposables because I registered for a diaper genie. I have to say that those things are not only impossible to use with cloth diapers, they are completely impractical for disposables too (well, that's my opinion, anyway). As my stash grew, I realized that I really had no solution for dirty diaper storage for my cloth diapers. At first, I just put them in a random bucket on the floor, but once our stash grew past 6 diapers, I realized I needed to find some real storage.

My daughter is now 3 ½ which means it's been 1 ½ years since I've changed a diaper. I have to admit, I miss it, especially when I see things about the Great Cloth Diaper Change or Dirty Diaper Laundry's Flats and Handwashing Challenge going on. This spring marks the second that I won't be participating in any fun cloth diaper challenges, but I am definitely looking forward to experiencing them all again with a little boy this time next year.

Spring is here and with it comes the promise of 6 months of warm weather where we will gradually lose the need to wear sweaters and coats as the temperature rises and we box our warm clothing for tank tops and flip flops. When my daughter was still in diapers, the nerdy cloth diaper-obsessed mom in me would get excited that the weather was finally warm enough to show off her fluffy bum.

Once most parents try cloth diapers, they fall in love with them and it's hard for them not to tell everyone just how much they love this great alternative to disposables. There are some who try them and hate them for one reason or another--I know of a few--but most of us love them and turn our backs on disposables without giving them another thought. We automatically become cloth diaper advocates without even trying.

A friend of mine will be having her first child in a couple of months and she's interested in cloth diapers. She wants hassle-free cloth diapers. Well, it's not that cloth diapers are a hassle, they're not. However some types of cloth diapers would definitely be a hassle for some types of people. My husband, for instance, is not amused with my love of prefolds and flats with pins or snappis. If he can't put it on in one step, he's not using it. He needs pocket diapers for cloth diapers to work for him. If prefolds and flats were all we had, I don't think he'd be with me on this cloth diapering journey. This is why it's really important that you choose a type of cloth diaper that will suit your family's needs.

Whether it's a quick trip to the grocery store or a road trip to the in-laws, it is possible to travel without having to dish out money for paper diapers. There are just three things you need to keep in mind as you do so.

One of the things that cloth diapering parents commit to when they switch to reusables is more laundry. It isn't necessarily an overwhelming amount of laundry, and it can easily be sandwiched into most family routines, but it should be no less than three loads per week of which means that you need to be washing them every other day or so. There are two, very good reasons for washing diapers this often and they have everything to do with their life expectancy and functionality.

My daughter was cloth diapered for two years before she potty trained. Even though my cloth diaper stash ended at a grand total of I-lost-count-at-60, this meant a lot of wear and tear on many of the diapers.

Its been awhile since Ive had a baby in diapers. In fact, when my second baby is born, it will have been nearly two years that weve been diaper free. But I still remember clearly what happens to microfiber inserts over timethey stink. Microfiber is just so, darn good at absorbing liquid that over time, ammonia from your babys urine can get trapped in there, usually due to High Effeciency washers. Stripping your diapers, sunning them on the clothesline, and pre-soaking them are all great ways to get rid of this stink, but Ive found an even better onescrap the microfiber for some flats!

To Vinegar or Not to Vinegar...That is the Question

If you have seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will understand the reference to my mothers vinegar obsession. The father in the movie is a Windex maniac and puts it on anything and everything. Well THAT is how my mother is about vinegar and that is probably why I cant stand the stuff.

Diaper Junction Cloth Diapers sells a variety of cloth diaper safe rash creams that are both gentle for baby and safe for cloth diaper use.

Warm weather has arrived, and with it comes the opportunity to wear tank tops, shorts, and flip flops!  For babies, it means sun hats, sunscreen, and little or no clothing.

I remember how my mom used to strip the baby of the family down to their diaper when we were little. I remember my littlest siblings riding in the shopping cart wearing nothing but their little, white diaper and how I was so jealous because they were definitely more comfortable than any of us!

I make my decision to use cloth diapers well-known whenever possible and when people see my daughter's adorable fluffy butt, there is one inevitable question that is always asked: “What do you do with the poop?”

Okay, so you’ve decided to cloth diaper probably because you know you’ll save thousands doing so not to mention the fact that you’re helping the environment and your baby’s precious skin.  But what next?  What does cloth diapering your baby entail?

The stash. You need a stash of diapers that will suit your cloth diapering needs.  The amount of diapers you should have will depend upon whether or not you will be using cloth diapers full time or part time.  A newborn will soil 8-12 diapers a day and an older child will soil 6-8 diapers a day.  I would suggest that you need enough cloth diapers to get you through at least two days of diaper changes if you’re going to cloth diaper full time.  If you are going to do it part time, any number of cloth diapers will help keep your disposable diaper bill down.  Even if you only use three cloth diapers a day, that means you won’t have to buy 90 disposables that month.

You are daring to leave the house with your cloth diaper baby…….what do you really need to pack in that diaper bag.  It is overwhelming to think of being away from everything we think we need for our baby.  No one wants to be away from home and not have something that their baby needs, but we can’t pack everything in that on-the-go bag.

This summer was The Burrito’s first trip to the Outer Banks, NC, where my family has vacationed for 19 years, almost two-thirds of my life. He was not impressed with sun, sand, ocean waves, or the pool behind the house. However, my sister-in-law, genius that she is, suggested an inflatable baby pool to take to the beach with us. Burrito gets to splash in water warmed in the sun, and I get to sit and read a book on the beach for thirty five minutes. It was great – he would be happy at the beach or pool, we didn’t have to hold him the whole time, and he stayed cool in the hot sun.

It’s a great feeling knowing that only a couple hundred dollars spent on cloth diapers can save you the thousands of dollars that you would have spent on disposables. I bought my cloth diapers for my first (and currently, my only) child, fully intending to have more kids and also intending to never have to spend another dime on diapering once my stash was completed (unless I want to, of course :-D). Even the best cloth diapers can wear out over time which means that you might have to add a little more money to your investment when it comes to your second and especially your third child. But there are ways you can protect your investment by prolonging the life of your cloth diaper stash.

Yes, You Really Can Work Full-Time (outside of the home) and Use Cloth Diapers!

Okay, so the title is somewhat misleading.  Whether you work full-time at or away from home, as a mother, you discover you really can't have or do it all, but that is not to say that we can't try, right?  When I first found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to cloth diaper.  In trying to find support with my family and friends (who all looked at me like I was crazy by the way!), I eventually turned to the internet as my main informational resource.  I couldn't believe how many great sources of information there were out there, and I didn't realize what a come back cloth diapering had made either.  I quickly found a supportive, online community via amazing blogs such as this one, discussion forums, websites, social networking sites, and so on.  Before my daughter was even born, I had undertaken a plethora of knowledge on cloth diapering including terms such as AIO/AI2, fitteds, diaper covers, stripping, sunning, Zorb, wet bags, diaper sprayers, wet/dry pails, the pros and cons of synthetic versus natural fibers, cloth diaper safe ointments/detergents, the no-no's of fabric softeners, etc., etc.

I have some cloth diapering confessions to make:

1)You should always prewash your new diapers before using them in order to get maximum absorbency. I confess that I usually don’t before putting them on my daughter.  I know, I know this can lead to leakage, but they’re just so amazingly soft before their first trip to the washer that I can’t help myself.

The first time I heard about wool as an option for a water-resistant diaper cover, I just didnt believe it.

How on earth could something made of wool hold water?

Most of us end up traveling by car when we’re on vacation. Even if we fly somewhere, a rental car is generally necessary to get us around once we arrive at our destination.

With car travel, comes the occasional necessity to change your baby’s diaper in the car or some other confined location. Here’s an opportunity for your finely-tuned problem solving skills—a parental necessity—to come into play.

Really, the only thing you absolutely must have for changing your baby is a flat space.

So as a first time mother to the most magnificent 7 month old darling girl to walk Mother Nature’s beautiful earth, I made the executive decision (then informed my husband) that we would be using cloth diapers. His first reaction was “cloth WHAT?”, then he quickly reminded me of the time he “did the laundry” and turned my $145 white silk negligee blue… WOOPS! Needless to say, he was a bit skeptical at first, however he is now as big of an advocate as any other cloth diapering addict I know.

... and I said, IT'S ALRIGHT! In fact, it's the best thing ever for getting "doo doo" stains out of your beloved cloth diapers. Due to the bleaching effects of the sun, when paired with ample oxygen provided from all of Mother Nature's goodness... a few hours outside on the laundry line will make your diapers as white as the day you bought them!

It’s that time again! Time to pack a suitcase for you and your spouse and a trunk full of baby gear for your little one and go off to visit family and friends for the holidays. Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, or Diwali, you will surely be visiting friends and family within the next few weeks. As you contemplate the space in your car versus the amount of things you must fit into that space, I’m sure you’re seriously tempted to forgo cloth for a couple of days and use disposables simply because they’re easier. But I’m here to persuade you to rethink that option for a couple of reasons:

I'll spare you the puns associated with the dirty job of cleaning cloth diapers. We have all heard them more times than we care to remember, and if we had dime for every time, we could hire somebody to come in a few times a week and do it for us. We have also covered the basics of spraying, dunking, and washing, but ultimately you'll wonder why some stains are more difficult to get out than others, and what can be done after you've exhausted your main options.

It is amazing how many things change over time; tastes, personalities, preferences, etc. The same is true about cloth diapers. Not only have diapers changed from basic prefolds to what they are now, but I am talking about how people grow and their personal taste in preference of diapers change with time.

No matter how well you plan for a vacation, inevitably, you get to your destination and realize that you've forgotten something, or simply failed to anticipate all the possible scenarios that could play out.

This applies even more to bringing a baby with you whether they are cloth diapered or not. This summer, my little family has taken an inordinate amount of trips away from home and every time we go, we go with cloth diapers. In fact, I'm proud to report that not once, while away from home, has a nasty, chemical-ridden, plastic-y and loud disposable diaper touched my daughter's precious bum.

Was it difficult to use cloth? Maybe at times.
Worth it? Absolutely!

Since we bought a diaper sprayer, poopy diapers have been a non-issue in our house. It is a convenience necessity we just don't think about, and definitely can't live without, much like the toilet to which it is attached.

When we go on vacation, using cloth diapers is the only choice for us. Vacations can be expensive enough as it is without the added cost of a couple of boxes of disposable diapers.

When going on vacation with cloth diapers, getting a good swim diaper is a must!

Basically, a swim diaper is special diaper designed to keep your baby’s poop from invading the swimming pool.

A good swim diaper will allow liquids to pass through and contain the poop safe and sound. It has no absorbent layers because they would add extra weight making buoyancy difficult and causing a safety hazard to your child.

There was that time I came home from errands to find that my dear friend had put one of my daughter's Haute pocket diapers on backwards. Then, there was that other time when my mom sweetly lathered my little darling's rashy bottom with a thick layer of creamy Desitin before placing her in a bumGenius!. And I can't forget the time that my sister put her Pocket Diaper on so loosely that I was amazed there weren't puddles of pee on the couch.

"We cloth diaper." This is a phrase that can splash terror and judgment across the faces of friends, family, and care providers. I have only been cloth diapering a short time, but have already learned some helpful tips below to aide you on your journey:

Whether you are a seasoned mother or a rookie mama there is one thing all working cloth diaper mama's dread -- the conversation. Yup, the awkward cloth diaper conversation with your child's potential daycare provider.

As a cloth diapering mama myself and a home daycare provider, I can understand both sides of the issue and I can walk you through the negotiations and have your little fluffy bum in the daycare of your dreams.

I will be perfectly honest - I didn't always want to use cloth diapers. In fact, for the first few months of my pregnancy, I was adamantly opposed to the idea. I wanted fast, I wanted easy, I wanted simple.

It wasn't that I hated the earth or wanted my baby to get lots of diaper rash, I was just really, really overwhelmed. I was expecting my first child and I knew that soon after my son's birth (9 weeks, to be exact) I would return to work full-time.

To top things off, I also faced parenthood alone. I don't think anyone could blame me for not wanting to create more work for myself!

If you often frequent cloth diapering or natural parenting forums, you may have heard this term quite a bit. So what is going coverless? Going coverless is when you have your baby in fitted diapers or prefold diapers without any sort of diaper covers.

It may sound like a strange idea, but there are actually benefits for your child to go coverless. I have heard many a mama ask questions about how to do it and thought I could help answer some of those questions for you.

My daughter was not even a month old when I started getting worried that she rarely pooped. She would go 1-3 days sometimes without pooping; I found this odd since she was exclusively breastfed.

I talked to my doctor, who gave me a few tips to get her digestive tract moving, but otherwise seemed unconcerned. In an attempt to help her out, I pumped some milk for her and added corn syrup to it in a bottle.

Can you picture it? You're out with your sweet baby, you see your precious love making those distinct facial expressions and grunts and you just know he is leaving you a treasure in his cloth diaper. You rush to the nearest bathroom only to find: No changing table! You start to panic - HOW can a bathroom not have a changing table?!

After a few weeks of using cloth diapers, it became clear the washing process would be easier if I purchased and used cloth wipes. I kept forgetting to throw the disposable wipes away - tossing them into the diaper pail along with the cloth diapers instead.

My daughter, Bunny, got a rash.  Not just a little, lets-use-prefolds-and-wool rash, but a rash so bad that it required some naked time and even a thick dose of rash cream.  It was awful.

It was all my fault, too. My precious little daughter normally avoids rashes due to her wonderful cloth diapers, but she’s also the type of baby who doesn’t really mind walking around in her own poop or pee, so she doesn’t exactly let me know if she needs a diaper change.  That, coupled with the fact that she hates getting her diaper changed and fights me tooth and nail meant that I left her in not one, but two poopy cloth diapers for far too long over the course of two days.  So the rash that she got from the first poopy cloth diaper was intensified to open sores and bleeding when I didn’t catch her second poopy diaper in time.

Cloth diapering truly is a snap (or maybe a pull) with Snappi Diaper Fasteners. This very practical and reliable way to secure Diaper Rite Prefolds or any other style of cotton prefold diapers; Snappis are perfect for those who do no want to use diaper pins.

Although my family quickly jumped on the cloth diaper band wagon, we were unaware of how economical cloth baby wipes were. It had not occurred to us, in our vast research on cloth diapers, to investigate about the use of cloth wipes.

When you run a cloth diapering business, there are questions that arise that truly do throw you for a loop. Perhaps it is because we've been selling cloth diapers a long while now and can't clearly remember back to when we didn't know anything about cloth diapering. Perhaps it is because we've answered some questions so many times we think surely there isn't anyone else on the face of the earth that needs this question answered. And perhaps, just perhaps, it is because we try very hard to give detailed product descriptions so that those visiting our online cloth diaper store know exactly what each item is and does/does not do.

It is true that cloth diapers are traditionally bulkier than their disposable alternatives. With cloth diapers the absorbent inner core is not millions of tiny gel beads that can absorb 200 to 300 times their weight, but instead soft, natural, absorbent cotton fibers. That said, cloth diapers come in all shapes and sizes and today's cloth diapering tip is how to find a trimmer cloth diapering system for boys.

Most of the time when I see the words "fast", "efficient" and "economical" grouped together it brings to mind preservative ridden fast food restaurants or low-quality dollar stores.

That is why I LOVE the cloth diaper fold known as the Angel Fold. It is fast and efficient to put on baby, as well as economical. The Angel Fold utilizes diaper service quality cloth diapering products that will hold up over time through subsequent babies. You would be hard pressed to find a better deal.