We have two kiddos in diapers at this point. Not ideal, and not what we were hoping for, but the three or four times we tried potty training Little Monkey didn’t even notice (let alone, care) that he’d wet his big boy undies. And potty training is exhausting even when you aren’t hefting around an extra 15 pound belly. So, we decided to wait. But that means double the diapers. Ugh. I have never really been a big fan of the diaper bag. It’s so gigantic and I’m already trying to wrangle a wiggly two-and-a-half year old and a baby in an infant carrier. The diaper and wipes cases are nice for quick trips (you know, like when you’re out of milk and there’s a cake waiting to be mixed… or infant ibuprofen and your kiddo has a fever of 103…oh, and My Mr Right is out of town, of course), it’s a grab and go. But with two kids, we needed something a little more hefty (and with a little more room…)
Here’s the How:
Ok, sorry I don’t have many photos of the process. I lost the battery to my good camera and the camera on my phone was suffering some serious lag issues (like ten seconds to take one photo… and no one can hold perfectly still for ten whole seconds, so a lot of the ones I took were really blurry). Bear with me and, if you have questions, leave a comment. I’ll get back to ASAP with more explanation that will help you understand better. It’s actually fairly simple, but sewing is kind of hard to explain. If you can’t figure it out, let me know.
Supplies-
– 1/3 yard outer fabric
– 1/3 yard liner fabric
– Velcro or other fastener (you’ll need a set of two pieces)
– Thread
– Scissors
– Sewing Machine
Directions-
1. Cut out your pattern. I included one below that you’re more than welcome to use. I ended up making mine a little bigger so Little Monkey’s size 5 diapers would fit. The pattern below should fit up to a size 3, no problem. And you could probably get a few size 4’s in there too. It’s two pages. You’ll have to print and tape them together. The first should be the size of an 8.5×11″ piece of paper.
2. Pin one of the liner pieces to one of the outer pieces, right sides together. Repeat with the other set. Stitch as close to the edge as you dare (I did about a 1/8″ seam and then put some Liquid Stitch on the seam to help it hold) around three sides of the pouch. Doesn’t matter which three sides. Snip your corners to reduce bulk and turn your pouches right side out through the side you left open. Stitch up the open side.
3. Lay out each piece of fabric. Fold the pieces so they create pockets. Determine where you want your fasteners. You’ll have to put one half of the velcro or snap or whatever on the pointy top part. Then fold the flap down and mark where it hits on the bottom part of the pouch. Unfold the pouch and pin the other half of the velcro to your mark. You only want to sew through the one layer, not both or your pouch won’t open. Sew your velcro on. Repeat with the other pouch.
4. Pin the top halves of your pouch pieces together with the outer fabrics touching. Fold the bottoms of the pouches up to create the pockets, like you did in the previous step. Double check that your closures still match up. Sew as close to the edge as you can around the sides and bottom of the pouches. I ended up with about a 1/4″ seam. My sewing machine and needle weren’t quite up to the job of sewing through all 8+ layers of the fabric, so I had to sew on the inside of the previous seam. For this reason, my pouch ended up being a little short for the size 5 diapers. They still fit, you just have to kinda scrunch them up on the end. I already enlarged the pattern a little, so you should be ok.
5. Fill the pouches with diapers, wipes and other diapering accouterments. Bask in knowing you’re ready to run out the door, should the occasion arise. Just don’t forget to grab your supply bag. Or keep it in the car, for those times when you do forget.
* If you’d like the pocket between the pouches to close (to store desitin, powder or hand sanitizer, sew one half of a strip of velcro (or a zipper) across the back side (on the outer fabric) before step 4. I probably would have done this if I’d thought about it before I sewed the two pouches together. Alas, pregnancy brain strikes again. *
