My Frugal Baby Tips

Image: Anderson eating baby food, by Brian Brodeur (mightyb), on Flickr

If you are making your own baby food, and baby is still only at the tasting stage - storing your prepared food in ice-cube trays can be wasteful, since it is way more than your baby will eat in one sitting.

Look around for some cocktail ice-cube trays (I found mine at the Dollar store).

Depending on the size you find, each cube is only about 1-2 teaspoons - just the right size for a taste!

Then you can use the tray again when your child is older, to make fun ice cube shapes for their drinks!

Thanks to Suzanne for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: TraderPlus 160 Mini Cubes | Silicone Frozen Ice Cube Tray | Candy Chocolate Jelly Mold | 100% BPA Free food grade silicone

Shopping Suggestions:

• Silicone Mini Ice Cube Tray

• Casabella Silicone Mini Ice Cube Tray

• Arrow Ice Cube Tray

• Mumi+Bubi Solids Starter Kit

• Juvenile Solutions Baby Food Storage Cubes

Image: Play Mates, by Jeff Osborn on FreeImages

Tip #1 - Use a laundry basket for baby's toys. It will fit right under your baby's crib.

Tip #2 - Use coloured construction paper (or black, depending on baby's age) and cut shapes out.

Multi-Color Construction Paper

Put on the wall around the baby's change table, but out of baby's reach.

It helps to distract the baby a bit.

Use putty adhesive, so you don't damage the wall.

Move shapes around once in a while.

Plastic pocket mirrors work better for older babies.

Thanks to Renata for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Two women work hard on a reusable menstrual hygiene kit made by Sierra Leoneans for Sierra Leoneans, by Geraint Hill on Wikimedia

Image: Organic Bamboo Reusable Cloth Menstrual Period Pads | SAVE the environment and money within TWO MONTHS these pads will pad for themselves | you'll be able to use them for YEARS!

Organic Bamboo Cloth Pads

I used cloth pads for about a year before I got pregnant. I LOVED them.

I will definitely go back to using them and take some of the bigger ones to the birth center with me when I have my baby.

They are soft, super absorbent, and I no longer get a terrible rash (not mention all sorts of other unmentionable things with disposables -- UGH.)

And in my opinion, cloth smells completely different, much more earthy, not at all fishy like disposables.

I soak mine in cold water for a day, empty, then put them in a dry bucket and wash them with my underwear when I wash laundry once a week (that will change as soon as the baby comes, I know).

Image: Brino Sanitary Napkins, 250mm Reusable Organic Cotton Menstrual Pad Washable Day and Night Panty Liner Sanitary Cloth(#1)

Reusable Organic Menstrual Pads

I have PixieCup Bamboo pads which are black, so stains are hardly noticeable.

I prefer dark colors, which won't show stains like unbleached cotton does.

I like PixieCup, but I haven't tried others. I saw one site on the web for ones you could even wear as a thong!

The only thing I don't like is if I run out and have to use a disposable ---- ICK!!!! I was about to buy more when I got pregnant, so... I'll get some before March.

If you liked the look of these pads, you can find instructions for making your own look-alike ones:
Make Your Own Cloth Menstrual Pads Pattern

Thanks to Kathryne for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Reusable Large Pail Liner Bag

I was having a difficult time finding a nylon diaper bag I could throw in with the diapers, that the colour of the bag wouldn't run.

Someone gave me a great idea for a diaper pail liner a while back... now I use an old pillowcase!

I have used pillowcases for 3 months, with great success.

I now have two pillowcases in use.

I wash diapers every other day, and I throw the used pillowcase right in the washing machine with the diapers.

Then I put a clean pillowcase in the diaper pail.

This works great, and I didn't have to spend any money!

Thanks to Dana for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Photo credit: The Best Diaper Pail | YourBestDigs.com

Image: Best way to change a diaper, by Jenny Cu on Flickr

My mom told me to use Scotties Supreme facial tissues, but none of my local stores carried them.

Image: Puffs, Ultra Soft and Strong Facial Tissues | best non-lotion tissue Facial tissue paper is soft yet durable

Puffs Ultra Facial Tissues

Instead, I bought Puffs Ultra Soft and Strong Facial Tissues, and used them as liners in my daughter's diapers during her tiny-breastfed-baby-liquid-poop stage.

Results: They helped some (smaller poops could sometimes be tipped into the toilet, no rinsing of diaper necessary, and usually less rinsing/scrubbing anyway), and they didn't disintegrate.

Plus you get 124 tissues or something in a box - if you can find them on sale, stock up!

Once your baby gets mobile, they don't hold up as well, but by then the baby is probably beginning to eat a few solids anyway.

Thanks to Angela for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Sometimes she finds a baby wipe and just starts cleaning, by Jason Lander (eyeliam) on Flickr

I have a simpler recipe we really like to use:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup aloe vera gel
• 8 drops tea tree oil

Nothing fancy - that is it!

I simply mix these ingredients all together, dump it over my cloth wipes, and wala!

I'm done!

Thanks to Tiffany for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Sewing thread/Sewing needles, by Falko Tetzlaff on Pixabay

I don't have my sewing machine yet (my husband's dad used to fix them for a living, so he's cleaning it up still), but I decided to practice my hand-sewing.

Fuzzy Receiving Blankets

I'm using the two yellow receiving blankets I got, and cut them up. I'm making wipes out of some and then making doublers out of others.

For the wipes, I'm folding over edges and ironing them like that, then run a stitch across the top.

For the doublers, I'm doing two layers of flannelette and one layer of terrycloth, sewing it like a pocket, then inverting them and sewing closed.

It seems to work OK so far.

Image: Singer 1512 Beginners Sewing Kit, 130 pieces | contains all the basics for sewers and non-sewers alike

Singer Beginners Sewing Kit

My daughter is not a really heavy wetter, she rarely wets at night, and she won't nurse/play until she's changed anyhow.

So it is more for practice than anything else.

Thanks to Rachel for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Scrappy soaker-large, by Ashley Barrett on Flickr

I found some of these links on several Moms' forums.

A wool soaker is a diaper cover that pulls on.

A great place to start...
BorntoLove.com: Make Your Own Baby Bum Sweaters Patterns

Complete instructions to knit, crochet or stitch your own hand-made soakers!

Plus lots of options, ideas and easy diapering hints...

INDEX OF PATTERNS:

Image: knit/crochet patterns for diaper soaker

• Down Under Diaper Cover Pattern

• Crochet Soaker

• Nise's Crocheted Soaker Pattern

• Knicker Soakers

• Make Your Own Baby Bum Sweaters!

• Woollen Nursing Pads

• Make Your Own Diapers and Covers

More free patterns, for knitting, crochet, and sewing...

FREE SEWING PATTERNS:

• Sew a Wool Diaper Cover

• Katrina's Sew Quick Soaker Pattern

• Katrina's Wool Diaper Cover Soaker Sewing Pattern

• DIY wool diaper cover | choosing wool sweaters

• Tutorial: Upcycled Wool Diaper Cover

• Up-cycled Wool Diaper Cover Tutorial

• How to Make a Diaper Cover from a Wool Sweater {Video}

• DIY Wool Diaper Soakers

• Free Cloth Diaper Patterns - Over 60 designs!

FREE KNIT PATTERNS:

• Down Under Diaper Cover Pattern

• Free Tiny Birds Soaker Pattern

• Baby Bloomers pattern

• Ravelry.com: Curly Purly Soaker Pattern, by Marnie Ann Joyce

• Gabey Baby Diaper Cover pattern

• Newborn Soaker pattern on Flat needles

• Wool Diaper Cover pattern

• My soaker pattern: Wool Diaper Cover (Soaker) to knit and crochet

• Li'l Aries Longies

• Aubrey DoodlePants Knitting Pattern V3.0

• Longies pattern – knit in the round, includes gusset

• Arfy's Freebie Longies/Shorties Pattern

FREE CROCHET PATTERNS:

• Wooly Britches

• Spring Baby Crochet Outfit - has a soaker included.

• Crochet Wrap pattern

• Mammy Made Crochet Longies

• Dandelion Daydreamers

Image: Inside diapers, by MissMessie on Flickr

QUESTION: Where can I find free diaper and cover patterns?

ANSWER: In my opinion, it's easiest to trace a diaper or cover you like, or a diaper you like and make it from that.

I've done a couple of diapers and covers that way, and it may take some fiddling to get it just the way you like it.

But I think it's the most reliable way of getting what fits *your* baby the way *you* want.

Of course, you can always use most diaper patterns to make diaper cover as well.

Sew Your Own Diapers | Cloth Diaper Patterns and Resources