My Frugal Baby Tips

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

Photo credit: Best way to change a diaper, by Jenny Cu

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

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: Cuddle Baby Carrier, by BorntoLove.com, 1980

Photo credit: Cuddle Baby Carrier 1980, by BorntoLove.com

Turn your old jeans into a sturdy denim baby carrier!

You'll need TWO pair of adult jeans, with no worn spots on the backside.

Remove the back of the jeans from the fronts, leaving the thick side seams attached to the discarded fronts.

Cut off waist-band, belt loops and leg hems. Make a T-shaped cut up the centre from each crotch, as follows:

-- On one jean-back - T is through the centre of the back pockets.
-- On the other jean-back - T is midway between the crotch and bottom of back pockets.

How to Make a Baby Sling From Old Jeans

-- Fold the legs in on themselves to form 4" wide straps.
-- Double-stitch along the length of both sides of these straps.
-- Place one jean-back on top of the other, to form an H shape - lining up one jean-back along the top of the other's pockets.
-- Double-stitch the two jean-backs together.

Tie the shorter straps around your waist.

For a front carrier, have a friend help place baby's stomach against your stomach, baby's legs on either side of the carrier seat.

For a back carrier, baby's stomach is against your back.

Bring carrier and longer straps up over baby, with one strap over each of your shoulders.

For a front carrier, you could cross the straps at your back.

While you hold securely onto the longer straps to support the baby, have your friend mark or pin where these longer straps meet the seat part, making sure this is a comfortable position for baby and you.

Remove the baby and carrier, double-stitch longer straps to marked spots, on the inside of the seat part.

Finish by folding and hemming any remaining cut edges.

Make sure all stitching seams are strong and sturdy for safety.

Thanks to Catherine for this Frugal Baby Tip!

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS WITH PICTURES:
• For more pictures and instructions, including a slideshow: How to Make a Baby Sling From Old Jeans, by E. A. Byrnes, May/June 1982, MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Rub a Dub Draw in the Tub Bath Crayons

Here's how to make soap crayons for bath-time fun and easy quick clean-up!

I am wondering if we could use cookie cutters or somehow get them into better shapes than just the ice cube tray, but I haven't tried it myself yet.

Ingredients:
• 1 3/4 cups Ivory Snow (powder or soap flakes)
• 50 drops food coloring
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:
Mix water and soap flakes together.
Add food coloring.
Put mixture into an bottle stick ice cube tray.
Allow to harden.
Break or cut into pieces.
Fun to write with on the tub when bathing as well as your face and hands!

Image: Placemats photo, by Charles Knott (djvexd) from PhotoBucket

Photo credit: Placemats photo, by Charles Knott

This one is not really a baby tip, but anything that makes keeping the house clean quick and easy is a good tip for me!

I find the job of wiping out the cupboard one I tend to put off.

But then I thought of buying hard plastic place-mats from the Dollar Store.

The placemats only cost me $1.00 for two placemats.

Because they were hard plastic, I was able to easily cut them to fit perfectly inside my cupboards.

Now they are easy to wipe clean. I can even take them out and clean them in the kitchen sink.

Much prettier too!

Thanks to Cindy for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Diaper changing on the trail, by Jon Hayes on Flickr

Photo credit: Diaper changing on the trail, by Jon Hayes

I make my own baby wipes solution.

I use the following recipe for making my baby wipes:

Start with:
• 3 cups distilled water

Add:
• 1/2 Tbsp. Johnson's Natural Baby Wash or Dr. Bonners Liquid Castile Baby Mild Soap

• 1/2 Tbsp. Natural Apricot, Almond, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Tbsp. 100% Aloe Vera Gel

Image: Johnson's Natural Head-to-Toe Foaming Baby Wash 18-Ounce | combines 98% naturally derived ingredients and over 100 years of trusted baby care knowledge | gently cleanse delicate skin and hair to pure baby softness

Johnson's Natural Foaming Baby Wash

• 3 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (as an anti fungal)

• 3 drops Lavender essential Oil

Pour into a jar, put on the lid and shake well.

Pour into a spray or squirt bottle and squirt on cloth diaper wipes prior to use.

Thanks to Debra for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Red hair reflecting in the sunlight in front of green grass. Photo credit: Troy Stoi, on freeimages

Photo: Red hair reflecting in the sunlight in front of green grass, by Troy Stoi

Does your child have tangles from baby-fine hair?

Rather than buying those expensive bottles of spray-on detanglers, try making your own frugal alternative.

Mix 1 part conditioner with 10 parts water.

(You may need to experiment. Some conditioners work better for this than others.)

Pour into an empty, cleaned out spray bottle.

Spray this frugal detangler solution on your child's hair and comb those tangles out easily.

Thanks to Katie for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Baby Rinse Cup Wash Hair Eye Shield Shampoo | easy-to-pour rinse cup | helps keep shampoo and water out of your child's eyes during bath time

Shopping Suggestions:
• Baby Rinse Cup
• Johnson's No More Tangles Leave-in Conditioner
• L'Oreal Paris Kids Tangle Tamer Conditional Formula
• Lil Rinser Splashguard
• Munchkin Shampoo Rinser

Image: My Nephew in a Bucket, by Jonny Hunter on Flickr

Photo credit: My nephew in a bucket, by Jonny Hunter

I can top that diaper pail tip!

If you shop any of the large warehouse stores, such as Costco or Amazon, you can buy clothes washing detergent in that identical bucket ...

And get the bucket for free!

The detergent works great with all diapers, including FuzziBuns, Bumkins, etc.

Image: Charlie's Soap Powder Bucket, 800 Loads | Safe for all HE machines | Hypoallergenic and safe for those with sensitive skin | Excellent for cloth diapers

Buy Charlie's Soap or 5 gallon bucket

Charlie's Soap is a very straight-forward detergent with no fabric softeners or bleach in it.

Less is More: zero brighteners, zero fragrances, zero dyes, zero fillers, zero harsh chemicals

Works on all your laundry, even high-tech fabrics, and delicates.

She is right about using it as a diaper pail - we use two of them for our cloth diapers!

Thanks to Nina Maginnis for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Laundrypile by Robin Skyler Tell, on Flickr

Photo credit: Laundrypile, by Robin Skyler Tell

Ingredients:
• one bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (2-3oz bars or 1 4-5.5oz bar) (the finer grated the better)
• one cup washing soda
• 5 gallon bucket
• Water

Directions:
Place grated soap in a small saucepan and cover it with water.

If you let this sit overnight, it is MUCH faster.

Heat on low until dissolved - don't stir too rapidly or too much, it will get foamy and you won't be able to see if it dissolved.

If you let it sit overnight, it takes roughly 20 minutes to dissolve.

If you didn't let it sit, it takes much longer.

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap

When the soap is just about melted, put the bucket in the tub and fill with hot water almost to the top, then add melted soap.

Stir to combine.
Add 1 cup of washing soda and mix well.
Don't reverse the order or it won't turn out.

As it cools it will thicken.
Use about 1/2 cup for diapers.
And 1-2 cups for other types of laundry.

Plastic Bucket

If you keep it in the big bucket, you will need to stir each time before you use it.
I pour it into gallon jugs while it is still warm.

If you do this, only fill 3/4 of the way.
You will want to shake it to get it to mix and will need the room.
I learned this the hard way. LOL.

You can customize your detergent by adding essential oils to it.
Only add to the current jug you are using, because it loses its smell.

It is very soft without fabric softener.
If you add fabric softener, it makes clothes feel funny.

Thanks to Judi Sutherland for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Nuby Garden Fresh Fruitsicle Frozen Pop Tray

During the day when I know she's teething, she enjoys eating homemade popsicles and other soothing foods.

Frozen banana chunks work well, too.

I use a Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder to hold the banana chucks safely.

And less sugar and more nutrients than popsicles.

Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

But this time of year, maybe you'd better do it right before a good warm bath!

It's very gooey by the time they finish gumming them, anyway.

Thanks to Tami and Ness for these Frugal Baby Tips!