My Frugal Baby Tips

Image: Ecofrugal Baby: How To Save 70% Off Baby's First Year, by Laura Cowan (Author). Publisher: lulu.com (September 2, 2010)

It's been a long time coming, but I have started updating the BorntoLove.com website. This past few days, I have been updating the Frugal Baby Tips section:

Here are all of our Frugal Baby Tips articles on Born to Love:

• Frugal Baby Tips Index
• Frugal Diapering
• Frugal Diaper Washing
• Frugal Diaper Rash and Baby Wipe Tips
• Make Your Own Baby Bum Sweaters!
• Let Sleeping Babies Lie - please...
• Frugal Safety Tips
• Frugal Toys and Playthings Tips
• Frugal Baby and Mom Clothing Tips
• Frugal On the Go! Travel Tips
• Frugal Miscellaneous Tips
• Make Your Own Rebozo Sling
• Stacking Tactile Toys and Healing Post-partum Stitches
• Mosquito Bites Relief and Frugal Cloth Menstrual Pads
• Absorbent Cheap Diapers and Protect Your Computer!
• Bedwetter Pants and Soothing Breast Pads
• Breathable Diaper Covers and Reusable Tampons
• Frugal Tips From My Readers!

Come check them out!

Image: The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle, by Amy Dacyczyn (Author). Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (December 15, 1998)

Recommended Reading:
♦ Ecofrugal Baby: How To Save 70% Off Baby's First Year
♦ The Naturally Frugal Baby
♦ How to Save Hundreds of Dollars in Diaper Costs and Have Fun with Your Baby!
♦ Everything You Need To Know About Cloth Diapers
♦ Live Green and Frugal: Make Your Own Cloth Napkins, Wipes, Diapers, Rags and Other Household Items
♦ The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Melissa started her venture into cloth diapers several years ago, and wrote to say she found MyFrugalBabyTips site to be really helpful.

She said she was especially into the frugal tips.

Since then, she has made her own diapers, covers, etc. for virtually free, and wanted to share this and other frugal things she does on her blog, Making Do With the Not So New.

Prefold Cloth Diaper from Old T-Shirt

Melissa made a whole series on Really Thrifty Mom Cloth Diapers, and asked if I might consider putting them on my frugal baby tips page.

Of course, I said yes!

She provides photo instructions and minimal sewing skill projects (she says: cuz that's all I got!), which she would have found helpful when she started her adventure.

Instructions on How to Make Cloth Diaper Essentials for Virtually Free:

• Prefold Cloth Diaper from Old T-Shirt

• Diaper Liners from Flannel or T-shirt

• Velcro Diaper Fastener

• T-shirt Cloth Diaper Wipes

• Wool Sweater Diaper Cover

• Wool Sweater Longies - Winter Diaper Covers

• Free Cloth Diaper Patterns - Over 60 designs!

• And more!

Thanks to Melissa for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Potty training for baby, by The Wu's Photo Land on Flickr

Photo credit: Potty training for baby, by The Wu's Photo Land

I altered some too big hi-rise briefs (size 8, which I bought when I was pregnant) to make my daughter's cloth training pants.

I cut the underwear at the side seams and the rear side of the crotch panel, discarding the butt portion.

Then I sewed an outer layer of flannel around three layers of terry cloth, about 2 inches wide by 8 inches long, the size of a maxi pad.

Cotton Training Pants

I sewed this panel into crotch of the underwear, then sewed the open end of the crotch panel (where the butt part had been attached) over and sewed the sides of the underwear to the sides of the center (crotch) panel.

The original elastic of the waistband and leg bands of the underwear function the same in the scaled down version, except because the crotch panel becomes a part of the waist, there are a couple inches in the front where there's no elastic - this doesn't make any difference whatsoever.

And my daughter loves having underwear that looks just like her mom's!

(I also saved the extra fabric from the butt area to make her coordinating underwear for her Betsy Wetsy doll!)

Thanks to Monica Thomas for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Turkish Cotton Bath Towel Sets

I cannot find good terrycloth by the yard either.

I use thick terry towels to make doublers, that I find on good sales.

Like Mervyn's, Sam's (like Price Club or Cosco) Walmart, etc.

This is the only way to go in my opinion... the other stuff is not absorbent enough!

My sister-in-law asked someone who makes a business of it.

She said to order true thick terry toweling by the yard you had to order something like 200 yards....ouch!

So I use towels. I end up not wasting a lot, because I use the ends for cloth menstrual pads.

You can always use your older towels, and then buy yourself the new ones too!

The older ones, unless showing signs of serious wear, will do just fine and they are more absorbent because of more washings.

Hope this helps!

Thanks to Christy for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Photo credit: Looks like a crayon melted on the passenger seat?, by Ken Starks

Danielle asked: Does anyone know how to get melted crayon off a car seat? We left one in the car.

And it got close to 100 degrees today! All that was left was the wrapper. What is even worse is that it was my son's Blues Clues crayon!

Mona replied: Try using an iron (steam setting) with newspaper to blot the wax. I did this when I spilled candle wax on my carpet, and it worked fine.

Carla added: Actually, it is better to use a brown paper sack or plain newsprint with no ink, or the ink may transfer and stain also.

More Help!
How to Remove Melted Crayon from Car Seats

Thanks to Danielle, Carla, and Mona for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Wife and Baby, by Csaba Magdo (Ywerd) on FreeImages

Photo Credit: Wife and Baby, by Csaba Magdo

We use a waterproof crib pad under the baby in our family bed.

Actually, we use half of one -- we got two waterproof crib pads and cut them in half, so now we have four to rotate.

So if my son's diaper ever leaks (very rarely), all we have to do is change the pad, not the sheets.

Thanks to Linda for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Here's what I like to do to comfort a teething baby.

Get a washcloth, tie a couple knots in the corners.

Then wet the washcloth, and freeze it.

It won't get hard enough to damage anything.

It will be easy to grab, and not too cold to for baby to handle.

Thanks to Ann for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Laundry Soap Kit - Fels Naptha-3 bars, Borax and Washing Soda

Laundry Soap Kit - Fels Naptha, Borax, Washing Soda

Here is the laundry soap recipe I found. It looks great, but I haven't used it yet.

I think I'll add some peppermint Dr. Bronner's to it too, just for the smell.

I guess you could add some essential oils if you wanted.

FELS NAPTHA HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP

Recipe By : Annette Bowser
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
-------- ------------ --------
• 1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap
• 1/2 cup Arm and Hammer super washing soda
• 1/2 cup Borax
• 3 pints Water

Grate the Fels Naptha Soap. Put in a pan with 3 pints of water, and heat until dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax. Mix and heat until all ingredients are dissolved. Cook for 15 minutes. It will look similar to honey. Remove from heat.

In a large bucket (3 or 5 gallons), put 1 quart of hot water, then add the soap. Mix. Add 5 1/2 quarts cold water (or enough to make 2 gallons total mixture). Mix until well blended. Set aside for 24 hours. It will gel up. Use 1/2 cup for each load.

Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (it is a bar) is usually located near the bath bar soaps in your local grocery store. Fels Naptha is made by Dial Soap Company (usually called Mule Team). If you can't find it, check on Amazon.

Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda is in the detergent aisle of your local grocery store, near the Borax. If you can't find it call the 800# (1-800-524- 1328 - The UPC is 3320003020) to find a store near you that sells it. Or check on Amazon.

ANNETTE'S NOTES:
The Fels Naptha was hard to find, but worth it. Everyone on the AOL Tightwad board raves about it.

They say it takes out everything, even old stains. I found mine yesterday, and am going to try it as soon as I am out of my regular detergent.

If you need Fels Naptha, I suggest you check all the grocery stores in your area, it is usually with the laundry detergent.

Thanks to The Lewis Family for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Our bedroom - wall to wall bed, by William Heaton (billheat) on Photobucket

Picture Credit: Our bedroom - wall to wall bed, by William Heaton

We, like many of you have posted, bought an expensive crib, decked it out in beautiful bedding, painted her room, etc.

Then she slept in our bed from birth.

We did decide there wasn't enough room in our bed, and moved her crib into our room, rather than buy one of those bedside cribs.

Our bed is high off the ground, and the top crib mattress setting is exactly the same height.

So we just stuck it right next to the bed, and left the side down on that side.

But now she is getting more mobile, we were a little worried, so our newest solution was to dismantle our beautiful one-year-old cherry Queen Anne bed (yes, we are still paying it off...), and put it in the basement.

The mattress and box are on the floor, and next to it we have an older style full size box and mattress (we don't own a twin or we would have used that) that has the wall on two sides, us on the other and a changing table at the foot.

So pretty much she is secure from falling off the bed.

It is also about four inches shorter than our set.

All of our more mainstream friends think we're nuts.

We figure she needs the security, and we like having her nearby.

But this way, we have a bit of room and at least a bit of privacy.

We figure if she is asleep, she has no idea what we're doing in the other bed, so our love life isn't on hold.

In fact, we keep trying for number two, we just haven't managed yet.

Thanks to Carla for this Frugal Baby Tip!