My Frugal Baby Tips

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

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.

Check your local store - the placemats I found 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 so 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: I gotta fold ALL the clothes?! by Travis Seitler, on Flickr

I just use an old pillowcase for a laundry bag in the baby's room.

It is attached to the changing table by a cloth diaper pin.

It keeps all of my baby's dirty laundry and things together.

When it's time to wash, everything can be dumped right into the washing machine...

Including the pillowcase!

Thanks to Beth for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: GroVia Reusable Perfect Pail for Holding Dirty Baby Cloth Diapers

Shopping Suggestions:
• GroVia Reusable Perfect Pail

• Charlie Banana Hanging Diaper Pail

• Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag

• Ecoable Doorknob Diaper Pail

• Teamoy Travel Hanging Wet Dry Bag

• Bonng Baby Laundry Organizer

Image: This is soo tiring, by Mandie, on Flickr

Make your own soakers just like Grandma used to make!

Practical, economical and a pleasant alternative to plastic covers.

Wool soakers draw moisture away . . . help prevent diaper rashes . . . remain dry outside.

To make your own baby bum sweater:

Cut equal-sided triangles from old, shrunk and matted 100% wool sweaters, and zigzag-stitch edges to prevent unraveling (optional).

You can usually get two small baby bum sweaters from one adult sweater, or one large baby bum sweater.

Check out your local Goodwill, second-hand stores or other thrift stores for second-hand wool sweaters to use - very cheap!

Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt, on BorntoLove.com
All rights reserved

Sizing is as follows:

Premie.....cut three sides of triangle by 10 inches (26cm)
Newborn....cut three sides of triangle by 12 inches(31cm)
Medium.....cut three sides of triangle by 16 inches (41cm)
Toddler....cut three sides of triangle by 20 inches (51cm)
Super......cut three sides of triangle by 24 inches (61cm)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut along cutting lines for one baby bum sweater. Set aside the wrist-bands for use as leg bands on your baby bum sweater.

Image: Picture one: Cut along cutting lines (dashes in picture) for one baby bum sweater

Picture one: (left) Cut along cutting lines (dashes in picture) for one baby bum sweater . Set aside the wrist-bands for use as leg bands on your baby bum sweater.

Image: Picture two: This is what your pattern should look like - using the sweater's waist band as the baby bum sweater waist band

Picture two: (right) This is what your pattern should look like - using the sweater's waist band as the baby bum sweater waist band.

Image: Picture three: Fold up the material towards the waist band. Bring waist-band sides together at front

Picture three: (left) Fold up the material towards the waist band. Bring waist-band sides together at front.

Image: Picture four: Sew along lines, about halfway along sides to form leg-holes

Picture four: (right) Sew along lines, about halfway along sides to form leg-holes. Be careful not to sew the leg-holes completely shut. You can adjust the leg hole openings, larger or smaller, to fit your baby's legs.

Image: Picture five: Your bum sweater should look something like this

Picture five: (left) Your bum sweater should look something like this. Now take the wrist-bands you set aside earlier, and sew around the leg openings.

Image: Picture six: As an alternative, you can sew it like above, but trim off the tip of the top of the triangle

Picture six: (right) As an alternative, you can sew it like above, but trim off the tip of the top of the triangle. This will give you a wider waistband, when you attach it to all together.

To Finish: Crochet a long string of single crochet twice as long as the waistband. Thread through the baby bum sweater waistband about every inch - poking the crochet string in and out - and tie in front.

Click for more free diaper patterns on BorntoLove.com
-- includes complete instructions to knit, crochet or stitch your own hand-made soakers! Plus lots of options, ideas and easy diapering hints . . .

Photo credit: Thanks to Angela for drawing the pictures!
All rights reserved

Image: LANACare Diaper Covers/Soakers | Made of soothingly soft merino wool | meets Europe's highest standards for organic products | Natural lanolin content removes bacteria and odors

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS:
• ANACare Diaper Covers/Soakers

• Pea Patch Diaper Soaker Knitting Pattern

• Soaker Pantie Vintage Knitting Pattern

• Vintage Knitting Pattern

• Unisex adjustable Crochet Pattern

Image: Plastic Shopping Bags, by BRRT on Pixabay

One day I noticed the paper gift bags were costing more than the cloth shopping bags grocery stores are now offering!

Since then I have made the gift bag part of the gift I am giving.

I either fill up the cloth bag with my gift and add tissue paper, or buy some cellophane bags (3/$1 at the dollar store) to put the gift in first, then place it in the cloth shopping bag.

There are all kinds of cloth shopping bags available now, some even seasonal!

Since many stores have decided to start charging 5-25 cents each for their plastic bags, I think people will appreciate my reusable gift bags more and more.

Thanks to Catherine for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: diaper madness, by Jason Lander (eyeliam) on Flickr

My baby is almost 6 months old, and about 2 weeks ago I decided to look into cloth diapers. I used disposable diapers on my other two and on the baby until Saturday.

I decided to check into all the advantages of cloth vs. disposables, and all the accusations on the chemicals used in disposables.

I sent Pampers an email and read lots of stuff on line. Pampers responded very quickly and with vague terminology.

My husband was totally AGAINST cloth, no way, no how, forget it, dumb idea. So I said OK this past Friday, and pretty much put the idea out of my head.

Up until that point I had been looking for nice used cloth diapers since new was NOT in our none existing budget. I was spending about $30 per month on disposables plus the cost of wipes.

Friday evening my husband said he'd like for us to go to yard sales on Saturday, We love yard sales. I decided not to go since my daughter had a friend sleepover on Friday night. So he gets up bright and early and goes out to some yard sales. He usually looks for electronics, y2k stuff or tools, and that's what he was looking for.

He comes home an hour later with 3 big boxes. I'm thinking Oh, great more junk for his electronics room. He opens the boxes, and they are jammed packed with cloth diapers and plastic pants kinda things (I'll learn the terminology eventually, I guess).

They are really nice, and he paid only $20 for over 100 diapers plus pants. They are in different sizes. I washed them and dried them in the sun, and she is now wearing them. It's great.

My husband said it was like God gave him a little push, and he almost tripped over them.

Thanks to Pam for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: Making cinnamon rolls for Jazzy's birthday by Chris and Jenni, on Flickr

We love Fuzzi Bunz but their inserts are expensive at as even as little as three for $13.00.

So we save a lot of money by just using shop towels - we buy them at Costco, but any large warehouse, auto parts store or even Amazon will carry these.

Cotton Terry Cleaning Towels

They are white terry cloth towels.

Sometimes we use the microfiber shop towels for even more absorbancy - and cheaper price too!

We fold them in thirds and use as fillers inside the Fuzzi Bunz.

The shop towels air dry great because they are so thin, and they are very absorbent.

Thanks to Nina Maginnis for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Image: A Cool Dry Place, by Mark Gooding on Flickr

We love the fleece on Fuzzi Bunz (keeps the baby dry plus easy poop disposal).

Image: American Baby Company Fleece Blanket | Can be used in a baby carrier, stroller or as a traveling blanket | Ideal shower gift

American Baby Fleece Blanket

However we have a heavy wetter and can't stuff them enough with the Fuzzi Bunz diaper liners to prevent leaks, plus they are expensive.

So we cut up a $3.00 fleece baby blanket from the dollar store, to make fleece diaper liners.

We used a flannel diaper liner as a pattern.

We add these to our regular prefold diapers and to our Kushies -- giving our regular diapers all the advantages of the Fuzzi Bunz -- at a fraction of the cost.

Thanks to Kristin Verrill for this Frugal Baby Tips!

Image: Laundrypile by Robin Skyler Tell, on Flickr

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!

In my reusable wipes, I use a squirt of California baby bath and body wash (Baby Magic or Castile soap works too).

I also add about 2-3 drops Lavender essential oil and 1-2 drops tea tree oil with about 2 cups water.

Lately I've started adding about 2 teaspoons of apricot kernel oil or almond oil to the mix.

Just steer clear of mineral oil.

It can be drying and if you wash the wipes with your diapers, it can leave an icky coating floating in the rinse water that tends to get re-deposited on the diapers as the water drains out. ICK!

Kade kept having diaper rash and it went away after I quit adding mineral oil (baby oil).

Thanks to Shawnda for this Frugal Baby Tip!