Pattern: Very Baby Diaper Pattern
These photos and instructions were put together by Cindy at Shannyn’s Harvest - thank you Cindy!
Mini Diapers are small, elasticized contour diapers. They are handy for use in wool shells to create a Wool in One. You can also use them to lay or snap into fleece shells, PUL covers.
Step One: Making your pattern. I’m using a size small pattern piece here. Note how the front nearly matches the back with the exception of the back being 1/4″ - 1/2″ larger than the front.
Step Two: Mark your elastic placements right where the diaper elastic anchor points are - the top elastic anchor point is moved in a bit, but at the same level. I measured four snap settings across the top about an inch apart.
Here’s the mini diaper pattern ready to go.
Here you can see how the front is slightly smaller than the back.
Step Three: Cut your pattern pieces and stack. If you’re making your mini diapers like a regular diaper, you’ll want to use two layers of sherpa knit terry and a cute outer knit print.
Tip: Because the mini diaper doesn’t have to be stretchy like the regular diaper, you can use woven prints or flannels on the outside for a wider variety of cuteness.
Apply elastic to leg openings only just like you would for the diaper. I lined mine with microfleece and made a matching micro lined contour soaker
Step Four: Use the soaker template to cut out your soaker pad layers. Cindy topped hers in microfleece as well.
Step Five: Apply snaps to back panel only. The outer 2 snaps are to attach your soaker. The inner 2 snaps are to snap your mini iaper into a cover.
Tip: It doesn’t really matter whether you use sockets or studs in the description above, just be sure to use the opposite side on the shell or soaker where you intend to snap it to.
Step Six: Apply the opposite snaps to your soaker pad. Here it is all snapped in.
Step Seven: Apply the opposite snaps to your cover or shell, if desired. Here it is all snapped in. The elastic pulls the cover up under the mini diaper, but when it’s all on a baby, you have a nice and trim, absorbent diaper that dries quick to boot!
Step Eight: Sew on your label if you have some and you’re all set! As a bonus, the smaller sized mini diapers will fit nicely inside of a large diaper to be used as a soaker when the smaller sizes are outgrown.
sos710m says:
I finally made a few of these and I have some questions. The first 2 I made I forgot to add elastic, but then I realized i have no idea how I would’ve put the elastic in using a serger. Do you add the elastic w/ the serger or do you put it on just one or two layers? If you put it on one or two layers, how do you go about running the diaper through the serger and keep it lined up properly? I tried one with the elastic in the inner layer then sandwiched and serged and I had an awful time keeping the diaper lined up. Thanks for any advice!
September 5th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Carrie says:
You use your sewing machine to add the elastic before serging. There’s a picture of the “blind method” for adding elastic in another tutorial. You tack the elastic down between layers and then pull it and feel your way along until you get to the end, and then tack it down again. When you serge, you’ll have to stretch it out again.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Very Mom says:
I sew the elastic through both layers using the blind method OR sewing the elastic to one layer. It takes some practice, but I just go slowly through the serger, keeping the layers lined up and the elastic stretched out as I go.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
sos710m says:
Kool, I haven’t tried the blind method yet, but that seems like it’d be a little easier to serge. I sew’d through the inner layer and then tried to keep the layers lined up and it was such a pita. Thanks for the advice!
September 5th, 2007 at 7:22 pm