Building a Cloth Diaper Stash for Less

There aren’t many of us who have all the money we want to spend on whatever we want to spend it on (cloth diapers, anyone?), so here’s some tips to get a cloth diaper stash for less.

• Flats and covers are the most inexpensive cloth diapers you’ll find. They work great and can last from birth to potty training.
• Flats can be flour sack towels, flannel receiving blankets, cut up flannel sheets, or even cotton t-shirts, all of which can be gotten for free or next to free.
• You can buy old wool sweaters from a resale shop and make diaper covers out of them. You’ll probably be able to get at least two covers out of one sweater. You can make either a soaker style or wrap style cover.
• Make wipes from the same things as flats- flannel sheets and receiving blankets, cotton t-shirts, baby washcloths.
• Scout out sales on the diapers you want.
• Keep your eyes open for discount coupons. You can get anything from free shipping, free diapers, or even other stuff. Some stores even offer free stuff if you spend a certain amount. Make sure to check and see if there are any limits or restrictions.
• If you already know what kind of diapers you want, buy in bulk. Some stores offer a discount if you buy a bunch of diapers all at once. If you know another mama who wants to get the same kind of diapers as you, you can order together to really save. With most bulk discounts, the more you buy, the more you save.
• Check out making your own diapers. Google it online and you’ll find a wealth of free information and patterns. Even if you’re a beginner sewist, you can make a cloth diaper. You can get several diapers out of a yard of fabric. It doesn’t even have to be fancy fabric. Cotton flannel makes a great diaper. You can even buy PUL and make covers.
• A way to get diapers for free is to enter giveaways. There are a lot of them out there. Some stores offer a giveaway once a week, and there are bloggers who have them. Google cloth diaper giveaways and check out your favorite cloth diaper store’s blog. Entering giveaways can involve some extra work and you don’t always win, but you never know. You might get lucky.
• Look into buying used diapers. Sometimes you can get some in like new condition. Some cloth diaper stores offer used diapers from their trial programs or you can check out Craig’s List or a diaper swapping group and see if there’s anyone in your area who has some diapers for sale. Buyer, beware though. Most cloth diaper stores are very selective about their used diapers, so you know you’ll get a good, usable one, but buying off Craig’s List you’ll have to exercise your own judgment. You can ask to see the diapers in person before you buy. If you do buy used, strip the diapers and wash them before you use them. You don’t know what kind of detergent the previous owner used. You can find some really great deals and get an awesome stash for little money.
• Accept hand me downs! If you know a mama who has some diapers that her baby has outgrown but will fit yours, and she offers them to you, by all means, accept them! Cloth diapers are meant to last for more than one child.

There are all my tips for building your stash for less. I have used just about all of these with varying degrees of success. Do you have any tips that I didn’t cover? Share them below!

My name is Melissa Mendez and I am the blogger behind Cloth Diapering Again, my blog about trying cloth diapering again after giving up the first time and going more green. I am the mother of two with number arriving in July and the wife of an amazing man.