My gDiaper cloth insert tutorial is one of my most popular posts. Yay for gDiapers, which were recently renamed gNappies in the UK. Um, adorable. So, I guess everyone is trying to save money on diapers! It has also generated about a million questions, so let’s talk about diapers today!
I feel a huge weight of guilt every time I put a disposable diaper in the trash can. Just knowing that that diaper will be in a landfill for the next 500 years makes my little hippie-offspring heart sink. (I wrote a 10 page paper on diapers in college. That’s how cool I am. So I know weird facts about diapers.) We don’t use these ALL the time, like nap-times, sleepy times and on-the-go times. But we use them as much as we can at home.
Anyways, I needed some bigger inserts so I whipped up some more homemade gdiaper inserts, this time in medium/large! My growing boy! I’m almost ready to order more gPants
in LARGE. Gah. Where did my baby go?
I got some real inserts as a gift when the babe was born. Here’s how they compare:
Similar thickness, same size, different detailing. The gDiaper brand one is used and the one I made is fresh outta the serger, so it will look a little different when washed. You don’t have to add a layer of print fabric to yours, but I think it makes it a little extra fun and adds stability! The little orange labels are what gets me on the store bought ones, so cute!
I also thought I’d address a few questions from my original post. I have had A LOT of questions about gdiapers. I normally answer questions via email, but sometimes there is no email connected to the comment. So here are a few answers for everyone!
Where did you get your bamboo fleece?
I never used bamboo fleece. I used cheap-o polyester fleece for a few reasons. 1. It’s cheaper and 2. Bamboo is great because it is more absorbent, thus reducing the feel of wetness. I’m counting on this wet feeling to help me potty-train. So I opted not to use it (plus bamboo is relatively new and innovative which means $$$).
I suggest bamboo because bamboo is a magical fiber! It is naturally anti-bacterial (which, by the way, is why bamboo plants grow like weeds, they kill bacteria that might stop them!). It is also more absorbent than other fibers.
If you want bamboo fleece, you probably won’t find it easily in stores. The internet is your best bet.
Edit: A reader sent this link for a great source of un-dyed fabrics, including bamboo fleece! Thanks Alexandra!!
Are these as good as the store bought ones?
I used cheapo fleece, so they aren’t as soft. They don’t feel as awesome and they don’t have a cute little orange tag. But they are a whole lot cheaper. They work great for us!
Have you used the biodegradable inserts
?
Nope. I want to though! I would love to try these. The reason we haven’t used these is because they are significantly MORE expensive than regular diapers. We cloth diaper because we’re poor students. And we want to save the earth.
The reviews are mixed on the biodegradable inserts though. Some people say they love them because their houses don’t smell like diapers and others say they clog the toilets. When I was researching gDiapers, not very many online reviews mentioned the functionality of the cloth inserts. But I believed in them! (And still do!)
Do you have any advice to go along with these diapers?
Sure! I’ll just tell you what we do. We use disposable at night because they last the whole night and I need sleep! We also use them when all the g’s are dirty. So the g’s are for at home, which is most of the time! Since the baby is older now, it’s really easy. #1, change the inside and throw it in the empty washer. I just wash these along with everything else and it works out fine! #2, dump contents in toilet, flush and wash normally. Unless the gPant and liner get messy or wet, we just reuse it with a new insert. I wash them a few times a week too, since they don’t add much bulk to a load I’m already doing.
It’s a little messier in the early months. I used to rinse them in the bath tub first before washing. It was messy. But it worked.
Have you tried to make the gPant?
Nope. It’s a good idea, but I only shelved out about $100 for my entire gDiaper system. I always calculate time, materials and effort into my decisions to buy instead of make. At the time I was sooo busy, tired (and hungry) so I just bought them. No regrets. They work great.
I have 6 small gpants and 6 medium gpants. The mediums still fit my kiddo. Before baby came I bought the Everyday g’s bundle, in size small and medium. I got it when the price was lower, but it’s still not a bad deal. I plan on using them for future babies (I hope!), so I think it was a good investment. For some reason, making the outer shell never appealed to me. The ones I bought function so well, I’m not sure it would be cost efficient to make them. I’d rather be making toys and clothes. But, that’s a great idea!
You can also usually find these on consignment because lots of parents buy them with the biodegradable inserts and end up hating them.
Did you use tiny gPants
? Is it worth it?
Yes! I bought two tiny gPants on ebay because they are so stinking stinking CUTE! I had to have them. I was nesting. I think people buy the big starter kits and realize they don’t really need the tiny ones so they sell them.
I was planning on having a little 7 lb baby so when MR. NINE POUNDS ONE OUNCE came out everything changed. However, the tiny ones were still great for the first two weeks! I am glad we had them, we were able to start cloth right away. But, they don’t last that long. So my answer: Yes, they are worth it for the cuteness factor! But you can get away with using smalls, also.
Do you sell these cloth inserts on etsy?
No, they are sorta boring to make. But they are easy and fast! You should try it! Here’s my tutorial + free pattern.
So, tell me all your diapering stories!! I’d love to hear! Have you tried cloth? Do you have g’s?
I have cloth diapered for over 3 years and since I know quite a bit about them and have used more than 2 dozen brands you couldn’t pay me to even try g diapers ;-) I don’t think using g diapers is the best way to even start cloth diapering because it’s not the most economical or the easiest IMO. I love one sized pocket diapers. You buy one size and never any more, it’s great! They act more like a disposable meaning when you change you take the whole diaper off and toss in the wetbag. No changing inserts in and out all the time. That’s why I don’t recommend g diapers for first timers. It’s more work and most people aren’t going to be in to that then stop cloth diapering all together. I also think it’s nuts to say g diapers are cloth diapers when you are using the disposable inserts full time. That is a just a glamorized sposie ;-)
I’m curious why you were rinsing the diapers in the bathtub??? There’s NO NEED! lol……until baby starts eating solids you don’t even need to rinse the diaper. When it’s dirty toss it right into the wet bag. My wash routine for under 6 months is: hot wash/cold rinse with detergent. After 6 months: cold rinse (knocks off any extra poo you may have missed), hot wash/cold rinse with detergent then one extra cold rinse.
I’ll admit that with my first baby we did use disposables when away from the house. It took a few months to ‘trust’ cloth diapers (which looking back on it is funny I even thought that!). Now we only use disposables if we are away from home more than 2 days. And I only set that limit because I’m a die hard, got to wash them every other day! Other wise I get stink issues.
I disagree with you completely. We stopped using pocket diapers because you use them once, and have to wash the whole thing. That just isn’t economical (you’d have to buy too many diapers), or environmentally sound (water & electricity wasted). gDiapers with cloth inserts are, IMO, the easiest & most economical method out there. We use them and wash only the insert, or wash the insert and little liner if it gets soiled. The gPants only need to be washed with our little ones clothing– maybe once a week. We use Thirsties Duo Snaps with prefolds as a backup, but they are sized similarly to gPants. You end up having to buy two sizes over the course of your babies diapering “career”. With gDiapers, we’ve never had to resort to using disposable diapers. We use their disposable liner at night and we’ve never had a leak. You couldn’t pay me to stop using gDiapers!
When I found out I was expecting I looked into everything cloth nappy related, got samples to compare, then had everything chosen. Then I found out I was having twins and like a total wimp, freaked out and decided there was no way I could use cloth nappies with twins. I kinda regret the decision, but looking back, not sure the PICU nurses and baby sitters would have been too happy with cloth nappies!
Hopefully next time round I won’t freak out and will go the cloth nappy route.
So a great idea to make your own inserts, I remember the costs!
I cloth diaper and I mostly use Fuzzibunz and at night we use a prefold system. But I do have two Gdiaper shells that we use when we are traveling with the disposable inserts because they don’t smell with the chemical reaction that other disposables do!! I am going to print your tutorial and try making an insert for me gdiaper- do you think it is possible w/o a serger? Great post!!!
I have cloth diapered both of my kids since birth. We use Flip covers and chinese pre-folds as the inserts. I have a few Flip liners (very similar to what you’ve made) I don’t use them except for at night. I take one of my prefolds and then one of my liners and use them both at the same time. Now it makes for a huge bootie but it does last all night.
I couldn’t imagine not using cloth! ‘Sposies are SO expensive and I feel guilty using them too. Yeah for more cloth diapering momma’s out there!
I have a couple of Gpants at home…I ended up going with Bum Genius and Green Sprouts… Maybe it’s because we have a CHUBBY Baby… LOVE CHUBBY babies… But our Gpants always leaked in just a one time use I watched the Video Tutorial on their website a hundred times over just to make sure I was putting them on right…I truly wanted to have success with these but just couldn’t seem to find it… I have a Full bag of Disposable Inserts and Gpants your are welcome to have…Since they are just now sitting here… Loved your tutorial by the way..Thank you for sharing your experience with us..
Do you still have the inserts at all? What size?
What do you do about poop stains?
Put them in the sun for awhile and the stains bleach right out!!
I have a friend that only uses the Gdiaper system, loves them, and she has seven kids. But I think only 5-6 have been in cloth diapers. But she also uses the tri-fold method and not the disposable inserts.
I love to see a post about cloth diapers! I am Elle, and I blog at cottonbottommama.com about cloth diapers and other things, and I make and sell cloth diaper inserts on Etsy. See Kate Sew is one of my favorite, favorite blogs. Every post is so beautiful and inspirational, and I am amazed that you are able to make so many things, blog every day, and be a mom. Wow! Go, Kate!
I have made and sold dozens of diaper inserts, and I have a few things to add and maybe even a suggestion to tweak your tutorial. It is interesting to see the reasons that you chose polyester fleece, because actually, other than the cost factor, it’s doing the opposite of what you’re intending! Polyester fleece is great as an upper layer in cloth diapers to wick moisture away from baby’s skin, which is why it’s so often seen as the layer next to baby’s bottom in pocket diapers, as well as the upper layer in the original gdiaper inserts. But in every cloth diaper and insert I’ve ever seen with polyester fleece (I’m just going to call it pf), there is another, more absorbent layer below the pf. The g-dipe inserts have hemp as the lower layer, and pocket diapers usually have microfiber inserts. Sometimes you’ll see bamboo, hemp, even cotton in a terry or fleece, but it is usually a few layers of something that is “thirsty”. So the formula for cloth diapers being the most efficient (i.e. keeping baby feeling dry while being mucho absorbent) = stay-dry upper (pf or suede cloth typically) + absorbent under (microfiber, hemp, bamboo, cotton). By using just pf, you are wicking the moisture away from baby’s bottom, but there’s nothing to wick it to except for your skinny layer of decorative cotton fabric. I’m guessing that you probably have to change diapers very frequently to prevent leaks, which is probably why you use sposies at night, for naps and on the go. If you added a more absorbent layer in between the pf and cotton, your inserts would be thirstier and last longer. If you’re looking to make baby feel wet for potty training, I would recommend leaving out the pf altogether and just going with a bamboo, hemp, cotton terry, or something of that sort. Those fabrics will still be extra absorbent, preventing super frequent diaper changes, but they will not wick moisture away from baby. I’ve made diaper inserts in all of these combinations, tried them out with my little one over several months, and that’s my conclusion.
Of course, no matter how absorbent you make these inserts, they will never be as absorbent as a pocket or fitted, which make the best dipes for nighttime and naps IMO.
I do like gdiapers, although I do agree with some other comments that they aren’t the best for cloth diapering newbies. I think their benefits are quicky/easy dipe changes, adorability (is that a word), trimness, & taking up minimal room in the diaper bag, but their big drawback is that they just can’t compete with other styles in terms of absorbency.
I am happy to be a resource on CDing (cottonbottommama@gmail.com), but I also highly recommend dirtydiaperlaundry.com It is my favorite CDing site and is just incredibly comprehensive! Go, save the planet!! :)
Thanks for the additional tips! Do you have any websites to suggest for buying the Suedecloth and Bamboo? my local shops don’t sell it.
Thanks!
Great tips! I was wondering about the pf for all the layers as well, since in my experience, I don’t ever remember it absorbing really anything at all. I was trying to think of something else to put in the middle (thought about flannel, but felt like that would take a lot of layers, and I didn’t want to cut up any of my prefolds). And I wanted something I could buy locally, so cotton terry it is! :D
wow you are just trying to convince me to have a baby huh, i spent an hr watching about cloth diapers on you tube, then i watched someone give birth so maybe it evened itself out…but in a few years
My little girl is 6 months old and we’ve used gDiapers the whole time, with indian cotton prefold inserts from cottonbabies.com. I opted for the regular old cotton prefolds because they were only $1 to $1.50 (depending on the size, I used “premie” for my smalls, and am using “infant” for med/large) compared to the $4 for the gCloth. They work REALLY well, except they don’t pull the moisture away quite like fleece does. So when I saw your original post, I was SO excited and went and made myself some!! Except, I used 2 layers of fleece, and 2 layers of terry cloth (it was on sale, so I figured I’d try it) and then the regular cotton backing. I love them!! They are SO much thinner than my prefolds, so my daughter will not outgrow them before she is supposed to.
I will say that the prefolds DO last all night, though! My daughter sleeps 11 hours straight and I’ve never had leaks, so I’ll definitely keep them around for night time. (Maybe I’ll just add a layer of fleece on the top for moisture-wicking??…hmm…)
We have used the biodegradable inserts before when we were out for long periods of time, so I could just toss them instead of carrying multiple dirty prefolds around with me. They work just fine and don’t take 500 years to decompose, so I’m happy with it. But I only used them about one day every 2-3 weeks, so one package lasted a long time. I haven’t bothered to re-buy them, though because I don’t REALLY need them, and am too stingy to spend the money.
I know some people commented about how 1st timers might not want to try gDiapers, but this is my 1st baby, and I went with G’s because I don’t have to have as many on hand. The actual pants are the expensive part, and I only have 6 Mediums. I just stocked up on the super cheap prefolds and now I also use these faux-gCloth as well. This route was way cheaper than buying 15-20 AIOs or Pocket diapers at $20 a pop!
I am a G Diaper user. Love them. While I wanted to do 100% cloth diapers, my child goes to daycare and my state (as most states) do not allow centers to use cloth diapers. For us, G Diapers have been a great option.
I’m an exclusively cloth diapering momma but never have I used a gDiaper. I have had my eyes on them since they came out but the mixed reviews always kept me away. We have baby 4 on the way in May and making these would be beneficial if I purchase some small gDiapers. I am so happy to see you posted this on your site! Bringing the world of cloth diapers to other mommas is fantastic, the more of us the merrier. I can’t wait to give the tutorial a try.
To fantastic resources for cloth diapering IMO are:
http://allaboutclothdiapers.com
http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com
I am very excited to see that you CAN make your own cloth inserts. I literally JUST ordered my set of gDiapers for my 4mo old. We haven’t had to buy diapers yet because so many of our awesome friends gave us so many as gifts before he was born. But now that we’re out, I honestly don’t want to buy anymore. We used disposables with our first son and I regretted it half way through but figured might as well keep going he’ll be out of them soon. HAHA what was I thinking he’s 2 and struggling to potty train so we STILL have to use them. I was going to get gPants in his size too, but I’m crossing my fingers here that he’ll be done with diapers SOON!! Plus I haven’t really read any reviews about using them to toliet train or with toddlers and how well they absorb. But I’m SOO EXCITED to get them in the mail for my little one!! Everyone included you make me feel that I’ve made the right decision and I admit I was scarred but the more I read, the more I feel empowered that I’m making a difference and saving money! Thank you for your blog!
We love gDiapers and have used them the past 4 years on my girls. I’m so glad to see a way to make cheaper inserts and easy too! Thanks for much.
We have used flushies with GREAT success, but with the prices going up, we decided to switch to full cloth before the next baby.
Okay I love your idea and I am looking into gdiapers even more now that you have these cute insert ideas/tutorials! I was curious though, with you making your own inserts, how much do you save by going with the gdiaper compared to a disposable? And obviously instead of disposing your inserts, do you just toss them in the washer? I am having my first baby here in a few months and I am just trying to get lots of ideas and reviews on the way to go! Thank you!
I love your gdiaper insert tutorial and now have looked a lot into the gdiapers! I have read several reviews though and people have said a lot that the gdiapers are as expensive, or even more, than disposable though! But with you doing your own inserts, have you saved a lot of money compared to what you would if you went with disposable? My hubby and I are having our first babe in a few months and I am trying to get the best reviews I can!
Kate, Am I doing something wrong? I can’t seem to get the link to the free pattern to work! I’ve got about 20 days until my 2nd is due and I’d love to make some inserts so I don’t have to buy any more refills for either kiddo! Let me know what I’m doing wrong!
Allison
Thanks for the post about diapering and the tutorial, it’s much appreciated! I am expecting my first in a matter of weeks, and bought 6 lightly used gpants. I have actually been making fitted cloth diapers as well as diaper covers, so plan to use a combination of the gdiaper system and fitted diapers with covers. I was already planning to make some of my own gdiaper liners, but do not have one of the bought liners, so appreciate the pattern to go by. I also have about 16 prefold diapers which I was planning to use in the gdiapers as well (which I noticed someone else has said worked well for them!)
We have used g diapers with the cloth inserts from the very beginning and LOVE them! I have also used the flushable inserts for when we are out and about and they work great too. Our little girl has never had a diaper rash while using either the disposable or cloth insert and that makes me a very happy mom!
I am cloth diapering my 2nd child. I didn’t really think about it with my first but now looking back I wish I would have! We use bumgenious pocket diapers and LOVE them! I get aggravated sometimes with having to wash and stuff them… but i also suffer postpartum deppression so I think that doesn’t help! All in all… i wouldn’t change a thing! I love not having to buy disposables and such. We only used disposables for the first month and a half. We even do cloth on our 15hr car rides to MI. :) Once in a while we have leak issues but nothing serious… only if he sleeps a very long time at night.
I love our gdiapers. we use the disposable only if we are going to be out and about for the whole day. and we have found that the cheepest way to go is to not buy the inserts at all but instead bought regular old cloth diapers that we then just fold to fit in the gpants. and it works great!!
Loooooove the inserts that you made!!!! Makes me want to sew!
We started with gDiapers (I won the newborn baby pack – the little tiny gPants are SO EFFING adorable!). I still use them, but I also use Flip covers too. The gPants are definitely the cutest though, and since I have a little girl, are perfect when she’s wearing dresses (she’s tiny for her age with a teeny bum, so diaper covers that come with dresses never fit right!).
We do use the disposable inserts, and love them. I only put them in the toilet if it’s a reeeeeeeeeeeeeally bad mess – and even then, I flush twice (guts first, then the liner)! No way I am risking a clog! I found someone selling a couple boxes (as in, boxes full of packages!) on Kijiji, so I got them reeeeeally cheap. They even fit perfectly in my Flip and Grovia covers :) (I don’t know why anyone uses anything but hybrid diapers! Love!)
I’m just too lazy to use cloth diapers (as you have to change a lot more often), so up till now we’ve used partly biodegradable diapers available here in Germany, but I always wondered why there wasn’t anything like gdiapers before I even knew about them. Will definately get them if I can find a reseller! Thanks for pointing me to them!
I’m new to all this and am trying to do the cloth diaper thing I bought two gdiapers and a pack of disposables due to not reading correctly online, I was going to buy the cloth inserts but they seem expensive for as many as I need, and I can’t find the bamboo fleece in any stores, if anyone has tips or just as effective and easy to find material please let me know at misskbv@hotmail.com