Many of you know I’ve been doing elimination communication with my son pretty much since birth. Despite all of the effort it takes to do elimination communication, I still feel it’s all worth it. Along with EC we’ve used cloth diapers. I shared the most effective cloth diapering system here. The only thing I would change is DIY wool diaper covers.

There was a moment when my son didn’t mind going to the potty in the night, but nowadays sleep is just more valuable for everyone. Instead of waking him up, I usually change him in the night or first thing when I wake up which is usually hours before him. Our cloth diapers have been serious workhorses these past two years, and have saved us so much money. The cloth diaper covers however have not lasted.

Despite the different cloth diaper covers that we’ve tried, wool diaper covers have been my favorite.

I recently ordered three new wool covers, yet had to return them because they were way too large. I figured that while I waited to receive the return credit, I would see if I could make one myself before reordering. Plus it would give me another excuse to use my new sewing machine since my other one broke and couldn’t be repaired.

I thrifted a soft merino wool sweater for $6.50, then machine washed and dried it in the dryer to felt it.

For my first time sewing wool diaper covers, I’m not at all disappointed with the results. I made two pairs for him to wear over his organic cotton pull-ups during the day which I include a doubler especially when we are out. The other wool cover is specifically for nighttime use which I made from the sleeves of the sweater.

1. This is the perfectly imperfect merino wool sweater I purchased from Goodwill. Wool diaper covers cost $30 or more each, so attempting to make your own is worth it.
2. I cut the sweater at the seams to see what fabric I had to work with. The bottom trim of the sweater was perfect for creating two waistbands.
3. I used a pair of my son’s organic cotton pull-ups to measure out the size to cut.
4. On one side I trimmed the top in a u-shape to be more comfortable to wear in the front.
5. I used the bottom trim of the sweater for the waistband and divided up the rest of the fabric to create the leg cuffs.
6. I sewed the sides of the wool cover and the leg cuffs with a medium sized zigzag stitch. I actually used a zigzag stick for the entire project.
7. I folded the leg cuffs in half and pinned them onto the cover.
8. I pinned on the waistband.
9. This is how this cover looks completely sewn inside out.
10. This is the completed cover on its right side. I was able to make two covers like this. Now onto the other wool cover style.
11. I cut off the rounded part of the sleeves.
12. I used straight pins to mark of how deep I wanted to cut the seam of the sleeves.
13. I pinned together the new crotch of the sleeves making sure that they were both on the reverse side.
14. This is how this part of the cover looks sewn together. In hindsight I would have added a diamond shape of fabric to the middle of the crotch so that it looks even better. Next time I will.
15. I created a simple encasing for the waistband and used elastic. I also made two heart appliqués to cover the two tiny holes that were in the sweater.
16. Three teal wool covers that cost me around $2.17 each. Not too bad.

I prefer wool diaper covers because they are breathable and also wick away wetness which synthetic cloth diaper covers do not.

Despite needing a specific wool wash and lanolizing the covers as needed, wool covers are very easy to care for. They also don’t need to be washed with every use unless soiled. Now that I know how easy it is to make your own, I won’t be buying them anymore. It’s also more environmentally friendly to upcycle old sweaters that can later be composted anyway.

Have you ever made wool diaper covers before, or would you give it a try? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Images by Dawn Michelle

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