Olivia Van Buren is a mother of two and a journalist. She writes about natural childbirth, homebirth and unassisted homebirth at her blog, Write About Birth. Olivia believes in attachment parenting and is a long-time cloth diaper user.

Parents or parents to be who have been researching cloth diapers and their benefits, or are already using them, know what their benefits are. Once you have read up on the ecological benefits, the benefits to the health of your baby, and are convinced that cloth may be actually more convenient to use than disposable diapers, it is easy to want to jump on the cloth diaper wagon!

Cloth diapers are beautiful, and save you a lot of money. Or do they? If you have been researching cloth diapers, you also know that it is not unusual to pay $25 for a single diaper. Are you of the opinion that this is a bit over the top, just like me? For crafty mamas, there is an alternative – with a little practice, sewing your own cloth diapers is not too difficult.

Have you decided you want to give sewing your own diapers a go? Here is a list of the steps you will need to undertake before starting on your latest craft project.

1) Just like when you are buying cloth diapers, you need to decide what type of diaper you would like to sew. You can sew fitteds (which need a cover), pockets (which need inserts) or all in ones (AIOs), which need nothing additional but take a while to dry.

2) Once you have decided on the type of cloth diaper you are planning on sewing, you will need to hunt down a pattern that suits your need. There are free patterns available on the internet, as well as those you have to pay for. Personally, I have only ever used free patterns. Good examples of free diaper patterns include the Celtic Cloth pattern, mamabird patterns, and Rita’s Rump patterns. The pattern that will become your favorite depends on your personal preference as well as the size and shape of your baby.

3) Buying your fabrics is the next step. This is not as easy as it sounds, because cloth diapers need to be sews using specialty fabrics such as flannel, bamboo fleece, or hemp suede. Inserts can be made out the same materials, or you can use microfiber or prefold diapers. Covers will need wool, PUL, or windpro fleece to protect your little one’s clothes from getting wet. Most local fabric stores are not going to have diaper materials on hand, perhaps with the exception of flannel. This means that you will have to order your diaper fabrics off the internet. Shopping around is a good idea because prices vary enormously.

4) Deciding between velcro and snaps to close your diaper. Velcro is easier to apply if you have never placed snaps before, but it does wear out quicker. If you want to use snaps, you will need a snap press.

5) Sewing the actual diaper. This is not as difficult as it sounds, and if you are an experienced seamstress it will be a piece of cake. Even new seamstresses can sew diapers though! First, you cut out your pattern, and place all the different layers on top of each other. Then you sew the different layers of your diaper together, top, where the baby’s back will be, and sewing all around. You then add elastic in the legs, and turn and top stitch. If you are making a pocket diaper, you will need to leave the back open, to insert the inlays. In that case, make sure to add the back elastic to the outer layer of the diaper – the one furthest away from your baby’s skin. If you are sewing a fitted or an AIO you can sew in the elastic and close the back right up. After than, the only step left is to attach either velcro or snaps.