* I just started a flickr group for any projects made using my tutorials. Please feel free to stop by and post your finished or WIP! 🙂
**I was asked if you need to prewash anything. I never have and have never had any problems with the way these wash up. You could prewash everything but you would need to buy more yardage of flannel than suggested as it may shrink and will fray around the edges when washing.**
This ladies and gents, is a tutorial for the most wicked awesome burp cloth around. These will work wonders and miracles if you give them the chance. Let me tell you why!
Long long ago (about 5 1/2 years), I had a baby. This baby was a puker (aka reflux). He puked and he puked. I got soaked every time. The burp cloths I had may as well have been made out of tissue paper. That is how well they worked. They get 2 thumbs way down from me, if I had more thumbs they would get even more downs. I became frustrated as I had to do laundry every 5 minutes in our creepy dark basement because we were going through 10 outfits a day. Unfortunately I never found a solution while he was a baby. He eventually grew out of the puking (thank goodness).
Fast forward 18 months later when baby sister came along. She thankfully was not a puker but still the spit up would soak right through the burp cloths. One day I remembered the cloth diapers given to me by the hospital. I got one out. It worked like magic. It was so absorbent (imagine that!). There was only one problem. Every time I would put it on my shoulder and then go to get the baby ready to burp (or puke) it would fall right off of my shoulder. So half the time it would miss. The other half though, pure genius. One day I had a lightbulb moment. I can’t remember how I figured it out but FLANNEL sticks to your clothes, like really well! Then I had an epiphany. What if I combined the two things? I tried it. It changed my life. I repeat, IT CHANGED MY LIFE. It stuck where it was supposed to stick, absorbed like crazy, AND get this……they were CUTE! Solid gold people, solid gold.
I started whipping these up for friends when they were going to have babies. They were a hit. People would ask me to make them more or teach them how. It really is so simple. They were the most favorite baby gift they would tell me. I was pleased that I was helping rid the world of puke shoulder one cloth at a time.
I had forgotten about these in recent years. Now another baby will be joining our clan and I started making them again the other night. I made 8 of them in just a few hours. I took pictures. I will now show you how to make the world’s best burp cloth. I hope it will change your life too. PLEASE, feel free to make these for whoever you want! Please don’t sell the tutorial. I don’t really care if you sell burp cloths made from this tutorial AS LONG as you are not ripping people off with crazy prices or something equally as lame. Ok, on with the show.
Step 1-
*Gather supplies
** 6/29/11 I just bought some last night and found a new nice brand! Child Of Mine by Carters at Walmart. They are called “Padded” and come in a package of 6 for $6. The quality of them is really nice.
-cloth diapers. I buy mine at Target in the baby aisle. Make sure they are the kind that are nice and thick in the middle and thinner on the sides. I buy the Gerber brand and I think a dozen are $16.99. I have word that the Gerber brand diapers from Walmart are horrible quality and that in comparison the Target Gerber brand are much better and still look great after washing. The Walmart ones are made in China and the Target ones are made in USA. If you are buying online like Amazon, the ones that are a few dollars more may be worth it.
-flannel. There is so much cute flannel out there folks. I buy mine at Joann fabrics. A half a yard will make two burp cloths. I stock up when they have their flannel sales.
-straight pins.
-scissors
-chopstick or other tool to push out corners of your cloths
Step 2-
*Lay your diaper on top of your flannel (right sides together) and pin in place. You may need to run an iron over both the flannel and diaper to make them lay flat. Make sure you leave a hole for turning when you pin.
Step 3-
*begin sewing. Start at one end of the opening for turning and sew all the way around the perimeter of the burp cloth. You may have to take the pins out as you go and smooth out wrinkles. Use a 1/2″ seam so that when you top stitch you catch the edges where the hole it. Also, you may want a bit longer needle and a new one at that. I used a size 80/12.
Step 4-
*Cut excess fabric around the burp cloth. Try not to knick the diaper because the weave is kinda loose. Leave a tab where the opening is. I don’t trim my corners because of the weave thing and also my machine could sew through my femur bone if I wanted it to. If you think your machine might get stuck on the corners trim carefully and not too closely to the stitches.
Step 5-
*Flip right side out. Use chopstick or corner tool to push out the corners. If you have trimmed your corners be careful and don’t push too hard or you may poke a hole in the seam.
*Iron the whole thing turning under the opening and pin shut.
Step 6-
*Find the existing vertical seams in the diaper. With the diaper facing up sew right over those seams. This will help keep it’s shape and prevent shifting.
Step 7-
*Sew around outside edge. Get as close as you can get to catch the edges of the open hole (1/4″ seam allowance or less). You may need to hand turn a few stitches at the corners. Also slow down as you go over the bulk in the middle, I have broken needles when speed sewing 🙂
You are done! Fold it up and you are ready to go! You can wash and dry these no problem. I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial. Please contact me if you have any questions.
I loved the burp cloths you made for me when I had Allison. They are my very favorite! My sister-in-law is pregnant now and I may just have to make a few of these.
Thanks!
Jaime, your writing is making me laugh out loud! I love the way you write. Okay lady, one question….do you have to wash the flannel first (like, does it shrink?..) or the cloth diapers?
xx
I never have washed anything until after I made it and have had no problems. You could and it would be fine except you would have to buy a bigger piece of flannel since it would shrink and fray around the edges.
Those are very cute! I had a huge spitter, and I put cute ribbon along the ends of my cloth diapers. I like the xtra flannel – soaks up even more mess. And thinking about how I use my burb cloths these days, those would also make very nice dust cloths later!
What a sweetie you are. I have researched and reserached these and YOU win hands down the Academy Award for tutorials. Thanks so much.
I am just learning to sew and would like to make some burp cloths. I have been looking at the online tutorials but I am a little confused on the diapers. The diapers I bought are “flat fold birdseye cloth diapers” by Gerber and they measure approx 27″ l x 23″ w. I can’t imagine you leave it this size but I can’t find any tutorials that tell me to fold the diaper or cut it. These look awfully thin too, no thicker in the middle. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks
Angie
Hi, Angie,
I think you have the wrong type of diapers. If my memory serves me correctly, the package will call them “prefolded”.
Hope this helps,
Cheryl
My oldest daughter is pregnant and i wanted to make something special for her because i am such a crafty person (and an artist)….and this tutorial really “rocks!” thank you for posting….another item you can use if you can’t find the cloth diapers is white flour sack tea towels….they are super super absorbent and i have painted a lot of them for wedding presents for kitchen or bathroom use….so i know they would make good burp clothes too…….thanks again
hi there. i am from new zealand so i cant get the gerber cloths here so was wanting to try to make them out of something else. what are the measurements of the gerber cloths? what is the measurement between the 3 sections? thanks! 🙂
Hi! Can you not order them online? I have seen them on amazon.com, don’t know if that is feasible or not. If not then someone suggested using white flour towels. The diapers themselves measure 11″x15″ and there is a 3.5″ space in between each section. The middle section is very padded, having 3 layers. Hope it works out for you. If you want to order them online they are called Gerber pre-folds, here is an example
Good luck!
I’m in Australia and having trouble finding these also. The ones on Amazon can’t be sent outside the US. Do you know of any other sites that sell them internationally?
Thanks. 🙂
I wish I knew of another site! 😦 What about stores that sell baby items? I buy them at Target or Walmart but Babies R Us have them. Do you have something similar in Australia?
I got mine at Target 10 for $16.95. Great buy on the diapers
Search online for a site that sells cloth diapers for use as actual diapers. The prefolds are still inexpensive, and you actually will have more options – sizing, material, level of absorbancy. Good luck.
Great idea! You can get prefold diapers from Green Mountain Diapers (online) for pretty cheap, almost the same price as the Gerber ones and much better quality.
Thanks so much for posting easy-to-follow directions for such cute burp cloths! I finished my first one and am gearing up for the next round. I couldn’t find the diapers you described and ended up spending quite a bit more for the overnight diapers which are a lot thicker…I’ll have to keep my eyes open for the ones you used. Thanks again!
wonderful! here is a link for some on amazon
I love, love, love this burp clothe tutorial!!! It is now my go-to baby shower gift. Thank you so much.
Hooray! That makes me so happy! 🙂 Glad that you like it!
Love it! I featured your tutorial here: http://designsbyvanessa.blogspot.com/2010/04/tutorial-roundup-baby-crafts_16.html
Thanks! 🙂
Love Love Love these burp cloths! They are now my go-to gift for all baby showers – thank you for thinking up the idea and for sharing it with all of us!
Thank you! 🙂 So happy that you like it!
This such a great tutorial! I just made one and can’t wait to make more for a friend of mine. 🙂
Jaime:
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! The tutorial is awesome, the burb cloths are awesome and your blog is rockin’ awesome! Thank you very much! NEVER again will I be covered in puke. You almost make me want to have another baby…almost! Thank you!
~Marcella (making these to give to my friend who is expecting her first baby…oh is she in for a surprise!!)
Thank you! 🙂
I am SO excited to make these! I saw some for sale similar to yours, but they put little fabric “tabs” on the ends for some added cuteness. (www.pootsie.com)
Sewing down the middle – you’re a genius! Thanks SO much for sharing! You are my new favorite blog! 😀
Thank you so much for mentioning my burp cloths! That truly means the world to me. Keep on sewing!
Dana Zimmerman
creator/owner
The Original Pootsie
designer Burp Cloths
I bought the diapers long ago, wal-mart, don’t know if thicker in center, hope so
nephew’s wife expecting baby any day and friend suggested I make these.
from the photos it looks like you have more flannel than diaper. when you’re finished its equal right?
Yes, when you start out you will have more flannel than diaper. This makes it easier to sew since things can shift while you are sewing. Then after you sew around, the first seam, trim the flannel to be flush (same size) with the diaper except where the hole is. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Thanks so much! These are totally easy to make. I am sure they will be a hit!
Hi! I LOVE these! I too had a child who was a major spitter! My second child was not at all which was so nice! But we’re expecting our 3rd so we’ll see how this one is… hahahaha!
Anyway, I was wondering, do you use the “gerber, prefolded birdseye 4-ply” diapers? I just want to make sure I get exactly to right kind so these can maybe look as great as yours…..
If you could/would let me know, that would be wonderful! Thanks so much! And thanks for this awesome tutorial! I can’t wait to get started!
Yes, the prefolded are the ones I use. They will be two thin layers on the sides and really thick in between the sewn lines in the middle of the diaper. I buy them at Walmart or Target.
I just ran across this as I’ve wanted to start sewing and I’m about to have a baby. Your tutorial makes a lot more sense and is MUCH more entertaining to read than all the others I’ve found. Love the cloths, love your writing style, can’t wait to try to make these!
I’ve never sewn anything before in my life, so wish me luck!
Good luck! And let me know if you have any questions 🙂
This was so much fun! I’m going to put the pictures up on your flickr group. Some of the seams aren’t exactly straight, but I think I did pretty good for my first time sewing! I’m looking for other simple baby related sewing projects now. Thank you again for the tutorial!
I have looked at a few ideas on burp cloths, and I like yours very much. I would also like to add machine embroidery to mine. My question is what would you consider the right side of the burp cloth to be. Is it the diaper side or the flannel side.
Cute idea! 🙂 I would consider flannel side the right side, I rest that on my shirt and it sticks to it. The diaper side is the side that the baby spits up on. Hope that helps 🙂
I have a question for you I love the design and really want to make these for our next baby due in a few months. I have a question for you. I would really like the front and back to be flannel with a diaper in the middle for absorption. How do I do that with this tutorial? Please help!
Thanks so much,
Shana
One more question I have leftover cloth diapers from my other kids when they were babies would those work or do I need to buy new ones?
Thanks again, your tutorial is so much easier to understand then others that I have read.
Hi Shana,
You could make the flannel pieces slightly larger than the diaper, sew them right sides together and leave an opening. Turn it right sides out and iron. Stick the diaper inside and pin shut. Then sew down the middle and around the edges to keep the diaper in place. Hope that helps 🙂
If the diapers were used for bowel movements I would buy new ones, if they were just spit up rags, sure!
My 5 year old son is not a spitter, but a drooler at night, due to a muscle disorder. He can’t use a pillow because of his disorder (aspiration issues), so he usually soaks all the way to the mattress pad. I made these for him, just to see if it worked…. and it works like a charm. Now, I don’t have to strip the bed every day!! Thank you!!
Oh, that makes me so happy! 🙂 I am so glad! You are so welcome.
Love this idea! I am going to make a few today 🙂 Thanks for sharing, I’ll check out the flickr group too.
Hey-
So, I am a very beginner sewer. I am artsie and crafty, just not with a sewing machine-hahaha. Anyway- I see these adorable burp rags made from cloth diapers everywhere and was going to try my hand at making them because I have a million, or so pregnant friends right now. Well, I accidentally bought the single ply diapers, without realizing it, and didn’t notice until I was throwing them into my washer to pre wash them. Now I have 24 washed single ply cloth diapers and everyone says to use the thick middled ones…. Do you think I could somehow still salvage these and use them to make burp rags? I thought about folding them in half and then do the normal sewing steps because they are twice as large as the thick diapers. What would you recommend? Any advice would be great. Thanks!
It’s been a while since you posted but I just found this blog. I would think if you layered several with the flannel then sewed or quilted the diaper into thirds that would work well also.
Thank you for this tute. I will be embroiderying on the burps, too.
These are great! I have a friend expecting in June and lots of flannel in my stash, so these will make a great baby gift. Thanks for sharing. (And I love the humor in your writing, too.)
I made burp cloths for a fellow worker’s grandson. I’m not sure where the pattern came from, but it used terrycloth. I suppose you could use a solid terry towel, but I purchase a yard of terry cloth and it made up into 4 burb clothes. They were nice and thick and I put some ribbon embellishment on them. Hope this helps those who are not able to get prefolded diapers.
I made these – they’re awesome! I had my mom help me before the baby came and I thought they might be a waste of time, someone told me breastfed babies don’t spit up. BOY were they wrong, my baby was a spitter extraordinaire. I was so glad to have these – and lots of them, we didn’t leave the house without one in the carseat. Which brings me to my improvement (I know I didn’t think it was possible). I recently helped a friend make a set and we added a ribbon loop to the end, so that you can put a link though them, and hook it onto the carseat.
Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing.
Do you have a picture? I have given so many of these away and I love the idea of a loop!
i looked at the diapers you described at Target the other day and they look really cheap and flimsy. do they get softer and thicker when you wash them? Thanks for your help. i really need some decent burp cloths.
Hmm I am not sure! The ones I bought were tightly woven and really well made. They were the Gerber brand that were triple prefolded. The ones at Walmart are for sure less quality, looser woven and flimsy. I hope Target hasn’t gone downhill! I have some with the flimsy ones and they held up great too, just weren’t as soft and not quite as absorbent. Maybe look on Amazon for some instead? I believe they call them Birdseye on there.
Thanks for the tutorial. I was looking for some ideas for a quick baby gift & I couldn’t remember what I’d seen in the past. I made 2 (1 using your tut & 1 using a diff one) with the same flannel fabric. I like the variety. 🙂 If I had more time, I’d do a 3rd….but as usual, I’m down to the wire with time. I also made a squishy ribbon toy out of the same fabric. Matchy matchy! 🙂
Do you sell these and if so how much do you sell them for. They are so cute.
Thank you
I don’t currently sell them, but I could set something up for you in my etsy shop. Just leave me a private message there on Etsy and we can put up a listing for you. Thanks! 🙂
I love making this burb cloth for gifts. After making several with flannel, I thought I would try some licensed fleece. Everyone loves the fleece with their favorite team. There is less lint with the fleece but not sure how it compares in absorbtion with the flannel. Thanks for the great tutorial!
I am working on some things for my first great grandchild that is due in September. Just a quick question.I saw on the website that you had mentioned where you get your diapers that you can purchase the already dyed diapers which would make it easier to tell @ a glance which was diaper & which was burp cloth. Do you recommend these dyed cloths? I see that yours are all white with the flannel on one side. Is that for any special reason or is it just personal preference? Love your tutorials.
Hi Ellen!
I have never used the colored cloths, only because I never saw them at the store 🙂 It seems like a brilliant idea! I would love to see what you come up with!
The burp cloths will be easily distiguishable from the cloth diapers actually used as diapers because of the flannel be added to make decorative burp cloths, however, colored diapers would probably be really cute to use for burp cloths!
A family friend is expecting twins and I just purchased flannel to match a quilt I am going to make. The coordianting burp cloths will be a nice addition!
just stopping in to say thank you! I love this tutorial, it’s so easy, quick and fun.
Question for you I have started working on these and I haven’t sown in years what is the trick to close the opening??
Thanks
The trick to closing the opening is topstitching around the entire burp cloth when it is right side out after sewing it together. Make your seam allowance small to ensure that you catch the raw edges of the hole and close it completely. Hope that helps 🙂
nice^-^
I want to make these for my cousin who is due in Sept., but I am not sure how much fabric I will need. You say that 1/2 a yard makes two, but the diaper measurements are 11″x15″ according to you or 14.5″x20.5″ according to Amazon. How were you able to get two made out of 1/2 a yard?
Thanks
Hi Audrey!
I get a half yard which is 18″x44″ approx. Then I lay the diaper lengthwise on the 44″ side. This allows for two diapers to fit as they are less than 18″ wide and approx 20″ long, this leaves me with a few inches to spare each way. Hope that helps 🙂
Thanks for the great tutorial! I was wondering how the Child of Mine burp cloths were working out. As good as Gerber? Thanks.
I think they are actually a little bit better! I noticed some other nice ones when I was shopping at Buy Buy Baby the other day that I wanted to try. I like that you can buy a smaller package of the Child Of Mine ones than the Gerber too.
I am expecting two (TWO!) grandbabies within three months of each other. I will be making LOTS of burp cloths and these are just too cute! I can’t wait to get started! I’m off to JoAnn right now!
Thank you!
Great tutorial! I’m back after two years of making some for my first son. I was wondering if you think fleece would work on them? I have tons of scraps and wanted to put them to good use, but I wasnt sure if that would be absorbent enough or should I used flannel. My son lil guy is quite the puker.
That should work fine. I have never tried it, but it will be much thicker than using flannel so make sure to go slowly when you are sewing them 🙂
I want two pretty sides for the Burp Cloth. My daughter is having a baby girl in Nov. of this year and want to make her a few. How can I make this? Do I sew the diaper in between the two fabrics?
Thanks,
Bea
Yep, that is what I would do! I would lay the flannel right sides together and then the diaper on top of that. Sew around like the instructions say and leave an opening. Turn and iron and pin the opening shut. I would sew down the middle a few times as well as the outside edge. Hope that works for you 🙂
Thanks for your tutorial, I stumbled upon a link on Pinterest. Sadly, I got the last pack of the Carter’s Child of Mine prefolds at WalMart today. They were only $4.50 but seems like they’ve stopped carrying them. I’ll have to look at the nicer ones you found at BuyBuyBaby. 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you found anywhere else other than Walmart to get the Carter diapers…I too found those, there was only one package left, and I was sooo excited…went back and they don’t have them anymore! I even searched their website…do they still make them?
bummer! they were new too! Hmmmm, does Target carry the Child Of Mine brand? I don’t know where else….maybe Kohls? I found some good quality ones at Buy Buy Baby as well but I don’t know how many stores there are.
I have found the Carter’s packs at Marshal’s and TJ Maxx for $3.99. I bet they’ve been discontinued.
I found this tutorial the other day and used it to make a couple burp cloths for a baby shower gift. Thanks for the inspiration! My photos are here: http://foursquarewalls.blogspot.com/2011/11/warning-baby-stuff-ahead.html
Oh wow, that’s would make such a great gift. Useful and pretty too..there is no new-mommy who won’t be happy to receive those lovely burp cloths! I will try to make one myself and see how it goes! Thank you so much for posting 🙂
So adorable. Thanks for sharing how you made them. These would also be super cute with these colored prefolds. They are not the cheapest, but they are super thick and absorbent.
http://www.oneluckymama.com/colored-prefolds
OMGosh! I have a friend who just had a baby and I wanted to make her something. I came across your tutorial and I immediately ran out to get supplies! I just finished! I LOVE these, SOOOO super cute and now your blog is bookmarked! 🙂 Thank you!!!
Thanks for writing such a great tutorial. You made it look so simple that after several years away from my sewing machine, I just made a triumphant return with two new burp cloths! (You know, after I reminded myself how to thread the machine…)
I used OsoCozy unbleached prefolds in size 1. They turned out a little small for burp cloths and next time I think I’ll start with a larger diaper. I’m also planning to die a few of the diapers to coordinate with the flannel.
Got the prefolded diapers at Target. Ran the flannel raw edged through my serger then washed the flannel and the diapers all at once. Flannel did not shred like it usually does. Made all ten and plan to give them in a giftbag tied with a ribbon. Cute idea!
Hello, I am a begginer at sewing and soon I will go to my sister in law’s baby shower. I was wondering about the measure for each burp cloth. How big do you make them? Thank you for your great tutorial…
I make them as big as the diaper is. So I trim the fabric to the size of the diaper after sewing them together. Sizes may vary depending on the brand of diapers you buy. Hope that helps! 🙂
I’ve always made my burp cloths and bibs out of flannel (2 layers) but for some reason buyers want cotton. I don’t know why other than it looks pretty, but to me cotton is not very absorbent and not as soft on baby’s face as flannel. I may have to give the flannel/diaper a try tho–had never thought of that.
Very nice tutorial! I just found you by way of….about three clicks away from other blogs 🙂 We have a ‘happy spitter’ grand (his brother was an ‘un-happy spitter’ so I am very familiar with the formula soaked shoulder. And arm. And leg. Will be making these up pronto!
Could I bug you for a little more details on the burp cloths you used? I can not find the Child of Mine online or the Gerber at Target online. I was looking as some other sites and they say things like Birdseye Prefold, Guaze Flatfold, Flatfold Premium, etc. Any help would be great, I would love to try and make these. I shop online since we don’t have much selection on the base and to expensive off base, makes it hard to open the package and take a look and to return. TIA
Hi! The ones I use are prefold diapers. They are thick in the middle and thinner on the sides. If you can’t find them locally I know they are on Amazing. I would get birdseye or premium, gauze doesn’t sound very absorbent to me. Hope that helps.
I have been making these for years (although I only add the flannel down the middle, pre-folded part, Recently, I have started folding the sides into the middle and rolling them. I tie them with a small piece of coordinating ribbon and make them into diaper cakes. 🙂 (Usually, 16 cloths will make a reasonably-sized two-tier cake.) I wrap each of the two layers with a wide piece of ribbon and use craft wire to wire the two tiers together. Also, I just learned how to make hair bows, so for a baby girl, I sometimes attach a small corresponding hair clip to each burp cloth. I’m getting great reviews!
Lovely tute. Made one last night and it’s beautiful. Wish I’d had these for my third… Yuck. Tragically, I read your tute after I bought the diapers. The Wal-Mart diapers are not great quality, and I bought the 3-ply instead of the 2-ply. It’s work getting it sewed because it’s not straight on any side. However, it CAN be done, even by a hideously novice seamstress who can’t sew straight to save her life. It was easy (especially at 1:00 am) and fun.
Thank you!
Love your tutorial! I’ve got a couple questions though, could you use flannel on both sides of the cloth diaper? Then sew down the 2 seams in the middle?
Also, I’ve got some super cute cotton fabric that I picked up for a friends baby, could I use cotton instead of flannel and would it work as well? Or do cotton on one side and flannel on the other? Thanks for your help!
I think that would work fine. The flannel is more absorbent than quilting cotton but I think it would still work just fine. Try a bunch of things and see which you like 🙂
Just wanted to say I LOVE this tutorial!!! I have made 6 burp cloths now and it’s so easy! They are absolutely adorable! Please share more of your sewing ideas. 🙂
This tutorial is great! Thank you so much. I am new to sewing. I just got my first machine. This is the second project I have done, and it was so easy and fun! The burp cloths came out great. My sister-in-law is going to love them. The only mistake I made is that I was too lazy to iron, and I think my edges would’ve been a little cleaner if I had ironed before I topstitched. They still came out good, though. They look and feel much better than the flimsy ones I’ve seen in stores. Thanks again for this easy-to-understand tutorial!
I am so glad that they turned out so great! 🙂 I love hearing that. You are so welcome, my pleasure!
I have made these for several friends. They all tell me that these are hands down the best burp clothes there are. Nice and big and absorbent and they wash well. Plus they are simple yet cute. I am 8 days over-due with my first pregnancy and have just been sewing to keep from going crazy. I made a bunch of these for myself today, I guess we will have to wait and see how they perform for my baby!
Wonderful!! THanks!:)
I bought the same Gerber 6-ply pack of ten for $16.99 at Target tonight. Great tutorial! Thank you!
Hey,
This are so cute.! I have made this before but I didn’t cover the entire cloth with fabric. I cover maybe a 1/3 of the bottom( not the sections but running the opposite way). I also found really cute ribbon that matched the material I was using and but some ribbon on them or made a bow with the ribbon and sewed it on. They are super cute both your way and mine. And I absolutely loved them with my son. And I to made them for friends and gave out at baby showers :). This are a big hit everywhere.! Thanks for sharing.!
Nancy 🙂
Thanks for sharing! We’ve been using prefolds as burp cloths for my reflux-plagued son. The absorbancy was great, but I was in love when I saw my sister-in-law had decorated diapers for burp cloths. This tutorial allows me to combine my desire to make homemade flannel burp cloths with the need for actual absorbancy that I just didn’t get from plain flannel cloths. And your commentary is hilarious!
Thats for the info.I wanted to make some for my grandaughter who soon will have a little one and did not no which material to use underneath .Thanks for the info. good work
visiting from Pinterest! Making these today! Thanks! Angela- Germany
I’ll confess…I was skeptical when you kept insisting that I didn’t have to wash the flannel or the diapers prior to sewing them together. I’ve seen how much pre-folds shrink in the wash. But it’s true…they turn out great without pre-washing. Thanks again for the great info!!
I have a question that I haven’t seen answered above: I already have green mtn prefold dipes (that have been washed so they’re nice a quilted up). Trying to reuse a couple of the newborn sizes here to make a couple of burp cloths instead of buying a new pack at the store. Is it ok to sew on the flannel to my already washed prefolds? Will there be any issues since the prefolds are already shrunk down to size and the flannel fabric I will be using has not been washed? Thoughts on this? Since my prefolds have been washed should I go ahead and run the flannel through a quick wash to shrink it some before sewing it onto my prefolds? Thx in advance for any advice as well as for sharing a great tutorial. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful tutorial, names of material used and including directions even I can understand. I want to make these for my Daughter who is expecting Twins!
My 12 yr old was excited to see these. She wants to make some to use while babysitting and for her own future family. It’s great and not too hard.
Thanks to your wonderful tutorial, with all the pics, I was able to make a beautiful burp cloth in about 20 minutes! My new grandson will love this!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for your ideas. I made some, but now I will tweak them with your suggestions. Also, I actually used receiving blankets instead of buying flannel. I bought lots for really good prices from yardsales and they are great patterns and colors.
HELP!! I’m pretty sure I messed up when I bought the flannel. Since I really didn’t know what I was doing, I thought I would get 10 different patterns of flannel. So I bought a quarter yard of each. Really cute too. However, when I got them home & opened the diapers, I realized the flannel was cut the long way, long & skinny. They measure approx. 41″ long & 9″ wide. The diapers – I bought the Gerber 10 pack from Walmart – measure about 13″ wide by about 18.5″ long. The package says they are 20 x 14. Anyway, should I fold the thin sides of the diapers in a bit or cut the flannel in half and sew it together lengthwise? Or just suck it up and purchase new flannel that is wider than long? I am a novice and wanted to make these for my brand new granddaughter (19 days old) and it seemed so simple. I didn’t see on the tutorial to ask to have them cut a certain way and didn’t see this till I got home. I guess I assumed (mistake!) that the girl at Joanne’s would know how to cut them. I guess she figured I knew what I was doing!!
Can you email me with your response please?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Deb, as an alternative, you can sew your flannel to the edges of the diapers (right sides together), just on the sides and not the ends. Then when you turn it right side out, it will fold the outer ends in toward the center of the back of the diaper. It will be narrower, but still plenty wide for a burp cloth. (This is actually how I make mine.) Be sure to still stitch down the seams, to hold everything in place.
Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial! I am expecting my first grandbaby and will she ever have enough burp cloths! Love, Love, Love these!
Kristina – Yes, just wash the flannel before you sew. I had a couple dozen diapers that had already been washed that I wanted to decorate. Washing the flannel before sewing shrunk it down for perfect results.
Deb – You can either cut the strips in half and sew them together to make them wide enough, or just sew a decorative strip down the center of each diaper. Good luck!
This will be perfect for my friend who just had a baby. Thanks!
I have made these since my oldest daughter was born….23 yrs. ago. Nothing absorbs like a diaper. I like to do mine in a large peanut shape and use a decorative stitch on the edge. Most machines have them….so try them. I am currently exploring diaper flannel instead of the diaper. I too am tired of the folded hump in the middle. I just ordered my first diaper flannel, but I’m excited to try it. Will make the decorative edge much easier to sew. Great job!
I have my diapers and flannel ready to go for my sister’s first baby! I’m fairly new to sewing (about a month of experience) and I have a question – probably an obvious thing, but do you use two thread colors? White on top and a color to match your flannel in the bobbin?
Hi Christine! It looks better with two colors, but it can be tricky if your tension is not just so. I usually just use white on both sides and they look great! Makes it really easy. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the quick reply! I ended up running out of white bobbin thread as I finished the outer sewing, so I threw on flannel-color to do the stripes and it turned out so cute! Finished my first one in just under 30 minutes. Expect that time will speed up as I make my way through that pack of diapers! Thanks for this fantastic tutorial!
I’m making a baby quilt for a colleague who’s having a baby, and I thought matching burp cloths would be a great addition to the gift. Thanks for the great tutorial! I especially like all the tips 😀
Gorgeous!
And the comment about your machine being able to sew through your femur STILL has me laughing!!
Ok love your burpcloths, I make my own out of flannel. Same style of the prefolded diapers as well.I prewash, measure cut, sew two seams down the sides, insert an old kitchen towel for padding. I then sew top seams to mimic the diaper and fold over the ends of the ends in and sew, I also finish them with top seams all the way around the edges. I get new dishtowels and my daughter gets new burp cloths, win, win.
I’ve made so many of these now (for myself and for friends) and I LOVE them! Thanks so much for the tutorial! With my first set I made I did NOT pre-wash anything. Unfortunately the diaper shrunk more than my flannel so the burp cloth was very puckery on the flannel side. I now pre-wash everything and they come out much better. Also, I am able to get three burp cloths out of a half yard of fabric. My washed diaper measures (approximately) 17×12. And my half yard fabric measures 18×42……..thus allowing me 3 cloths per half yard. Maybe my diapers are a different size? Anyway, these are my go-to baby gifts for every friend/relative who is expecting! Thanks SO much for taking the time to post this tutorial! 🙂
I made these. super easy! thank you!
Hi,
I don’t own a sewing machine, and was wondering if I could purchase some of these burp cloths that you’ve made. I have been looking for similar makes in stores and on Etsy, but none are thick or fully flanneled on one side like yours. Do you have a shop website for them?
I sell these in my new Etsy shop, made with high-quality cloth diapers and fully flanneled on one side. Stop by and check it out. If you don’t see any patterns you like, drop me a message and I’ll see if I can find a pattern that matches your taste! (I checked with the blog owner and she’s fine with this post.) 🙂
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KnitPurlSewCuddle
I love these and would like to give them as a gift. But, I am not crafty at all, can’t sew and would probably never figure this out. Do you sell them by any chance?
I sell these in my new Etsy shop. Stop by and check it out. If you don’t see any patterns you like, drop me a message and I’ll see if I can find a pattern that matches your taste! (I checked with the blog owner and she’s fine with this post.) 🙂
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KnitPurlSewCuddle
Try the following place to buy prefold diapers (free shipping)
($1 each for newborn, $1.50 each infant sized)
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277
Wash on hot 3 times – they do shrink some.
I am in the process of making a nursery set for a friend expecting a little one. I want to make burp cloths to match the set but the patterned fabric is not available in flannel. Would it be ok to use quilting fabric on the one side and the diaper on the other? I don’t have kids and I’m not sire if it would be weird to have burp cloths that are only absorbent on one side! THANKS!
That would be fine!
Thanks for this easy tutorial! Just made 2 burp cloths to match a receiving blanket for a shower gift!
I used colored or printed cloth diapers for all three of my kids! They were the best burp rags! I often buy them for showers and put a note with the gift explaining their use. These will be so much cuter!
Just wanted to comment on the questions about using Fleece. It will not be as absorbent as the cotton flannel. I would test a scrap of fleece by pouring some water on it to see if it absorbs very well…….most of it is made from polyester or acrylic. Hope this helps!
I’ll be making some of these from my stash of cute flannel, thanks for the tute!
thanks so much for this tutorial….I have really enjoyed making these, but I seem to be having a hard time finding the right diapers. The ones at Target that I saw are the “made in China” ones, and they are unavailable thru Amazon. Any ideas?
I highly recommend Green Mountain cloth pre folds. Made in USA and the highest quality.
Where did you purchase these cloth diaper ? I’m going to be making these burp cloths for my granddaughter and you said they are a nice quality but I’m not sure where to purchase them.
I purchased them last from amazon. I bought the gerber Birdseye prefolds 6 layer I believe. The thickest ones. Also green mountain cloth diaper company sells excellent prefolds.
I’m not sure where they’re made, but I really like the Oso Cozy Indian Cotton pre-folds on Amazon. I order the medium size and they work well for me.
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I’m looking for things to do for a baby shower of a friend of mine and these burp cloths are just the thing. I have a question though: is there any way of getting the whole diaper covered with the flannel? if so how would you do it? Thanks! I’m new to sewing and this project looks like a lot of fun and very practical!
If I did that I would layers the two layers if flannel right sides together. Then I would lay the cloth diaper on top of those two layers.
To sew I would leave the space on the side as normal and sew around the perimeter. Then flip right side out through the opening. Press and pin the opening closed. The diaper will now be inside between the two layers of flannel.
Sew and normally would in the tutorial, down the center of the diaper from top to bottom in one or two places and then around the perimeter to top stitch and close up the hole.
Hope that helps!
Wow! Wonderful. I used cloth diapers as diapers for my kids. Also used them plain as burp cloths. Have my first great granddaughters coming soon. Need ot make some. Thanks.
I will be a new grandma in July and I love these Burp Pads. I’ve made some for our Mommy-to-be shower and I know she will love them. Thank you for sharing. I brought my diapers at Target, They were rather on the thin side so next time I will look for thicker ones. I decorated them with lace (soft kind), flowers,and ric-rack so cute.
Just got to your blog via Pinterest and loved your tutorial & writing style. Received a shower invite in the mail today & I plan to whip up some of these for a gift. Also, there are 3 women at work who are pregnant & will be making some for them. Thanks for sharing this!
I have yardage of cotton birdseye that I’m going to cut down and use as gifts. I may or may not list some in my Etsy shop. Thanks for the tutorial.
I live in Alaska and the cost of Pre fold diapers is completly outrageous. All three of my children were puker’s but my middle one was a premie and was diagnosed with Premature Esophagal Reflux Syndrome and it was BAD!! I found that Bathroom Hand Towels were the perfect size, came in all colors and were cheaper each than the daipers. Plus they were super soft on her premi face having to constantly wipe it.
I backed them with the flannel which gave extra fun, and absorbancy. Sewed lace or embroidried on the one end of the towel that went over the back of my shoulder to make it more “girlie”.
She would go through about 8 of these just for Sunday Morning Church if that gives you an idea of how bad it was.
Just an idea for those who can’t get the prefold diapers shipped to them…