Baby shower gifts are a challenge. You want to give the new mom something memorable and useful. A baby can only wear so many onesies and has a potential to suffocate in too many baby blankets. So what do you give a new mom that will be both thoughtful and helpful? The answer is an eco-friendly homemade gift that keeps on giving. Re-usable cloth baby wipes. This gift is perfect for a mom who is planning on using cloth diapers, a mom that enjoys saving money or for a mom who is environmentally conscientious. Using disposable baby wipes could cost a new mom $600 per year. This gift will cost you less than $50! What more could a new mom want? Well I’m sure they would happily accept a $600 cheque each year.

What you will need:

• About 30 cloth baby wipes from a local store or online
• An empty disposable baby wipe container from any drugstore (If you don’t have a baby that you can use the disposable wipes on, they are excellent for make-up removal)

Optional Additions:

• Wet bags are a necessity for any new mom. They are meant to be kept in the diaper bag to hold dirty cloth diapers and wipes when you are out and about. When buying a wet bag, make sure they zip closed and have snaps that can be used to attach it to strollers etc. You can find wet bags online.
• Wipe spray is necessary when using cloth wipes. You can find different sprays in stores that sell cloth wipes. You can also buy wipe solution online. Be aware that some babies may be sensitive to the essential oils that are in most of these sprays. The safest and cheapest alternative to wipe spray is water! You can buy an empty spray bottle from any drugstore. The new mom can then choose to fill it with water, make her own solution or fill it with a store bought brand.

Where to get the cloth wipes?

If you have a serger you can make the wipes out of any flannel or terrycloth fabric. For them to fit well into the wipe dispenser make them 7×7 inch squares. Simply serge the fabric edges. If using flannel serge 2 pieces together. If you don’t have a serger or don’t have the time you can buy cloth wipes. They are available in stores that sell cloth diapers or you can buy cloth wipes online.

 

To package the wipes:

Take the first wipe (pink) fold it in half to make a mark at center.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take the second (yellow) wipe and line the edge up with the center line.

 

 

 

 

Fold the first (pink) wipe back in half over the second wipe.

 

 

 

 

Line a third (blue) wipe up with the edge of the first (pink) wipe.

 

 

 

 

Fold the second (yellow) wipe in half over the third (blue) wipe.

 

 

 

 

Take a forth (pink) wipe and line an edge up with the edge of the second (yellow) wipe.

 

 

 

 

Fold the third (blue) wipe in half over the forth (pink) wipe.

 

Continue this pattern until all wipes are folded into a stack. Put the wipe stack into wipe container. You will probably need to widen the perforated wipe box opening to fit the wipes through. Just cut or rip the opening to extend the slit at the top. Pull a wipe through and the wipes are ready to go. When a wipe is pulled out the next one will pop up just like disposable wipes.

The wipe container pictured came with a cute design already on it. You could personalize your gift further by painting, decoupaging, or bedazzling the container; just use some CreativePlume.

Want to learn more about cloth diapering? Here are some resources:

• I know nothing about cloth diapering where do I start?
• Why choose cloth diapers?
• What types of cloth diapers are there?
• What detergent can I use to wash cloth diapers and wipes?

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