What’s holding you back from using cloth diapers? If it’s money, then let me show you some ways that you can get cloth diapers without spending a fortune. In fact, I got all of my diapers very cheap and even free!
When we started cloth diapering with our third child, I spent $100 to get everything I needed. How long would $100 last for your normal diaper budget? You’ll be saving money in no time at all!
1- Buy used
When washed and sanitized there’s nothing gross about buying used cloth diapers. They are meant to be re-usable! Just be sure to look them over thoroughly and ask any pertinent questions. Do a little research to know what prices to aim for.
Some great places to buy used cloth diapers are:
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- Craigslist
- Ebay
- Facebook– search local buy/sell/trade groups or cloth diaper groups
- Thrift stores– I’ve found great steals on new and used cloth diapers
- Consignment stores and sales
- Online cloth diaper forums like DiaperSwappers.com
2- Borrow
If you are responsible and promise to take good care of their diaper stash, you might have a generous friend who would let you borrow theirs. Be sure to learn and follow all their washing instructions so you can return them in great condition. Don’t be offended if they say no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!
The people I knew who cloth diapered when I started were using their diapers at the time, so I didn’t borrow any. However, when my son outgrew some of his diapers, I was happy to pass them along to my sister-in-law who had two in diapers at the time.
3-Ask for them
If you are doing a shower registry, be sure to put cloth diapers and cloth diapering supplies on your list. Even some Target stores carry cloth diapers! You can also create an Amazon baby registry
Just for the record, I started cloth diapering with my third child, so I did not receive any cloth diapers as gifts.
4- Contact companies
We got quite a few cloth diapers free by contacting cloth diaper companies. I offered suggestions on their websites, improved product descriptions, and gave feedback. If you have a blog, you could offer to promote their diapers in exchange for free diapers. Get creative and don’t be afraid to ask!
5- Make your own
If you are crafty and have sewing skills, you can try making your own diapers. Joann Fabrics has a line of PUL (the fabric used for the waterproof shell) called Babyville. Wait for a 40% or 50% off coupon and grab some PUL! Hancock Fabrics also carries Babyville PUL that is prepackaged.
There are free diaper patterns online, or you can use a diaper that you already have and fits well to create your own pattern. Babyville also has a step-by-step book for sewing cloth diapers with patterns included.
If you are already washing diapers, you may as well use cloth baby wipes as well! If you sew, you probably have some flannel or fleece that would work just fine. They are simple to make and save so much money!
6- Repurpose things you already have
When I realized that you could stuff a pocket diaper* with things besides the microfiber inserts they come with, my insert stash doubled and it didn’t cost me a penny. All those white gerber “burp cloths” that you used with your newborns are called “prefolds” in the cloth diapering world. You can use them with just a waterproof cover, or you can stuff a pocket diaper with them.
*For those who are new to cloth diapering, a “pocket diaper” is a popular style of cloth diaper that has an outer waterproof shell and microfleece inner layer to wick away moisture from baby’s skin. The pocket between the inner and outer layers is filled with an absorbent insert.
Receiving blankets work great as inserts too. They fit well in a cover or into a pocket diaper.
Hang onto those old wool sweaters. Wool has amazing properties that make it perfect for a diaper cover (“wool soaker”), especially for heavy wetters at night. When you take the cover off in the morning it will smell like pee, but once you air dry it, the pee smell is completely neutralized. No joke. I didn’t believe it myself until I tried it. You only have to wash them every 3-4 weeks or so. Amazing.
In addition to wool’s natural lanolin, you can lanolize your felted wool cover using your left over lanolin
7- Buy from overseas
While some might shudder at the thought of buying diapers made in China, the reality is that most cloth diapers are made overseas, even if an American company later slaps their branded label on them. My first personal experience with cloth diapers was with cheap diapers from China that I bought on ebay. Some worked well, some didn’t.
We actually used primarily Chinese-made diapers. The brands we liked were Alva, Sunbaby, Baby Frog (Ikawa) and Kawaii. Beware that some “Chinese cheapies” are just that. I wouldn’t order Baby City or Sunny Baby again, as they quickly delaminated.
8- Use Amazon gift cards
If you use Swagbucks, chances are you have access to some Amazon gift cards. Amazon has lots of cloth diapers and cloth diapering products. Some of the best bang for your buck are:
- Econobum Cover/Prefolds
– Covers and prefolds are one of the most economical cloth diaper styles and Econobum is a great price. I had 5 Econobum covers that I bought used and they are still going strong! I used them with pre-folds and with the re-purposed receiving blankets I talked about in #6 above.
- Kissaluvs Pail Liner
-After reading reviews, this was the pail liner that we chose and have liked. We also have a zipper-bottom one from Alva, but I prefer the Kissaluvs.
- Alva Baby cloth diapers
– You can get Alva diapers (and some re-branded Alvas) on Amazon (and Ebay). If you have Amazon gift cards, they are some of the best bang for your buck.
9- Online deals
As cloth diapering becomes more trendy and popular, there are an increasing number of deals and special offers. Here are a few:
Diaper Junction has a 30-day “test drive” of the many brands they offer. They also have a customer rewards program.
- Cottonbabies has a 30-day money back guarantee and free shipping with every order.
Also keep your eyes peeled for giveaways.
10- Sell your used diapers back (or save them for your next kiddo)
You can re-sell your cloth diapers when you are finished with them and recoup a nice chunk of your cost. If you used some of the above tips to get your cloth diapers cheap or free, you could break even or profit. Cloth diapers hold their value well and there is a real market for them!
Even though I don’t have anyone in diapers right now, I still always check for cloth diapers at the thrift store. I’ve even found new-in-package diapers at the thrift store (an unwanted shower gift, I imagine).
Look up at #1 in this list. The places to buy used cloth diapers are the places to sell your used cloth diapers! Also, some sites like cottonbabies.com have buyback programs for store credit.
You can do it!
Like just about anything else, cloth diapering can be as expensive or as frugal as you make it. If you want to save money, you’ll have to control yourself when you see adorable new prints and styles. Just like shoe shopping, cloth diapers can become an addiction.
The $100 that I spent on cloth diapers not only finished off my son’s diapering career, but now I have all the supplies for cloth diapering the next baby! You really can get a cloth diaper stash together very inexpensively if you put your mind to it. In the long run (or even after a couple of months), you will save so much money over disposable diapers.
If you’re new to cloth diapers, Erin can help you learn the ropes and troubleshoot any problems. She has tons to experience with all kinds of cloth diapers and has helped many couples make cloth diapers work for them (it was her job!). She wrote a comprehensive e-book (over 200 pages!), Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert, that will answer all your questions!
Some of the links in this post are referral or affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for details.
I am all for cloth diapering. However, did I read this right? I am pretty sure you stated that you only wash the wool covers soaked in pee every 3-4 weeks… Frankly, that is disgusting. I would NEVER put anything that was dirty, let alone soaked in urine, back into my child’s bottom without washing it first. Even if it is wool… Even if you say you can’t SMELL the pee once it dries… IT IS STILL THERE! Gross!
Hi Amber! I’m with you- I thought it was absolutely CRAZY too the first time I read about wool cloth diaper covers. It’s legit though! The lanolin in the wool acts like a soap and neutralizes the urine. Of course that’s just for the wool cover (outside part). You have to wash the absorbent cotton diaper that’s actually touching baby’s bum. The wool cover just keeps the wetness of the diaper from soaking through clothes, etc. The diaper in direct contact with baby’s bum is washed and dried after every use!
ClothDiaperTrader.com is another great place to buy used cloth diapers 🙂
Diaper junction had discontinued their 30 day trial run as of November 2015. 🙁 I’m going to hunt for other deals you’ve given though. I have a small stash of cloth diapers from my last child. We will be adding to it because a few just isn’t enough.
Oh bummer! Thanks for letting me know!
You should write a post on how you potty trained your children early.
It did! It’s here. 🙂
Very nice guidelines… In addition, Do not stock a bulk and bulk of diaper. Babies grow fast. They might outgrown those pile of diaper you’ve bought.
This is the best and cheap idea for buying cloth diapers. Hats off to Stephanie for an excellent content.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. We have been doing a cloth by day disposables by night for 7 years now and I love them! I have reviewed every diaper we have tried over the last 7 years on my blog as well as a few more money saving tips hen buying cloth.
Stephanie,
As a member of Amazon Prime and Subscribe and Save too, I also look on Amazon mom. My children are now grown, but I have very gifted grandchildren (she said smiling), I have gifted my son and my wonderful daughter in law with gifts of diapers, etc. I just happened to notice that they are selling cloth diapers, like the ones in your pictures for a really good deal. I buy them when I see a great deal for gifts, for family members, church showers, and families in need. I love beating the system and this is one way to pay if forward and help others too.
Great post by the way!
I received over 200$ in free diapers from Kellys closet. Com between their promotions like free diaper with purchase and the points they reward that can be used for a gift card… The free diapers with purchase are a minimum 20$ diaper, I received a bg freetime and 3 rumparooz pockets that way and then bought 100$ worth of itti bitti d’lish ai2’s with my points… Zulily is great for discount diapers also!
Thanks for sharing Danielle! I hadn’t thought about watching Kellys Closet or Zulily for diaper deals.
Also cloth diaper sites have outlets for much cheaper if you wait and aren’t picky about colors.. Got a bunch for Thirsties outlet online super cheap!
Great tip! Thanks Andrea!
Great ideas! I am now reusing my cloth diapers for my second child but could really use some more!
You can always use more, right? 🙂
I used a waterproof mattress cover from IKEA to make the outers for 10 pocket diapers. They have (or at least had) one that is $16 for a twin. That made 10 diapers for me. I bought suedecloth on sale for something like $3/yard. I used stuffing materials I had on hand. Total cost with elastic and velcro was about $4/diaper. Perfect daytime diapers. (Because the fabric is PUL on one side with cottony/terry material on the other, they wick a bit more than poly PUL, but they are great for the price)
Way to be resourceful Lehall! Those are some great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Love the idea of talking to companies to get free diapers.. Although the last thing I need is more cloth diapers. 😉 I’ve made most of the stash for my sons, but I sold the original store bought diapers I got back when my first was little. Got an awesome price for them all, selling via Craigslist.
It really is amazing how cloth diapers hold their value. When I bought the Econobums on diaperswappers, they were in a lot with other diapers. I sold the ones I wasn’t interested in and got more than I paid for the lot, making the Econobums free.
This is a great post on cloth diapers. I use them and am currently using them. Wish I would have seen your thoughts on how to get them for under $100.00. Mine were on consignment, but I still spent close to $200.00. I did want a large stash so I would not wash everyday. You have given me several great tips with the receiving blankets and wool sweaters.
I have a few cloth diaper posts on my site. If you would like I would love for you to do a post for me sometime. Thanks!
That still makes for great savings over disposable diapers! Good for you Michelle! Wool covers are amazing! They were a great night time solution for us.
When life slows down a bit, I’ll see about getting a guest post put together 🙂
Great tips, Stephanie! I just published a similar post about how to get CDs for free, so was curious about the places you got yours. I love diaperswappers and agree with all your ideas. Unfortunately, I’m not good at sewing so could never make my own, but a sweet lady from our church did deliver me a batch that she’d started stitching 25 years earlier when her daughter was a baby and she never found time to finish until recently. Too sweet! Happy to meet another CDing mama today. Visiting from SITS.
That is sweet of her to finish up the diapers she started years ago and give them to you! I have had success buying and selling on diaperswappers too. I even got one free-for-shipping, like you mentioned 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Jelli!
I think if you decide ahead of time, that asking for cloth diapers before your baby is born or at the baby shower can be an awesome strategy! I’ll have to keep that in mind! 🙂
I know! We never did that since we didn’t cloth diaper until our 3rd child.
Great tips! We are expecting our first child and I’m hoping to cloth diaper. Great idea to consider using my blog or sending in pics of your child wearing the cloth diaper brands to get freebies! Maybe I’ll get up the muster to try making my own.
Congrats Erika! That is exciting! Scoring cloth diapers for free can be part of nesting 🙂 One of my favorite parts of making your own is that you can adjust the size for just what you need! Best wishes!
I love the idea of making your own. My cousin’s baby was cloth diapered exclusively (though they always brought one disposable when they went out, just in case). She made a few of her own, but other than that she bought the covers second hand and the inserts on Ebay or something of that nature. It worked for them. Cloth diapering is so much better for your baby’s skin!
The nice thing about making your own, is you can make the exact size you need. My son was a very heavy-wetter at night time. He would even leak through disposables! Custom making night time diapers for him was a great solution!
We cloth diapered almost from the start. Daughter Person was in the NICU for a week after she was born, and that’s the only time in her life she’s been in disposable diapers. We also discovered that she’s allergic to something in them (apparently, I was allergic to disposables too, so it might be inherited). She’d have ugly red gashes on her legs and butt and anywhere the diaper touched. We’ve never had that problem since she’s been home and in the cloth diapers. We went 100% bumgenius, almost all bought new form the store. I was going to resell them, but ended up giving them to a friend who’s due in a few weeks – they’re at least going to good use!
What a generous gift to your friend! I’m sure she is thrilled 🙂
Yikes! That is a serious reaction to disposables!
I was born in hospital 48 years ago and from day 1 was clothdiapered because of the fact I was born with eczema. children who are cloth diapered become potty trained during a year ahead of children in disposables. think of the time and hassle you will be saving by cloth diapering.
It is nice to know you have something chemical-free on your baby’s bum. And the money-saving aspect is huge for us.
We potty trained all three of our kids (both with our disposable-diapered and cloth-dipaered kids) early. Within a month or two of their second birthday we have them in underwear.