When it comes to ultra budget-friendly cloth diapers flats are the easiest and most accessible option for so many reasons. They’re easy to find, cheap, and can be handwashed. When it comes to cloth diaper covers it is harder to find them locally. This video tutorial shows how to make a DIY Fleece Cover that requires no sewing, is super cheap, and takes less than 3 minutes to make! I can’t take credit for this idea- I found a great example but I really wanted to put my own spin on things and make the video a little shorter and more to the point.

To create your pattern you can use a cloth diaper cover or any other diaper to get the shape, however you want the cover you cut to be larger all around than your covers. Keep in mind that you need the wings on the back of the diaper to be long enough to come around the front and be tied into a knot.

Fleece is a waterproof material to a point. Certain conditions like sitting in a carseat or stroller can cause compression leaks. Since this cover has no elastic you may also run into issues with containment of BIG messes…. if you use this over fitteds the chances of it happening are less. If you are using this cover over prefolds and flats you’ll want a nice tight fold. Try the Jelly Roll for Prefolds and the Jo Fold for Flats– just make sure to roll in those legs nicely.

Even though this cover is not perfect it is a way to prevent wetness from making its way onto your furniture, bedding, and even your clothing. It is easy to make and the materials are easy to find. I got this blanket from a thrift shop for only $5.00. I made 5 covers from it, but had I really planned my cuts out more strategically I probably could have made 2 or 3 more! Even just making 5 covers made a huge return on my $5.00 investment.  If you can’t find a large fleece blanket for cheap utilize sales on new fleece at craft stores like Joanns- and if the fleece isn’t on sale print a coupon from online for 40% off one item, which includes fabric cuts.

Like flats, these covers are mostly one size and very versatile because you can either cut your own to the exact size you prefer, or make them large like the one shown in the video, and just roll them and fold them to the size you need.

You can make use of your small scraps of fleece by cutting them into rectangles or contour shapes and laying them into the cover’s wet zone for added protection against leaks.

Get this: if you use this tutorial and make 5 covers, and use my tutorial for .25 T-shirt flats, you can create a full stash for $15.00.  Part of the cost includes a $3.00 Snappi.

You read that correctly! 24 diapers, enough to go 2 full days without washing, and 5 fleece covers. Anyone can afford to cloth diaper, even if they only choose to part-time, for $15.00!

Have you made one of these?  Tell us how they worked for you and if you made any special changes or improvements in the comments!  Your input could help another family on their cloth diapering journey.