Diaper Envelope
DIY replacement for the diaper bag

Sure, sometimes you need a hefty diaper bag, but sometimes you just want a diaper and wipes. And sometimes, you wish your diaper and wipes didn’t look so much like, well, a diaper and wipes. Or that your diaper, loose in your bag of other things, didn’t get so beat up and mix in. Anyway, after my fifth baby got past the infant stage and we didn’t need to carry a change of clothes around too, I finally whipped up a diaper and wipe holder. I was motivated by the idea of being able to stick it in my bag I take to church and being able to pull it out, tuck it under my arm, and discretely carry it to the bathroom or send it with my husband. All in a neat little packet. It just took a few minutes–why didn’t I do this years before? It’s been great.

I just chose some material I had on hand already. It doesn’t take much.

Use a diaper and a packet of wipes to judge how big to make your envelope. (For wipes, I like using samples, or failing that I put some in a quart size freezer bag, or one of those hard cases–whatever you use when you don’t use the whole package.) My original piece of material was about 15 1/2″ long and a skimpy 9″ wide.

I pressed and sewed the two shorter sides. Then I folded one side over about 4 1/4″ and sewed along 1/4″ from the edge all the way along the sides. I kept the seams on the outside of the envelope so the diaper and wipes don’t compete with the edges for space inside. This worked well with the denim material I had.

I decided to fasten it with two buttons that I already had. You may have another idea. The button holes were the hardest part of the whole project, in my opinion. Except maybe getting started in the first place. If I had the time, I’d make and sell these. I suppose somebody does, but really, you can make your own for free in just a few minutes. And if you’re not the crafty type but wish you were, this is a great beginner’s project.