Changing BumGenius 3.0 from Velcro to Snaps

Before my daughter was born I spent a small fortune on cloth diapers in many different brands and styles. It has been over a year and all of my diapers have been worn and washed hundreds of times and now, as is expected, they are showing a bit of wear and tear.

The Bum Genius 3.0 diapers have especially shown a lot of wear. The Velcro hook tabs are beginning to roll and the loop strip has begun to fray and pill so bad nothing will stick to it unless you used glue.

I have heard other parents who use the Bum Genius 3.0 diapers complaining about similar problems. Recently, Cotton Babies sells a Bum Genius refresher kit which includes 2 pieces of legs elastic, 1 piece of back elastic, 2 laundry tabs, and 2 tab closures for $1.00. Plus, it includes sewing instructions. And you can easily replace the hook strip. It is a 9.5in long piece of loop Velcro 1.5in wide. You can purchase it by clicking here or visit your local fabric and craft store.

Another option is to replace the Velcro all together with snaps. Snaps last a lot longer than Velcro and are not very expensive. Usually, you can't get plastic snaps at local craft stores and you also need snap pliers or a snap press to apply plastic snaps.




This is before. You can see how worn the loop Velcro is.




This is after I removed the Velcro and added snaps.
Yes, it is a different diaper but I ran out of clean diapers
 and needed the white one.
I had already finished that one and forgot to take a photo.
But you can see how much nicer the snaps look.

 I got my snaps and pliers/press at KAMsnaps. They have everything you'll need to use snaps. You'll need 24 caps, 4 studs, 20 sockets in size 20 snaps for your diapers (I would have a few spare just in case), an awl, and snap pliers (or press).

1. Remove the old Velcro tabs and strip with a seam ripper being careful not to tear the fabric. (I also removed the laundry tabs but you do not have to.)
2. Put the diaper in the dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes. This helps to seal all the little holes from the Velcro thread.
3. Mark the spots wear you will put each snap with a fabric pen. There will be 2 rows of 10 snaps each. There must be an inch space between each snap and between the rows. 2 snaps will also be on the tabs and need to be close the the edge of the tabs an inch apart.
4. Place a piece of card board inside the diaper's pocket to prevent the awl from puncturing the liner.
5. Puncture the fabric where you marked with the awl so there is a defined hole.
6. On the front of the diaper place a cap on the inside of the fabric and a socket on the outside. Insert the cap prong through the hole you created with the awl and place the socket on top. Use the pliers to press the snap together. Repeat for all 20 holes. Use a caps and studs for the tabs.
7. Snap the snaps together to make sure they fit together. You should hear (you got it) a snapping sound when the snaps are correctly put on. Refer to KAMsnaps tutorial videos if you need further instruction.

GreenCheeks One Year Warranty

I have never attempted to walk on water because I know I would fail. I am not perfect. I make mistakes. There's no way around it. After all, I'm just human.

If I were perfect I would have made the perfect diaper the first time around but it has taken a year and many pattern alterations to get my diaper to what it is today and I'm sure there are still many improvements I can still make.

This is one of my very first diapers. I had made the tabs too short and had to add extra fabric to ensure that it closed. I used a thin elastic that has a tendency to twist. And I fleece for the lining that pills like you wouldn't believe.

This is a diaper I made today. Size small pocket diaper. It has adjustable tabs for a great fit, a flannel lining that doesn't pill, and braided elastic that I thread so it never twists.

I've made a lot of improvements to other products like my wipes and inserts. This is a learning process and I can promise that I will make mistakes. It's just the way life is.

So, why am I telling you this? Because I want you to buy my diapers and products with a sense of security that they are good quality. I am offering a ONE YEAR warranty on all GreenCheeks products. If the elastic breaks, the threading comes undone or some over problem that is a quality issue and beyond normal wear and tear I will fix it, or replace it free of charge. 

Because I'm not perfect but I still want you, my customer, to have a quality product.

Essential Oils

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that in some of my products I use essential oils. In fact, I am a strong advocate for the use of essential oil for babies. Recently, I had a customer buy a tube of Baby Booty Balm and she asked why I used that specific combination of essential oils for the fragrance. It was then that I realized that most people do not know that the main purpose of essential oils is not fragrance but medicinal.

 Essential Oils are used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes ranging from depression to eczema and even to indigestion. Many oils can be used topically, internally or as aromatherapy.

As I have stated before, I am partial to do Terra essential oils. All their products are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) and I personally have had great results with their oils. Do Terra does run a little higher than other brands but I think its worth it. But I do feel that using any essential oil is better than nothing. I have had good results with Aura Cacia and Nature's Alchemy as well.

 
I use many different essential oils in my day to day life. Lemon essential oil is my favorite cleaning agent and Lavender essential oil helps calm my little girl (topically on her feet, aromatherapy in a diffuser or in her bath) right before bed. But on this blog I use four essential oils most commonly for my wipe solution and my Baby Booty Balm: Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Lavender, Geranium, and Rosemary. Below is each of these essential oils and their purpose in my products.

Melaleuca Properties
Antifungal
Anti-inflammatory
Antiviral
Astringent
Disinfectant

Used to keep baby's bottom clean and  to kill any fungus that is diaper rash.

Lavender Properties  
Analgesic
Antibiotic
Antidepressant
Anti-inflammatory
Antiseptic
Diuretic
Disinfectant
Sedative


Used to calm inflamed skin, to disinfect baby's bottom, and keep skin clear
 

Geranium Properties
Analgesic
Antidepressant
Antiseptic
Astringent
Diuretic
Sedative

Geranium is used to maintain healthy skin very similarly to Lavender. It has remarkable abilities to calm inflamed skin due to diaper rash or other skin ailments. 

 Rosemary Properties 
Analgesic
Antioxidant
Antiseptic
Antispasmodic
Astringent
Diuretic
Stimulant

 Rosemary is also great for diaper rash and irritation. It helps to clean and heal the skin.

As you can see the essential oils that I put in my products are not just for fragrance although I do find the smell quite pleasing. Without the essential oils in the wipes solution or Baby Booty Balm there's almost no point. 


One of my favorite websites for essential oil use is Everything Essential. It has been a great resource for natural healing methods with essential oils. Almost any health issue I have encountered I have searched on this website and found an oil combination or blend to help. It also has an entire index of do Terra oils and their purposes.


If you are interested in purchasing any do Terra essential oils or products for your own use please visit http://www.mydoterra.com/donnavickery/.

Oh NO! There's no wipes!

I can't tell you how many times I have the diaper off, baby's legs held up, poop everywhere and I reach for a wipe but (gasp!) I forgot to "make" some up. All I have are dry wipes which don't work nearly as well as those soaked in wipe solution. So after many frustrating diaper changes in which I had to send my husband to wet a paper towel and bring it to me I found a solution.

Yes, a spray bottle. Keep a spray bottle by your changing station with some wipes solution in it. In circumstances that there are no wipes made you can spray the solution onto your baby's bottom and use a dry wipe to clean up.

This shouldn't be a permanent solution. Most babies do not like being sprayed. It's cold. But it will work when your in a tight spot between a dirty diaper and a naked baby.

Improved 100% Cotton Diaper Inserts

Recently, I had a customer that was looking to buy inserts for her baby's G diapers. I wasn't familiar with this brand so I looked them up. This specific brand has the inserts act more as a liner which is very similar to the Flip System from Bum Genius. My old style of inserts were made completely out of terry cloth which is often too rough for little baby bottoms. In the interest of my customers who may use my inserts as liners for their diapers I have created a softer, more absorbent insert.

Flannel covered inserts padded with 5 layers of terry cloth. No difference in color, that's just the color of flannel I had when I made these. I think I just ran out of white.

I have increased the number of layers of terry cloth from four to five for extra protection against leaks but still using 100% cotton so there are no smells that linger after a wash. I have also lined my inserts with 100% cotton flannel so it is soft against baby's bottom if needed but can still be used easily as an insert for GreenCheeks diapers and most other brands.

GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts are available in a 3 pack for $5 in any size. One-Size 100% Cotton Inserts are also available in a 2 pack for $6.

GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper and Insert

GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper and One-Size 100% Cotton Insert can be adjusted three sizes. One diaper can fit a baby from approximately 8lbs to 45lbs! There's no need to get different sized diapers as your little one grows. You have all you need with one diaper.

All you need to do is adjust the snaps.

Below is the One-Size Diaper and Insert adjusted as a small.

Below is adjusted to the medium size:

And below they are adjusted to the large size.

 GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper also come with snap fasteners.

One-Size Diaper with snap fasteners adjusted to a small

GreenCheeks One-Size Diapers are $18 each and include one One-Size 100% Cotton Insert. Additional One-Size 100% Cotton Inserts can be purchased in a pack of two for $6.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Baby Booty Balm (In a twist tube!)

I have a had a few requests for a natural diaper ointment. Well you asked and I delivered. Baby Booty Balm (my husband made up the name) is made from a combination of Grapeseed Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, and a combination of essential oil specifically for diaper rash. It is all natural and safe for cloth diaper. And it smells wonderful! I've been using this on my little girl since she was born and have had great results. Best of all it comes in a twist tube so you never have to touch the ointment or baby's bottom and it lasts for months! You can use it every diaper change or just when the skin is irritated. 

Baby Booty Balm comes in 2oz tube for $10 or a 1oz tube for $5.

Note: For sanitation purposes only one tube per child should be used.

The best part about Baby Booty Balm is you can make it yourself! You can get most of the products, including the twist tubes, from Elements Bath and Body for a great price. For the essential oil I think doTerra is the best brand to go with. They have given me best results but they are higher priced because of the great quality. If you want to go with a lower priced essential oil Aura Cacia and Nature's Alchemy are good brands as well. You can find these essential oils at your local health store or visit http://www.vitacost.com/

This is what you will need:
2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
2 Tablespoons Beeswax Pellets
1 Tablespoon Jojoba Oil
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
1 Tablespoon Coconut or Shae Oil
2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
2 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
2 drops Geranium Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil

In a double boiler or a small slow cooker (I used the slow cooker) melt all ingredients together except the essential oils. Once it is all smooth and liquid take a spoonful out and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Test the spoonful to see if it is the consistency that you want. If it's too soft add more beeswax, if it's too hard add more grapeseed oil. This recipe is what I found to be the best consistency. When it is the way you want it add the essential oils and stir with a fork. Then pour or spoon the oil into a desired container such as a glass baby jar or a twist tube. (To transfer the oil I used a new turkey baster. I have also found a large syringe works well.) Let sit at room temperature until it is solid.

 This recipe makes about 3oz of balm which will fill one large and one small twist tube. You do not have to use all the essential oils listed but together they are great for diaper rash. At the very least I recommend tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil.

If you have any question feel free to e-mail me or comment. Enjoy your Baby Booty Balm!