Snaps & Velcro... Oh my!

A lot of people are intimidated by both snaps and velcro. Both can seem intimidating but once you get the hang them, they are quite easy. I will take you step by step installing both snaps and velcro on a one size diaper cut.

For this tutorial you will need:

• Snap Pliers (I use and recommened Kamsnaps)
• Snaps (Size 20) Here
• 1.5" White (or your preference) Hook & Loop/Velcro, Touch Tape (It has many names)
• Diaper Cut you want to use (Great, free patterns here)
• Your pattern to mark you snap placement.
• Awl. (You should have received a pair with your pliers)
• Scrap piece of PUL for reinforcing your snaps
• 90/14 Ballpoint Needle (Whichever brand you need for your machine)
• Patience

No shown, Velcro!

Step 1: Mark your snap/velcro placement.

I use a disappearing pen or a washable marker to mark my placements on the fabric side of my diaper cut. In case of a mess up, these are easily removed. Mark your rise snaps how they are shown on your pattern. Then mark the last two snaps (top and bottom) on the right and left sides to mark your velcro placement. 

Use your Pattern to mark you snap placement. I use my awl to punch a hole in the middle of each snap. Then I take my marker and mark the diaper using an water soluble pen. 

Add some type of weight to your pattern so that it doesn't shift as you are marking the pattern. 

In this particular diaper, I am only putting in rise snaps and using velcro. As you can see I marked 4 dots at the edge of the pattern to mark where my velcro will be placed. (More on this later)

Step 2: Mark & Attach your reinforcement pieces.

In this step we will use scrap pieces of PUL to attach our snap caps to the main diaper. We will do this with our scrap pieces and our stud caps. We will also be using our awl.

Cut small strips of scrap fabric (long and wide enough to mark for snap placement).

Placing your pattern rise snaps over the scrap pieces, mark your scraps.

Both pieces are marked using your pattern. 

This pattern calls for 6 studs & 2 sockets. Go ahead and lay out what you need. 

Next, use your awl to poke holes in the markings you made. Push your caps through all 4 holes. Repeat for both scrap pieces. 

Use your awl to punch holes in your markings on your main fabric piece. Only punch holes in the rise snaps placements markings. Do not punch through your velcro marking holes.

After you have punch holes in your main fabric, line up your scrap fabric (with caps attached) with your recently made holes in main fabric and push through.

Caps/prongs pushed through your main fabric.

Step 3: Attached the Studs/Sockets

In this step we will work with the snap pliers, studs, & sockets. 

Place your socket on the first prong from the top of your diaper. 

Using your snap pliers line up all the piece correctly. Cap goes down, prongs/cap goes up. Press down firmly. Sometimes I used two hands to get the maximum amount of pressure. 

What your cap should look like once you have used the snap pliers to put it in place.

Step 4: Clean everything up with your snaps.

In this step, we will be using scissors to cut our scraps down on the diaper. Sometimes you can't always get the diaper to lay flat once the snaps are attached using this method. I always cut in between my scrap pieces.

As you can see in this picture, the fabric around the snaps is not flat and is bunching.

Using your scissors and being EXTRA careful, cut the scrap material between your snaps.

Do this for both sides.

Finished with the snaps!

This is what your front will look like. 

Step 5: Velcro

In this step, I will show your how to measure, cut and attach your velcro. I do not use reinforcement for my velcro.

Using your pattern, measure the distance between either the last snaps across the front, or (in this case) the marking for the velcro. This is 9.5".

Using 1.5" Velcro, cut 9.5".

Take your diaper cut and velcro to your machine. Line up your velcro with the two dots you made.

Lined up.

Using a 1/8" allowance, drop your needle into the fabric close the the top left edge.

Before sewing, make sure you line your velcro up with the right side dots and hold into place as you start sewing. Make sure to backstitch. 

Sew a straight stitch all the way around your velcro using an 1/8" allowance. Make sure to backstitch at the end. 

Back side of your diaper. I do not reinforce my velcro strips.

You are now ready to start assembling your diaper. 

You will find the tutorial to put together a similar diaper like this here.

Front Envelope Pocket Style Diaper

The inspiration for this post came from a Facebook group I am in called Fluff Love Sewing. I guess you can said I am pretty experienced in the diaper making world. Over the past 4 years I have tried to sew it all. There is a pretty popular blog out there that has several diaper patterns and even her own tutorials. I decided to try one of them and was asked to show how I did it! So without further ado...

You will need:

• PUL (polyurethane laminate) 
• Microfleece or Suedecloth
• Sewing Machine
• 90/14 Ballpoint needle
• Coordinating Thread
• 3/8" Poly-braided Elastic
• Snaps (and velcro if you prefer)
• A place to lay out your materials
• Pattern - All rights, dibs, whatever else I am missing goes to Arfy and her blog.

Today I am doing the OS (one size) Squaretab Front Opening Envelope Pocket Diaper.

Step 1: Cut out your materials needed for your diaper. Add your snaps (velcro).

Here I have cut my outside (PUL layer), my inside microfleece layers, and my flap for the front opening pocket (also PUL) using the free pattern from the links above. Also, go ahead and add your notions. Snaps/Velcro to the outside PUL layer. You can find a tutorial on adding snaps & velcro here.

For my flap piece, I cut 3.5" x 11.5". 

Step 2: Sew your finished edges.

You are going to sew your flap PUL piece under .5" and your microfleece piece under 1".

This insures that when the pieces are put together they will not overlap and be sewn together closing the pocket opening. 

Step 3: Add your layers together and clip.

You will add all three layers together in this step. 

• 1st Layer: PUL outside facing up.
• 2nd Layer: PUL Flap facing down at the front of the diaper.
• 3rd Layer: Microfleece on top of other two face down.
• Clip together!

2nd Layer

3rd layer

You will see at the top that the microfleece does not reach the top of the front of the diaper. This is the correct positioning. You do not want these pieces lined up. 

Clip Together

Step 4: Sew your seam allowance

This pattern calls for a 3/8" seam allowance. In this step you will sew all the way around the diaper using the allotted seam allowance. 

As you can see the microfleece was not sewn to the top of the diaper.

At this point you have your front opening pocket

Step 5: It's all about elastic!

In this step we will work on attaching the elastic to the diaper and also learning how to figure out how much elastic you need. First you need to make sure all of your elastic points have been marked on your diaper. I use a permanent sharpie. Its just a preference of mine. 

Next, you will figure out how much elastic you need. So let's see how well I can explain this. In this pattern there are 7" between the elastic marks for the back of the diaper and 10" for the legs of the diaper.

Back Elastic Marks

Leg Elastic Marks

I know that my elastic (that I use) double itself when it's fully stretched. So for 7" of stretch, I only need 3.5" of elastic. For 10" of stretch, I only need 5" of elastic. I know this because I have worked with my elastic for a long time. To find out how much elastic you will need. Hold on side of your elastic at the start of your measuring tape and then stretch it (to it's fullest) to the 7" mark. Hold on to that spot. Once it is back to it's resting place, you should have the amount of elastic you need.(This might be confusing. If so let me know, I will try to post a video of what I mean.) Then you repeat for the leg elastic.

Tack down your elastic.

Back Elastic Tacked into diaper with a zig zag stitch.

Legs & Back elastic tacked in. Seam allowances cut to approx 1/4"

At this point you will also cut your seam allowances to approx 1/4". Make sure to clip the corners short.

Step 5: Turning and Top Stitching

We are finished with the inside of the diaper. It's time to turn it right side out using your pocket opening.

Turned right side out

There really isn't much form to the diaper yet as you can see. That will come when we finish the diaper off with a top stitch and encase the elastics. But first, make sure you have all your corners, wing tabs pushed all the way out of the diaper. You want all seams to be laying flat.

I always start my top stitch at the top of the diaper. I will need to back stitch twice at this point and that is easily hid by the wings of the diaper. I am now ready to use my machine.

Top stitch at the front. Snaps were really close so it messed me up a bit.

I top stitch using an 1/8" allowance from the edge. Top stitch across the top and around the side until you get to your first tacked elastic at the legs. Stop with your needle down. 

Rotate your diaper 90 degrees and stitch out 1/2". (This is starting your elastic casing. I prefer to use 1/2" because it helps ensure I don't catch my elastic. It is okay to use 3/8" here as well). Rotate your fabric back to the correct position but now you have a 1/2" allowance for your casing.

Pull your elastic tight while holding the diaper at the top and help guide it through your machine using that 1/2" allowance. Make sure to keep your seams flat so you don't have microfleece curling to the outside. Sew until you reach the other end of your elastic. Then stop, needle down.

Pulling your elastic tight & keeping your seams flat.

Sew your 1/2" allowance until you reach the other end of your tacked in allowance

Rotate your diaper 90 degrees to stitch back out to the edge of the diaper. Stitch back to 1/8". Stop, needle down.

Step 6: Finish Top Stitching your diaper.

Now that you know how to case your diaper elastic, you will repeat the steps on the rest of the diaper. Keep an 1/8" allowance for the top stitch and move out to 1/2" (or 3/8" if you prefer) on your elastics. Don't forget to backstitch once you reach your starting point. This is what your finished diaper should look like. Add your wingsnaps and you are finished. Just wash and dry with your regular diaper laundry to get rid of the chemical and gunk left from manufacturing and it's ready to wear (after it's stuffed with an absorbent material!)