Flats: Unexpected Find #2

Yet again, resourceful moms are channeling our grandmothers and great grandmas who didn't need official "diapers" to diaper their baby. Yesterday we shared a great find from Ikea--burp cloths which make great, inexpensive (& cute!) gauze flats! Today we share yet another great tip--we can't really call this one a secret as it is common knowledge if you creep any sort of diapering message boards that flour sack towels (yes! the kind that you would normally use in your kitchen!) are one of the best versatile products out there! Usually you can buy these in inexpensive packs, which make these less than $1.50 per piece. Often square (or, in the least, very large and foldable), these towels are frequently around the 30"x30" meaurement mark which make them very customizable as flat diapers. Use your various folds, twists, and strategies on them to get them to work just how you need with you little one. Not crazy about using them as flats? These can also easily be pad folded and used as doublers or even as inserts in pocket diapers.

Where can you find these towels? Well, really you can be on the lookout for them anywhere that sells kitchen goods. Frequently, cloth diapering mamas rave the most about the readily available ones at Target, but other moms have reported great success with flour sack towels they've found online, at Bed, Bath & Beyond, or even at the dollar store!

As these also double as fantastic rags, kitchen towels, crafting pads, or even hair towels (they are hairdressers' secret faves, too!), buying a pack or two of these for around the house makes them a cheap, versatile find!

Flats: Unexpected Find #1

Sure, there are plenty of diapering companies out there selling flats (everything from natural, unbleached ones to cute, printed ones). But, did you know you don't need to spend a ton of money on expensive brand name flats (+ Internet shipping) to get what you're looking for? Many message boards moms swear by this cute, low-budget find: Ikea (Barnslig) Burp Cloths! At only $4.99 for a pack of 3, these 100% cotton cloths work perfect as leightweight gauze flats. At 28"x28" and available in two cute color sets (blue/green or red/orange), these work out to only $1.66 each and are a great way to try out some flats (and with a cute pattern to boot)!

Have You Heard of the Flats Challenge Yet?

You know how in the world of fashion, black is versatile, and black goes with everything? It can be worn countless different ways, for countless different occasions, can be dressed up or down, and it never goes out of style?

Well, it's recently been said that in the world of cloth diapers, "flats are the new black".

Re-popularized by Kim Rosas of Dirty Diaper Laundry, flats have made a startling comeback thanks to her "Flats & Handwashing Challenge", dreamt up as an experiment involving hundreds of cloth diapering moms and bloggers who have signed up in solidarity for this challenge in order to broaden their CDing experiences and to show their support for cloth.

Many people are wondering, though: why bother using these inexpensive, "old school" flat rectangles of fabric when there are so many other choices for modern cloth out there? Basically, in response to plenty of news stories coming out about parents reusing disposable diapers or allowing children to go without their basic diapering needs being met, Kim and her hundreds of supporters want to let it be known that even in times of economic hardship and great need, you can still provide for your baby, even if all you have is some flat sheets of cotton and a bucket or bathtub to wash them in.

The Flats & Handwashing Challenge runs from May 23-May 30 and is being documented and tweeted by moms and bloggers all over the world. Throughout the process, expect lots of support, information, videos, and blog posts from everything about the joys of the simplicity and thriftiness that flats encompass, to the nitty gritty reality many moms will find themselves bogged down in (like the very literal poop-clogged bathtub drain one mom on Twitter has already endured!) ;)

You can read the original post about this challenge on Dirty Diaper Laundry, where Kim Rosas continues to add updates, tips, and how-to videos relevant to the new throwback trend of diapering with flats.

Also, be sure to check out the #flatschallenge hashtag on your Twitter stream for all the latest scoop on how hundreds of moms are dealing with the ins and outs of the challenge!