Cloth diapering has come a long way since our mothers diapered up in flat, cotton cloths, otherwise known as flats. Now, there is a whole array of cloth diapers out there, from the fancy all-in-ones with a waterproof shell to the simple prefold. The prefold diaper is quite similar to a flat, with a big exception: it has various thicknesses of lining in the middle.
There are many ways to do baby origami, otherwise known as folding a prefold. Here is one of the most straightforward. To practice, you will need a large baby doll, diaper pins, or snappis, and a prefold. Alternatively, you can try with a real, live baby!
1. Place the prefold on the changing table, couch, or floor. Kneel down in front of the prefold. You want to sit the prefold so that the short end is in front of you and the long side extends out in front of you.
2. Put the baby onto the prefold. The top of the prefold should be around the baby’s waist.
3. Lift the baby’s legs and fold the bottoms of the prefold in towards the center. The top will be open. Fold the left bottom part in towards the center, and fold the right bottom part on top of it, so the two sides are just overlapping.
4. Put the baby’s legs down, and move the folded bottom of the prefold up and between the baby’s legs.
5. The top of the prefold will go up towards the baby’s chin. Fold it down towards your baby’s legs until you can almost see the baby’s belly button. For newborns, allow the belly button to be exposed if it is still healing.
6. There will be two wings left on each of the top parts of the diaper. These are close to the baby’s belly and hips. Fold each wing into the center, onto the baby’s tummy.
7. Secure the wings with a Snappi fastener or with diaper pins. If you are using diaper pins, make sure that you hold the cloth underneath so that you don’t pin the baby as well as the diaper!