DIY Wool Diaper Cover or Pants from Recycled Sweaters

This is a very simple project and the most fun is heading to your local thrift store to find 100% wool sweaters. I always go straight to the men's section (or plus-sized women's section) to find extra large sweaters that will be more material and ideal for toddler pants. Smaller sweaters will work well for newborn sizes of course.

Cloth diapering mums such as myself will know these as "wool longies" and love that they have magical absorbancy and self-cleaning properties. I use wool diaper cover "longies" exclusively for my son's winter pajama bottoms because they are natural, cheap (if you make them - they are expensive to buy!) and they keep him dry and cozy all night long.

PS - If you don't cloth diaper, you can still make these cozy sweater pants - and you don't even need to use wool, any old sweater will do!

I always felt my wool first before working with it to get a sturdy and tight weave that is excellent for a wool diaper cover. You don't have to felt yours, but if you don't felt it, keep in mind that you'll have to take extra care when washing it, while already felted wool covers can be thrown right in the washing machine. Here are instructions for felting wool sweaters.

Step One

First, lay out the arms of the sweater and lay a pair of pants in the size you want on top. Cut the length. Remember to leave extra inches at the top if you plan to do an elastic waist or a drawstring waist...my instructions are for a sweater band waist so you only need 1/2 inch of seam allowance.

Step Two

Next, place a pin at the crotch of the pants, so you know where the inseam should stop and then cut down to the pin. I always lay the sleeves with the seams pointing in.

Step Three

Now put one pant leg inside the other and sew the crotch seam, then turn right side out.

Step Four

Assuming the bottom of your wool sweater is a ribbed, stretchy band, cut this part off and sew onto the top waistband of the pants, stretching it as you go as much as you can. Take care not to stretch the pants, just the waistband all the way around. This way, when you get to the end and let go, it will stretch back and create a waistband. If your sweater does not have this, or if this seems tricky, you can do a simple elastic waistband or a drawstring tie waistband.

All done! If you have extra, consider making a matching goofy hat out of two triangles and leftover waistband material...

Another pair (above) made the same way! The more wool sweaters you find, the more crafting to be done!