Often new mom’s get sucked into believing that they have to have “All The Things!” to care for their baby. That they have to have the latest and greatest and shiny new gadget to keep their sweet baby healthy and happy and ready to read before they even walk.

But the truth is, a happy baby, and in turn a happy mommy, stems from comfort and organization. It’s the ease of tucking away all the little bits you do need into easy to clean and care for containers that in the long run will help a new mom out the most. Consider the issue with diapers. Whether they’re those cute little disposables that come packed tightly in a hard to open plastic wrap, or folded cloth nappies that all fall apart when you go to reach for just one, the ultimate question is, where to put them so they are in reach when you need them but yet not just piled pell-mell and in your way when you don’t? You could purchase a diaper organizer at the baby store, but they are often made of cheap materials and poorly constructed so that you can’t really pass it on to anyone else when your little one masters the potty.

Here is a DIY guide to creating a whimsical and machine washable diaper organizer that you can use and pass along to a new mom in the future. The fun part is it takes only two things to create it; a swivel armed hanger and a fun pillowcase.

When my oldest was nearly a year old, I made a stack of adorable pillowcases for their new toddler bed. Olivia was just starting to be all the rage and Jo-Ann Fabrics carried a whole line of the cutest Olivia prints in 100% cotton. Now my oldest kid is 14 and in high school, and my youngest, who’s ten, is starting to shrug her shoulders at having “little kid” sheets and pillowcases on her bed. This leaves me with a collection of hand crafted bedding that’s in perfect condition but with no one to appreciate them.

Luckily I have a friend who had a baby recently. The cutest, roundest, sweetest baby in the land. So I figured I would gift little Eleanor and her mommy an organizer to hold her teeny tiny diapers. If you look at the photographs, you can see just how ridiculously easy it is to make one for yourself.

Step 1:

Center your hanger along the finished end of the ironed pillowcase and trace the curved edge on one side as seen above.

Step 2:

Fold the pillowcase in half and cut from the finished edges (NOT the folded edge!) just under the traced line. Then turn the pillowcase inside-out and iron flat.

Step 3:

Stitch along that cut edge.

Step 4:

Use pinking shears to trim the opening where the swivel arm of the hanger will poke through.

Step 5:

Use a pencil to trace along the folded edge, leaving 1 inch below the hanger and up to 8 inches from the bottom.

Step 6:

Using pinking shears to prevent any fraying, cut along that line you traced. Make certain NOT to cut through to the other side! You just need this one opening.

Step 7:

Stitch the bottom of the pillowcase.

Step 8:

Turn right-side out and iron flat.

Step 9:

Insert the hanger through the slit and adjust the case over the edges so it hangs neatly. A nice fat ribbon tied in a bow finishes this project and it’s ready to use! The folded cloth nappies or disposables can now be stacked three to four across the bottom and it has the durability to hold up to forty diapers!