Front Wrap Cross Carry Photo Tutorial

I often see people asking for woven wrap photo tutorials, so I have begun to put together a series of them for those who prefer still pictures to videos.

I started with a Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC) photo tutorial because this is the most recommended beginner woven wrap carry. It is symmetric and relatively simple, and it also provides a great opportunity to practice strand-by-strand tightening, which I would argue is the most critical skill to hone when learning to wrap your baby.

This is my very first photo tutorial so please let me know how I can improve it to better assist you. Also, I hope you will join the Facebook group Stella's Chit Chat Corner, where I encourage you to post both your struggles and your successes. If you are having trouble, we can all help you troubleshoot, and if you are successful, you will help others gain the confidence to wrap.

Don't forget that wrapping is not easy, and you should expect to have some challenges as you begin. I remember being very frustrated when I first started, and even now, over three years later, I still struggle sometimes. But to me, wrapping is essentially an attainable super power, so it's well worth it.

Front Wrap Cross Carry Photo Tutorial:

Featured wrap: Bijou Wear Newport Marina size 7

Step 1: Find the middle marker on your woven wrap. Smile because you are confident. You can totally do this.

Step 2: Center the wrap on your chest using the middle marker as a guide. Keep smiling because this is super easy so far.

Step 3: Bring one tail of the wrap around your back and up over the opposite shoulder.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 with the other tail. The tails should cross and make an X across your back.

Step 5: Find the pouch you've created in the front.

Step 6: Look around for the toddler who agreed to be your helper but is now nowhere to be found.

Step 7: Put your baby high on your shoulder, and then guide baby into the pouch feet first. Keep one hand on baby to keep baby secure at all times.

Step 8: Pull the bottom of the wrap up and in between you and baby. Grimace a little because your baby is probably trying to pop that seat.

Step 9: Make sure the wrap goes from one of baby's knees to the other. Smile again. You got this.

Step 10: Tighten the tail of the wrap that is closest to your body first. Start by tightening the very top part of the tail.

Step 11: Gather more of the tail into your hand and tighten again. Grimace again as you question which life choices led to you spending an afternoon photographing yourself while wrapping a stuffed bunny.

Step 12: Continue to gather more of the wrap in your hand until you've tightened each strand.

Step 13: Repeat strand-by-strand tightening on the other side, which should be the tail on the outside of the X on your back.

Step 14: Cross the tails in the front under baby's bum.

Step 15: Bring both tails under baby's legs and tie a double knot in the back. If you are wrapping a small baby (or a stuffed bunny), it may be helpful to twist tails together a few times before bringing them to the back.

This is how it should look in the back.

Step 16: Take a selfie.
Optional: Edit out random stuff on the floor.

How to cloth diaper your baby for under $100

There are many reasons to use cloth diapers.  Some parents use them because cloth diapers are environmentally-friendly, while others love how much money cloth diapers save them.  Often, it is a combination of these and other cloth diaper benefits that lead parents to decide to cloth diaper their children.

As Stella's Baby Boutique's founder and owner, I was first attracted to cloth diapering because of the savings.  Sadly, many parents feel they are unable to switch to cloth diapers because the initial costs can be intimidating.  In fact, parents who are living in poverty are sometimes forced to resort to reusing disposable diapers.

When I heard about this, I decided to design a package that allows my customers to diaper their children from birth to potty-training for less than $100 total. That's right.  You can cloth diaper for under $100!

Purchased separately, the included items would cost well over $100, but if you purchase the package, the entire lot is just $99.  And it ships for free!

In addition , this package also comes with an informational brochure to help those who are new to cloth diapering figure out how best to utilize this package in order to best meet your child's needs.  Stella's Baby Boutique is always available to help answer cloth diapering questions.  Email us anytime or post questions in our Facebook group Stella's Chit Chat Corner.

Cloth Diapering Basics: Types of Cloth Diapers

Getting started with cloth diapers can be a bit overwhelming, but at Stella's Baby Boutique, we are always to help with any questions you may have.  Even if you decide to purchase elsewhere, our passion is for cloth diapers, and we welcome any opportunity to encourage parents to use them under any circumstances. 

There are several different kinds of cloth diapers. Pocket diapers are diapers that have a waterproof outer shell and an inner pocket that you can place an insert into. They are nice because the pocket can be stuffed with more or less absorbency depending on your needs. For example, during the day, you might stuff a pocket with one insert, while at night you might use two.

All-in-one diapers are the easiest cloth diapers to use and the most like disposables. All-in-ones are just what they sound like, diapers that are all one piece. The outside is made of a waterproof material, and the inside contains absorbent material. Some AIO diapers have a pocket that allows you to add absorbency as well.

Prefolds, flats, and fitted diapers all require a separate waterproof diaper cover. Flats are just flat pieces of material, which you can fold in a variety of different ways and then fasten onto your baby. Prefolds are similar, but they have already been folded and sewn into a smaller rectangular shape. They can be fastened onto your baby or folded in thirds inside a diaper cover. Fitted diapers are diapers that have been fitted to the shape of a regular diaper, such as a disposable.

Buttons Diapers are yet another kind of diaper called all-in-two diapers. With these, you can reuse the cover several times and just remove the soiled insert and replace it with a clean one. They are a very economical choice, and they are also very highly rated by customers. 

Most of the diapers Stella's Baby Boutique currently sells are one size diapers, which means they can be adjusted to fit from birth to potty-training. Usually, one size diapers start fitting well around 8-10 pounds and fit to about 35-40.

If you are planning to cloth diaper from birth, you can purchase newborn diapers, but I would recommend Lalabye Baby diapers, which actually fit really tiny babies and can be used as newborn diapers all the way up to potty training.

Lalabye Baby diapers come with bamboo inserts, and you can use them inside the pocket or snap them on if you prefer natural fibers against your baby's skin. They are very trim diapers, but they are also absorbent enough for overnight. They also have a ton of cute colors and prints. They are my favorite diapers, and I have tried many different brands.  They are also our customers' favorite!

I hope this helps as you get started. Please feel free to contact me at Charity@StellasBabyBoutique.com any time with any additional questions. I know it can be a lot to learn, but it really is a lot of fun to use cloth!

My store is at http://www.stellasbabyboutique.com. I am still in the early stages so I do not have many brands yet, but the ones I do have are awesome. If you have questions about other brands, let me know because I have used a bunch of other ones.

Benefits of cloth diapering

Cloth diapering is slowly but surely becoming a more popular choice for parents in the United States.  Although the majority of parents still use disposable diapers, concerns about the environment, as well as other factors, have spurred public interest in alternatives to disposable diapers.

The benefits of cloth diapering are numerous and significant. Many people are surprised to find that they prefer cloth over disposables.  Listed below are just a few of the reasons why people choose cloth diapers.

1. Cloth diapers are far better for the environment than disposables.  The average child will use more than 6,000 diapers from birth to potty training. Imagine filling a truck with 6,000 diapers and then dumping them all into a landfill.  Now imagine that those diapers contain human waste, and you can really get a feel for how damaging disposable diapers are to our environment.
2. Cloth diapers are very affordable.  While the upfront costs can be high, depending on what diapering options you select, you can potentially save thousands of dollars by using cloth diapers instead of disposables.
3. Cloth diapers provide a safe alternative to chemical-ridden disposable diapers.  Disposable diapers contain many chemicals that are potentially harmful to your child, including dioxins, which have been linked to many long-term health issues.  In fact, according to the website Livestrong.com, research indicates that "disposable diapers should be considered to be a factor that may cause or worsen childhood asthma and respiratory problems."
4. Cloth diapers make for much cuter baby pictures.  It may sound silly, but with all the bright colors and fun prints that cloth diapers come in, you may find that they make for better pictures.  Case in point, my own son, pictured below in his Grinch diaper.  You cannot tell me this picture would be quite the same with a disposable diaper.

If you think you can't afford the upfront cost of cloth diapering, consider this.  At Stella's Baby Boutique, we offer a package that is designed to allow you to cloth diaper your child from birth to potty training for less than $100. This is the cheapest way to cloth diaper your baby that we offer.  It includes daily use diapers, overnight diapers, and an informational packet that teaches users how to use the diapers in this package to full advantage.

Our mission is to make sure that anyone who wants to cloth diaper can do so.  Please contact

Stella's Baby Boutique with any questions on how to get started with cloth diapering or any other aspect of cloth diapering. 

Yes, you CAN cloth diaper your baby!

There is an unfortunate myth rolling around many parenting circles (and the all too common people-who-have-an-opinion-on-your-parenting circles) that cloth diapering is some crazy difficult thing to do that will somehow result in parents disappearing from society. (If you are about to be a first time parent, be prepared for that disappearance, but for entirely different reasons like, for example, the fact that you haven't had a chance to shower in five days.)

Sadly, people often are deterred from cloth diapering without really knowing anything about it.  The truth is, cloth diapering is easy. Like really easy.

The best way to get started is to learn the basics of cloth diapering, which will help you decide which diapers you might want to try. Then, once you've learned about the various types - and there really are not that many - it's time to jump in with both feet.

If you're nervous, then (A) don't be; and (B) feel free to start off cloth diapering part time and see how it goes. Lots of people start out with just using cloth diapers when they are at home until they have time to really get used to using their diapers.

In fact, when I first started cloth diapering, I used to ALWAYS use disposables when we were out and about...until that fateful day when my sweet little 2-month-old had a massive blowout while I was wearing him at the mall. I ended up covered in poop and had to beat a hasty retreat for home. After that, I insisted on cloth even when we traveled out of town.

The thing to remember with cloth diapering is that people have been doing this FOREVER. Disposable diapers are still a relatively new phenomenon. Most of our parents were cloth diapered simply because that was just what you did. Even if disposables were available, they were way too expensive and so wasteful. And, I respectfully submit, they still are!

Another thing about cloth diapering is that if you talk to people who use cloth on their babies, you almost always find that those people are really, really excited about it. ASK THEM FOR HELP.

I'm so serious. They may appear to be a little overzealous at first, but really, they just want to help you find the love for cloth diapering, too. And when they realize that you are a potential kindred spirit, they will be so excited to assist you with any issues, questions, or problems you may have on your cloth diapering journey.

If you don't know anyone who cloth diapers in real life, fear not! There are a ton of cloth diapering groups on Facebook and elsewhere on the web, where people will be all too happy to troubleshoot with you. And we at Stella's Baby Boutique would be absolutely THRILLED to hear from you with any questions, concerns, issues, or even just a note to say, "Hey! I love cloth diapers, how about you?" Email us any time at Charity@StellasBabyBoutique.com.

If you think you are ready to give cloth diapering a try, we hope you will come shop with Stella's Baby Boutique and help to support our very small business. We would be so honored to have your business, and even if you decide not to shop with us, we would love to help you get started!

Northern Virginia Cloth Diaper Store Makes Diaper Shopping Personal

Stella's Baby Boutique is excited to announce that we will now be offering in-person cloth diaper shopping. In order to keep prices low, we have decided not to open a brick and mortar store, but we do want to offer our local Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. metro area customers a chance to browse our inventory in person before buying.

Hands-on shopping

What is our solution? We bring the inventory to you!

Our owner and operator, Charity, will make an appointment to meet with you at a convenient-to-you location for a free consultation and shopping experience. If you are new to cloth diapers, Charity will provide you with an introductory overview and answer any questions you have. She will also give you an opportunity to look at our products and see what you might like to try.

Baby Showers

If you are having a baby shower, registering for cloth diapers is a great idea. However, people sometimes feel overwhelmed by the options, even with a cloth diaper registry, and they opt to buy other things instead.

A great way to help you get the cloth diapers you need for your baby is to have a table of diapers at your baby shower. Charity will bring the inventory that you select for your registry to the shower and set up a display so that your guests can opt to buy them right there.

Cloth Diaper Parties

Another fantastic way to learn more about our products and see them in person is to have a cloth diaper party.  This is a party where Charity comes and provides a brief introduction to cloth diapering, plays some games (with prizes!), and helps your guests to choose a cloth diaper solution that works for them.

Host a party, and get a free gift from Stella's Baby Boutique just for hosting!

And more!

Whatever your specific needs, Charity and Stella's Baby Boutique are here to help! We love cloth diapers and would be thrilled to introduce you to them or help you meet a specific need. Please feel free to browse our website and email us at Charity@StellasBabyBoutique.com with any questions or to set up a baby shower, cloth diaper party, or an in-person shopping adventure.