No-Sew DIY Diaper Stacker! Turn Dad's Old Shirt Into Something Useful In Minutes!

Meet my new Diaper Stacker!  It was born of necessity this afternoon!

Today, while Mommy took a (literally) 5 minutes to throw lunch together (in the kitchen, two rooms away from the living-room) Dinky decided to pull more than 20 Luv's out of their packaging and onto my living-room floor to make a diaper+pillow fort!

Though I did think that it was cute and I did take a video of him playing "King of the Castle" for his dad, I was still a little put-off by knowing that now the diapers were paper toys and would be ripped to shreds within the hour if I did not put a halt to this!

So, Mommy made Dinky very mad by confiscating his fluffy gains and placing them in a plastic grocery bag high up on a shelf until I could figure out what to do with them!

I had an idea (the finished product is pictured above and has directions below) and I ran it by my craftier-than-me sister (Jamie Sue).  She said that she thought that it might work, and could I find a how-to on-line.  I couldn't.  Not for my needs and not to fit my less-than-impressive things-that-are-already-on-hand list.

So, I worked it out in my head, took pictures as I went and prayed for the best!

Materials that I used:

*1 old button-up shirt from the back of Daddy's drawer (it was already missing the arms, which was an awesome plus!)

*1 pair of sharp scissors

*1 carpet knife (a sharp knife that can cut card board)

*1 heavy card board box (to be cut up to reinforce the bottom)

*1 something with a flat edge (I used the back of a wooden puzzle) for keeping your line straight when you cut the fringe

*1 clothes hanger 

Now we are ready!

This is how I got started (yes, I used my bed as a craft-table, because my table is currently very cluttered with other baby-craft-stuffs!)

First I spread out the shirt, I didn't iron it because the weight of the diapers and supplies will pull out the wrinkles later, and I am lazy like that.

I then laid my flat edge (Elmo puzzle board minus the pieces and flipped over) about 5 inches up the buttoned and flattened shirt.

Next, I slit the side hem up to the board/marker's edge.

Then I went over about a half of an inch (I eye balled it) and made another cut as close up to the board as my scissors would go and moved the board up just a little to make the first and second sections even. Repeat the slices all the way across.  (Cut front and back at the same time/one slice per section!)

Note:  by flipping them up into the board as I went I was able to keep them out of the way of my next cutting.  Also, when you get to the middle, leave that thick button area as one piece, it's hard to cut!

(Here I was showing the slightly thicker piece of "button area"; it's the middle, it works out!)

At some point I had to slide my board over because it wasn't wide enough to cover the whole shirt from side-to-side.  I was just careful to keep it in line.

After all of the slices have been made (completely across) then I started with the middle "button area slice" and made a double knot using the front and back matching "ribbons".

I then moved from the middle to the right..., I don't have a reason for that, but it did make for a nice explanatory picture! :)

How cute, these double knotted fringes are all the way across the bottom of the shirt. (It was the 80's fringe meets the 80's lumber jack there for a moment...good stuff!)

Now for the hard part!

I knew that it needed a base to make a "seat" for the diapers.  I also knew that I was gonna use the sides of a diaper box, but I didn't know what size I need to fit into a size large shirt (or any shirt for that matter!)

As a sizing guide I put the puzzle board inside and finagled it around until it was flat and the shirt looked about like a real diaper stacker.  

The board was to long  and a little to broad...now I had something to go on!

Using my board as a marker (yet again) I made a few cuts with my carpet knife through the box for my first attempt of getting my "hard bottom".

I had to do this twice to get the size that I wanted.

I trimmed my card-boards edges and slapped her in there!

After that I just unbuttoned the top few buttons to insert the clothes hanger, then buttoned them back up and hung it on my wall!

Time to fill it up!  I undone 3 of the middle buttons and put in the 20ish diapers and set my wipes on the top. 

That is when I noticed that I had side access through the arm holes! (SCORE!) The boy could reach the very bottom opening if I left it unbuttoned, but if it were closed all of time he couldn't and I can leave it closed all except to refill by grabbing what I need form the arm opening!!! (and it's two side accessible.)

Bonus, there is a pocket on this shirt...the butt cream just got a new home!!!

I used this shirt and it matches my room, use any color, size, gender button-up shirt that you have on hand and make it fun!  

Class it up with some puff paint of diapers pins...make it fit your style! :)

You can't beat the price and it only took me like ten minutes total!



**Here at  ENGSPANOL CENTRAL (my house) the daddy (like most Hispanic males of his age group) owns tons of button-up shirts..., I may just have to perfect this design idea, clean his closets and hit Etsy! (LOL)**