My not-so-secret love of FLATS! {and their many uses}
Confession for the day: I love flats. Old fashioned-one big square layer of fabric-birdseye-fold them yourself flats.
{And I can finally put up this post because I officially have confirmation that I’ll be able to stock flats on my site!! I have the order placed and I cannot wait to get them in my hands and stocked on the site and I CAN’T WAIT!}
First, let me explain flats a bit for those who have never had one in their hands: Flats are literally one large piece of thin material. Prefolds have layers of fabric sewn into them already, you fold flats to create the layers of absorbency. This makes them incredibly easy to take care of and, since they’re just cotton, there’s not much that you can mess up in the laundry!
Some of my favorite uses for flats:
1. Diaper(of course!)
2. Nursing cover
3. Light blanket or sun cover on hot days running around at the park
4. Burp Cloth
5. Cleaning
6. Un-paper Towels
7. Inserts for pocket diapers (thanks Nicole!)
There are just under a million ways to fold a flat(including just folding it in quarters and proceeding with folding like you would fold a prefold), but here are some attempted pictures of my favorite Origami Fold:
Leave a comment with your favorite uses for flats or an idea of what you’d like to use them for and you’ll be entered to win a free dozen when we stock them! One entry per person:) Winner will be drawn next Friday, July 17th!
Christina replied:
I have no favorite use for them I’m just curious about them and would love to enter to add to my stash =)
July 8, 2009 at 1:42 pm. Permalink.
Megan replied:
First to comment! I think that they’d be useful for cleaning up those coffee spills that my husband leaves me all over the kitchen counter. I hate using my “good” towels for that. Seems like they would also be great for wiping noses, dusting the house and possibly wrapping up a nice little picnic snack and tying it up in a little knot at the top. I’ve never used a flat but would love to try one on Julia’s little bum!
July 8, 2009 at 1:49 pm. Permalink.
Nicole Leas replied:
I have never used flats – it seems intimidating. But I’d love to try them, maybe as inserts for my son’s pocket diapers? I’m have a helluva time with microfiber inserts
((
July 8, 2009 at 2:05 pm. Permalink.
moderndiapers replied:
Ooh – inserts for pocket diapers! Great addition Nicole, I completely forgot that one on my list!!
July 8, 2009 at 2:11 pm. Permalink.
shaylan replied:
well, id set some aside so just for diapers, but id like to use them to wash windows! i dont get a newspaper too often, so i cant use that, and everything else just leaves fuzzy bits everywhere. i doubt flats would. but i havent used them yet! so i need to!
July 8, 2009 at 2:28 pm. Permalink.
Christie replied:
I just discovered the flat love. I LOVE them, although I typically use the kite fold. I love how trim they are.
Other ways I have used them: as a tissue when needed, a nursing cover, a bib, and I almost rolled one up and used it to tie my hair back a few days ago.
July 8, 2009 at 2:28 pm. Permalink.
Lauren replied:
Well, I have never used flats before. I love my reg. prefolds so they would make a nice addition to my stash. I would probably also use them as dusting clothes and un-paper towels.
July 8, 2009 at 5:55 pm. Permalink.
emily replied:
I love flats. You can use them for anything from an actual diaper to just laying them in for extra absorbancy. Also they are great at wiping up spills, when you have that laundry detergent mess. Great for anything, and very absorbant for as little as they are.
July 8, 2009 at 9:27 pm. Permalink.
Tamara replied:
Changing pad covers always need more than I have, we use lots of different things but a flat is one of the best!
July 14, 2009 at 3:37 pm. Permalink.
Jill replied:
I’d love to try flats! I’d probably also use them as burp cloths, and maybe also as inserts for our pocket diapers.
July 14, 2009 at 3:37 pm. Permalink.
Amber replied:
Well, I’ve never used a flat or any CD before, but plan to when LO arrives in Nov!!! One very interesting use for them is for hair curlers. I have very straight hair, and when I was little, on Sat nights after my bath my mother would use strips of flats that she had cut up and roll my hair in them. Voila… Sunday morning-going to church ringlets! (And sleeping in them was easier than sleeping in those pink foamy culers!)
July 15, 2009 at 11:04 pm. Permalink.
ColMom replied:
I have never tried flats, but find them interesting. I could see them being used in our house as the ultimate snuggle blankies (my DD’s word for prefolds used as burp cloths)or to hang over the infant carseat as a shade from the sun.
July 16, 2009 at 8:09 pm. Permalink.
I’m a slacker on my flats contest!! And extending the chance to win a free dozen flats! « The Modern Diapers Blog! replied:
[...] not here yet, I think I’m going to extend the entry through this weekend, too – so leave your comments in this post for your chance to win a dozen FREE [...]
July 21, 2009 at 1:35 pm. Permalink.
Molly replied:
I completely agree that they are good for cleaning up coffee spills! I had the good fortune of having a friend offer me one when I spilled coffee all over my papers. I don’t have any of the kind you mention, but I’m always looking for a way to clean my sweet girl with reflux!
July 21, 2009 at 6:59 pm. Permalink.
Jaime replied:
I don’t have any Flats yet! I need some and would love to use them for diapers with my diaper covers that don’t get used enough since I only have two fitteds and two prefolds that fit but I have four covers!
July 23, 2009 at 9:20 am. Permalink.
Amy replied:
I used flats when Kate was first born. She was the size of a preemie and the flats allowed me to get a really good fit on her. Now I want to start back using them for those special outfits where a trim fit is best.
July 24, 2009 at 9:46 pm. Permalink.
Kristin replied:
My favorite uses for flats are as diapers! I LOVE them and they make up the majority of my stash! I’d love to have more, too, with a new baby on the way
August 3, 2009 at 11:48 am. Permalink.