How to Make Adult Diapers at Home

Making your own adult diapers at home can be a great way to save money and customize the fit. Whether you need them for a medical condition or just want some extra assurance, homemade adult diapers are surprisingly easy to sew using basic materials.

In this step-by-step guide, as a professional adult diaper factory, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make reusable, washable adult diapers at home.

How to Make Adult Diapers at Home

Choose Your Materials

The first step is gathering the right fabrics and materials. Here’s what you’ll need:

Absorbent Inner Layer

This is the layer that soaks up moisture. Good options include:

• Flannel: Soft, affordable, and moderately absorbent. My top choice for the inner layer.
• Birdseye cloth: Very soft with good wicking abilities. Slightly more expensive.
• Cotton velour: Luxuriously soft with excellent moisture retention. One of the pricier choices.

Waterproof Outer Layer

This layer keeps moisture from leaking out. You can use:

• PUL fabric: The most popular choice. Breathable, waterproof, and easy to sew. Fused onto fabric or comes as standalone PUL coated fabric.
• Nylon: A budget-friendly option, though less breathable than PUL. Requires sewing an inner gusset to prevent leaks.

Notions & Other Supplies

You’ll also need:

• Sewing machine
• Sewing scissors
• Straight pins
• Fabric marker or chalk
• Elastic (for waist & legs)
• Snaps or Velcro (for closures)

Draft Your Pattern

Before cutting into your fabrics, you need a pattern as your sewing blueprint.

If you’ve made clothes before, you can draft your own adult diaper pattern using your measurements. Otherwise, there are free patterns available online that do the hard work for you.

I recommend the Pattern Generator on Melly Sews to instantly get a custom diaper pattern based on your hip measurement.

To find your measurement:

1. Put on underwear or slim pants
2. Use a fabric measuring tape to measure the widest part of your hips/bottom
3. Enter this into the calculator

It’s that simple! The generator will email you a printable pattern file ready for cutting.

Cut Out Your Fabric

With your pattern ready, it’s time to cut out the fabric. Be sure to wash fabrics before cutting to allow for shrinkage.

Inner Layers

Trace the pattern onto the wrong side of your absorbent and outer fabric using a fabric marker or chalk, then cut out.

Make an Inner Gusset

If using a nylon outer layer, cut a long, slim rectangle from excess fabric to create an inner gusset. This prevents side leakage by adding an extra moisture barrier along the inner thigh area.

Cut two 8” x 16” rectangles. Fold in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and sew along the long open edge to make two tubes.

Set these aside for now.

Waterproof Outer Layer

For the waterproof layer, add a 1/2″ seam allowance when you trace and cut to allow space for sewing.

If using PUL, be sure to use sharps scissors designed for slick fabrics to prevent tearing.

Waist Elastic

Cut your elastic according to the pattern’s guidelines. Choose either 1/4″ or 1/2″ width braided elastic.

Leg Elastics

Cut two pieces according to the length specified on your adult diaper pattern.

Sew Your Diaper

Time to sew! Here are the basic construction steps:

1. Sew inner layer: Place absorbent and outer fabric wrong sides together. Sew around edges, leaving a 3-4″ opening.
2. Attach inner gusset (nylon only): Slip an inner gusset tube onto each inner leg edge, folding ends over edges to encase. Topstitch along the folds.
3. Attach outer layer: Pull through hole so right sides now face out. Tuck inner layer into outer layer shell with wrong sides together, aligning edges.
4. Sew outer seam: Sew around the edges, closing up the hole you turned through. Leave openings for elastic.
5. Insert elastic: Use a safety pin to thread waist elastic through opening. Overlap ends and stitch together. Repeat for leg openings.
6. Finish outer seam: Stitch around entire diaper again (“topstitch”), closing openings. This encases elastics.
7. Add closures: Stitch on Velcro or snaps at each side.

And there you have it! Your homemade, reusable adult diaper is complete.

Now give it a test run – and don’t be afraid to tweak the fit and absorbency if needed. The beauty of sewing your own diapers is that you can customize and perfect the design.

Variations and Tips

Here are handy sewing tips and design options for customizing your homemade adult diapers:

• Add multiple layers of absorbent fabric to increase capacity
• Use snaps rather than Velcro for discreetness
• Create a contoured shape for better fit
• Experiment with inserts to amp absorbency
• Attach cloth wings with snaps for a wrap-style design
• Add pockets to inserts to hold extra padding
• Use festive fabrics & prints for fun
• Make different sizes for multiple wearers

Let me know if you have any other adult diaper sewing questions! I’m always happy to help fellow DIY-ers perfect their projects.