Mommy Toots: How to fix elastic on Good Mama cloth diapers (photo tutorial)

I was gifted three adorable goodmama diapers and all three needed new elastic on the waistband and legs. Perfect opportunity for me to learn how to do it.

Which diaper needs help? I fixed the one on the right first to see if I could do it. (I've never had the courage to actually CUT a cloth diaper before.)

This would be blow-out city!

It's so...flaccid.

Let's start with the waistband. Snip the INSIDE layer as near as you can to the stitches that are holding the elastic in place. This will expose the spent elastic.

Do it on the other side, too. Just a little snip-snip...you'll be sewing these openings back together later!

Cut the actual elastic on both sides through the openings and...

...pull out the spent elastic to kiss it goodbye!

Stretch a piece of NEW elastic to the same size as the old elastic and snip it. It'll be significantly smaller, as you can see.

Attach a safety pin to one end, as shown, and start threading it through the opening. You have to maneuver a little bit but, it's not too bad.

Don't pull it all the way through...you have to stop here so you can secure it.

Tuck the new elastic inside the hole making sure to keep a decent amount of elastic directly under the hole. You'll be sewing through the two layers of the diaper and the elastic to secure it.


I use this stitch setting with a purple machine needle for denim and thick fabrics. This stitch will sew the opening together perfectly while securing the elastic inside. Take care to align the needle properly so the stitch catches both sides of the opening.

See? Purty :)

Pull the new elastic the rest of the way through. The fabric will start bunching up like it's supposed to! Almost done with this part.

I learned the hard way that I should secure the stretched elastic with a straight pin before taking out the safety pin. Leave enough exposed elastic to tuck inside like you did on the other one.


Tuck and sew it closed! Feel accomplished, too :)

It's stretchy!

Do the exact same thing to the legs.

Remember when I said I had already fixed one diaper to see if I could actually do it? I thought ahead and measured out the rest of my leg elastic since I had two more Goodmamas to fix. Read on to continue with how I did the legs since I already had the elastic pre-cut. Otherwise, pull the old elastic out, measure out new and attach a safety pin to maneuver it through like you did with the waistband.

Snip-snip both ends but, don't pull the spent elastic out. (Remember, only leave the spent elastic in if you already have the new elastic measured.)

Instead, do this! The old elastic is at the head of the safety pin. You'll pull the old elastic out and, at the same time, thread the new elastic in. Don't pull all the way through on this one, either. Pull just enough to align for the first stitch (like you did in the waistband).