The making of a wet bag!

I made a wet bag for my cloth diapers! I have a small one for the diaper bag that a friend gave me, but I was just using a trash can as a diaper pail and it wasn’t cutting it for us.

I went to my local fabric store and got 1/2 yard of PUL (polyurethane laminate), which is waterproof diaper fabric. I folded the fabric in half lengthwise and folded over the two edges at the top for the drawstring and sewed them up. Then, with the bag inside out, I sewed up the sides (stopping before I got to the drawstring). I turned the bag right side out and threaded the drawstring and VOILA, I had a wet bag!

Sewing down the edges where the drawstring will go.

once both ends are sewn you will fold the fabric in half inside out like above.

Pin in place.

Start at what will be the bottom of the bag and sew toward the top.

Stopping before you get to the drawstring holes.

It should look like the above picture once you’re done sewing.

Now all you have to do is thread the drawstring!

It works great and I love the fabric!

Photographing your children

Meagan here,

I wanted to share a few tips for photographing your baby (and older kids, too).

Lighting-

You don’t need a lot of fancy lighting equipment, just a good sized window! Natural light is the best for pictures of babies and kids. I set up in my living room, right next to a large window.

This image was taken in front of a window without a back drop.

Backdrop-

I have shot in my living room with and without a back drop. My husband made me a backdrop stand out of PVC (he’s pretty handy), but you can also grab some kitchen chairs and drape a cloth or blanket over the backs. The sofa is another option as long as someone is right there to keep baby safe. I usually choose a neutral/basic color, and I like using soft fabric with babies. For the sibling shoot I did for my girls when my youngest was about 6 weeks old, I used a sage green micro fleece blanket, a sheepskin rug, and Aden + Anias muslin blankets.

You can see above that I just set up right next to all the toys in the living room.

Comfort-

Make sure you are in a comfortable environment for the baby. Have it nice and warm where you are shooting, have milk readily available, and keep a paci and toys nearby. Pillows under the bottom of the backdrop for baby to lay on is another great idea. I use my Boppy body pillow, but a bean bag or a regular pillow would work, too.

The above image was taken with baby laying on a soft blanket on top of a body pillow.

Props-

Use things that were yours as a baby, were handmade for baby by friends or family, or just something you really like. Older kids might like to have a favorite toy or blanket.

Employ help-

Having somebody with you to help keep baby calm can be a HUGE help! Another parent or grandparents are usually willing to help with this task. They can also snap a few of YOU with the baby!

Posing-

I like to get some while baby is sleeping and just keep the poses simple. Let them lie on their tummy so that they are facing the camera. Get down on their level to shoot unless you are doing a straight down.

This image was taken on my bed just a few days after she was born. She kept smiling in her sleep, so I grabbed my camera for an impromptu shoot!

A last resort-

If they are awake and you can’t get them to calm down or be still, try a swaddle and shoot from above.

  

Editing-

You may decide to edit your images, and I have to say, less is more with babies. Color correct, brighten, or turn it black and white, but try not to get too fancy because it takes away from the beauty of the child.

HAPPY SNAPPING!