Besides Diapers.....

We hand-craft lots of adorable baby items that are perfect for your little one or as a gift for a shower or new baby. Take a look at some of our other ZooNique Baby creations....

Super Soft & Luxurious Reversible Bibs

Custom & Designer Wetbags

Gentle, Reusable Cloth Wipes

Fun Doll Carriers - so they can wear their babies just like Mommy & Daddy!

Doll Diapers

We also enjoy making one of a kind designs like these for infants, toddlers and older children as well....One of a Kind VINTAGE Designs

Special Requests from Special Lil' People

Stylish Hair Accessories

We proudly offer other quality products that are sure to provide a unique option for your stylish baby or special gift giving. These include....

Crocheted Baby Booties by "Grandma's Goodies"

Custom Collaborations with "Threads of Hope Boutique"

And the ever growing, changing, stylish & functional BabyLegs!

So, in addition to thinking of us for your cloth diapering needs, think of us for all of those special occasion, hand-crafted, one of a kind gifts for the young ones in your life!

ZooNique Baby - Unique, Family Focused, Earth Friendly Designs

FAQ - Why & How to "strip" diapers?

A procedure often heard of in the cloth diaper world is to "strip" your diapers. What is this? Why do you have to do it? and How is it done? are all questions that follow.

WHAT? - To "strip" your diapers is to remove various types of build up from the inner layer of your cloth diapers.

WHY? - It can become necessary to "strip" your diapers for several reasons, all of which can cause your diapers to leak and lead to recurring rashes (neither of which are desirable for you or your baby!). The leaking occurs due to build up on the inner layer of fabric causing that fabric to repel liquid rather than wick it away from baby's skin. Build up can be caused by several things such as, diaper creams that aren't cloth diaper safe, detergents that contain additives that can build up on the fabric over time, or use of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. It is my opinion that attentive care of one's cloth diaper stash can prevent, or at least lessen the need/frequency of having to "strip" the diapers.

HOW? - In nearly 2 1/2 years time, we have only had to "strip" our diaper stash 2 times....both times we could directly connect the problem to the source. The first time, it was due to "over the counter" diaper cream and the second, well....we were kind of experimenting with ways to freshen our stash and got a little over zealous with the Borax! :) (FYI, less is better.) Here is how we do it.

• Fill the sink with Hot water and the diapers.
• Using a grease fighting dish liquid, we chose Dawn since we had heard it suggested most often by other cloth diapering parents, squirt a small amount on the inside of each diaper and scrub with a dish brush. (we suggest labeling this brush "for diapers" so it doesn't end up being used on your dishes later!) ;)
• Allow the diapers to soak in the sudsy, hot water for 30 minutes - 1 hour after scrubbing.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Run through your regular diaper wash/rinse routine, and you should be ready to go again!

It really isn't hard, just takes a bit of time. And when in most cases can be prevented, it's worth taking the measures to prevent the issue and save that time for something fun....like cuddling your baby!

Best wishes for healthy, leak-free cloth diapers!

Monkey N' Around!

Fun Pirate Monkey prints! We love these!

FAQ - What detergent is best for washing cloth diapers?

We try to offer answers to lots of different questions from our customers and cloth diapering friends. Many of these questions are often the same, so we are going to begin "FAQ-Frequently Asked Questions" posts to highlight some of these in hopes that it can be helpful to others.

THE ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE SIMPLY OUR SUGGESTIONS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THE LABEL & CONSIDER THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF YOUR FAMILY FIRST.

FAQ #1 - What detergent is best for washing cloth diapers?

Why it matters: Function and healthy skin. Detergent additives can cause build up on the inside of your diapers. This build up creates a barrier that will often repel liquid, causing leaks. The biggest culprits of this type of build up are softeners and oils, as well as, dry sheets...you don't want to use any of these with your cloth diapers.
In addition, diapers washed with detergents containing perfume or dyes can often become irritating to baby's skin and cause rashes.

What we recommend: We believe it is best to use only additive free detergents for your diapers to function properly and endure lengthy use. Additive free means no softeners, no bleach, no perfumes, no dyes, no oils....just plain ol' washing goodness! We have chosen to use Charlie's Soap http://www.charliesoap.com/ We use this detergent for all of our laundry and being a family with sensitive skin, we love that it gets the job done while still being gentle on our skin. It costs around $8 for a bag that washes 80 loads, and if using this only for your diaper laundry, would then last for 160 loads.

What we've heard from others: There are other detergents that we have heard also offer a great option for cloth diaper care. These include Allen's, Country Save & Free & Clear detergents. With Free & Clear detergents, again, we suggest that you read the label, as we have heard some reports of the Free & Clear detergents still containing some additives that over time caused build up on the inside of the diapers, in turn causing leaks.
We've even heard of families that continued using the same detergents they always had....some with no problems, others had to "strip" their diapers from time to time to remove build up.
Being that cloth diaper loads only require half the suggested amount of detergent, any of these options are going to be long lasting and cost effective.
For those looking for an even less expensive option, we've heard of mixtures of common household items like Dawn dish liquid, baking soda & vinegar, so you can certainly be creative since there really are many possibilities. (we just chose the simple route!) :)

POINT TO REMEMBER: Less is more! Stay away from perfumes, dyes, softeners, oils and other additives when choosing a detergent for your diaper care system.

Concerned about stains and lingering odor? Want to know how to "strip" your diapers when necessary? Stay tuned for our next FAQ posts!

Why we do what we do......

Our family loves cloth diapering. We love the many benefits cloth diapers offer, including financial savings and environmental kindness. We love the feeling it gives us to believe that we are truly doing what is best for our baby. We love that I am able to do my job from home while raising our family. We love that it's an opportunity for our children to witness our work and the results of our efforts firsthand. These are all reasons we started our small, home based, family business. However, there is a much bigger reason, a much more meaningful inspiration than even these things.....

We started Zoonique Baby as a tangible way to give to those in need. Particularly orphans. We believed, and still do, that these father and motherless children deserve the very best as well. We have experienced the overwhelming blessing it has brought to our lives to reach out to these precious little people and so look forward to the opportunities ahead! But, to back track just a little and tell you "the rest of the story".

About 3 years ago now, we were excitedly following some close friends who were expecting a son to join their family. This precious child was already born and awaiting them in an overseas orphanage. As we followed the regular updates they would receive about his care and growth and atmosphere, it became very clear to us that there are many, many children worldwide who live with so little. Even struggling with just basic needs being met on a daily basis. This was something that wouldn't settle well inside me, and I had a prayer to find some way to help. Some tangible way, but they were so far from where I was geographically.

In a matter of days, my friend sent an email of a mother who was picking up her own child from a nearby orphanage of her son's, and the mother was expressing the needs of the children she witnessed. One of the first on her list was cloth diapers. Well, at this point, I had been sewing diapers for my own new baby, friends and for a worthy US organization, Miracle Diapers, so you can imagine my immediate thoughts and excitement upon learning that something I was already doing (and love doing!) could also help these babies so far away! I immediately set to work, and our first huge box of cloth diapers, wipes and baby care supplies accompanied my friends to an orphanage just months later when they traveled to bring their son home.

THE BUG HAD OFFICIALLY BIT!

The "letdown" of sorts that swept over me when I realized our project was complete was enough to prove this didn't have to be an isolated event. This could and should carry on. Our family's prayer to offer tangible aid to orphans had been answered, and we continue to actively pursue opportunities to love these children from the distance we have to. We have sent multiple boxes of baby care supplies to various countries across the world. We've organized local sewing events to assist and equip mission teams with materials to deliver on their trips. We work with organizations like Annabelle's Wish and our local FBCK's Outreach 2 Orphans to continue to bring cloth diapers and other comfort and necessity items to babies/children in need, and our family continues to receive overwhelming blessings for doing so!

While we love our Zoonique Baby customers, spending time with local families assisting them in their own cloth diapering adventures, educating people about the benefits and ease of using cloth diapers today, the core of why we do what we do is still, and will always be the faces of the children across the world, now etched on our hearts, that we have been given the unique and tangible gift of loving through cloth diapers!

Thank you for your support.

SNEAK PEEK!!!

Here's a little peek at some of the NEW PRINTS we have coming in right now! We are so excited! Lots of cute ones for boys, girls and gender neutral prints as well. As always, all our prints are limited in quantity so don't miss out if there is something you LOVE! :)
Oh my! Oh my! What to cut and sew first??? I just don't know! :) SUCH FUN!

Celebrating INDEPENDENCE DAY!

These fun prints were part of a special series to help celebrate the 4th of July and show our patriotism! We have dear friends and family who serve our country through the Armed Forces, and we are so very grateful to them for the enormous sacrifices they make daily!

Hope you and yours have a safe and memorable Independence Day!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!