The Daddy Diaper Pail {baby shower gift}

Baby showers are fun. Except for the dumb games (and I'm really sorry if you like the games... I'm not a huge fan but I have a *fantastic* baby shower activity to share with you next week). It's just fun to get together and talk about all things baby and freak out a soon-to-be mom. Who is probably already freaked out anyway.

More and more, baby showers seem to be becoming less of a ladies-only thing and more of a family thing -- get the expecting mommy AND daddy and their friends together for a shindig. I approve of this, depending on the family's preference. My husband was not okay with this with our first, but with #2 on the way, he actually suggested a little get-together after the baby is born to celebrate. It involves a grill and burgers. :)

So, if you're invited to a family-type shower or maybe just have more of a connection with the baby's daddy, try out the Daddy Diaper Pail*

*Of course, this could just be called the Mommy Diaper Pail or something else like that, but Daddy Diaper Pail just rolls of the tongue better, plus it's based off of this Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox. I'm definitely open to name suggestions, though :)

The best part about it? Mostly everything in the pail is from the dollar store, or can be purchased very inexpensively (and in some cases probably for even less than a dollar) elsewhere. Everything that I gave was from either the dollar store or Target's travel and dollar aisles. 

Start with a pail (aka bucket, found in the cleaning section of the dollar store).

Cut (or buy) some fun vinyl (or stickers) and put them on aforementioned pail. (If you're a Silhouette user, let me know and I can email you my file.) This will be SO much easier if your pail is flat instead of ridged like mine, but it works either way. Be sure to include the warning:

Scour the dollar store and elsewhere for inexpensive (unless expensive is your thing) baby- and diaper-related items, both practical and gag, such as:

• diaper ointment
• hand sanitizer (gel, spray, wipes, or all of the above)
• air freshener
• "biohazard" diaper disposal bags
• gloves
• face mask (like a surgical mask)
• tongs
• safety goggles
• ear and/or nose plugs
• pacifier
• spot cleaning wipes (such as Shout wipes)
• a fresh pair of socks

Label the items with witty, or at least explanatory, labels and load everything in the bucket.

Present the gift pail to the mom- or dad-to-be and judge the wittiness of your labels upon whether she/he wets her/his pants laughing or not. (And if the expectant father wets his pants, you must be REALLY witty.)

Other optional additions

If you are a sewist and the mother-to-be is having a boy, whip up an assortment of pee-pee teepees (following the WeeWee Wigwam tutorial here at Make It and Love It).

And, again, if you are a sewist, try your hand at a travel changing pad (or at-home changing pad). Otherwise, Target has a really awesome travel changing pad for around $10. :) I made the Duo Pocket Changing Pad Clutch, following the tutorial by Vibrant Designs... with a few changes, as is my custom:

I rounded the top flap by tracing a dinner plate

(and added an embellished strip to cover up a mess-up :)

lengthened the changing pad part

(by cutting my first piece the full width of my fabric, about 42 inches)

applied iron-on vinyl to the lining fabric

(but only to the top 18 or so inches that will be the changing pad part)

used a magnetic closure instead of velcro
(but I think velcro is better because the snap ends up being where the baby is lying)

added a simple handle

and replaced the fusible fleece with medium-weight interfacing to cut down on bulk (although, in retrospect, it probably would still have been just fine bulk-wise).

When I make one for myself (because you better believe that I made sure that I have enough of that fun fabric to make some for me too :), I think I will also add some type of closure to the duo pocket part (the second pocket that is meant to hold the wipes so that you can reach *just* the wipes if you want -- SO smart, right?). I tried to make it fairly snug but the travel wipes container can still fall out a little more easily than I'd like.

And, if you are a die-hard dollar store crafter, I'm certain you could make the changing pad out of placemats or laundry bags or some other material. As it was, I paid around $6 total for a yard each of my fabrics and that is enough fabric to make at least 3 changing pads, so $2 + on-hand interfacing is an okay price for me. :)

Thanks for reading!