DIY - Emergency Diaper Change Kits

We are getting ready to take DD on her very first plane ride! In preparing to travel with a toddler, I wanted to make sure we had the necessities easily accessible without packing up all of her earthly belongings just for an extended weekend. With a toddler that is not yet potty trained, diapers and wipes are definitely an essential!

I am taking individual diaper changing kits in my carry-on and packing the rest of her diapers into our checked luggage. These kits fit nicely into a purse or glove box and would be great to keep on-hand for quick trips out or for emergencies. Or assemble several kits for a practical baby shower gift! Each kit can be quickly put together with items from around the house. After being used, the kits can be re-packed or completely disposed of. It just depends on how messy things get!

EMERGENCY DIAPER CHANGE KIT:

• 1 diaper
• 2 wipes (or more, depending on your preference)
• 1 plastic shopping bag (finally, a great use for the plethora of Walmart sacks!!)
• 1 quart-size freezer zipper bag
• 1 sandwich-size zipper bag

Assembly:

1. Place one diaper into the quart zipper bag. I turned mine sideways but it was a tight fit. Anything larger than a size 3 would need to be put in the opposite direction or folded in half. 
       *Freezer bags are more sturdy. I recommend them over the regular bags!!
2. Place two wipes into the sandwich zipper bag. Roll bag to squeeze out the air before sealing. Place sealed bag into quart bag with diaper.
       **I only did two wipes in each kit based on our normal diaper changes. In my purse I keep another baggie with several wipes for really bad messes or quick hands & face clean-ups.
   
3. Lay plastic sack flat and fold into quarters width-wise, then length-wise. Place into quart bag.
   
4. Roll quart bag from the bottom up to squeeze out air before sealing. Adjust contents if needed to fold bag in half (for smaller diapers).
   

I have made four of these to put in my carry-on and one to put into my purse. As you can see, these are about the size of my hand and maybe 1/4'' thick. They will easily fit into any bag or glove compartment. When it comes time for a diaper change, I won't need to bring all of our belongings with us into the tiny airplane bathroom. We will just grab one kit out of our bag and go.

So why did I choose this random assortment of items?

• The plastic shopping bag can be unfolded and used as a changing pad. This will also be useful for disposing of the waste when you are finished - simply bag everything up and place in the trash can. 
• The quart bag has a few possible uses: 
• Bagging up really stinky diapers if no trash is available. I've tried this out with a stinky diaper in a hot car and there was no smell several hours later! 
• Bagging up clothes if there was a bad mess. Again, will contain the smell for several hours until the clothes can be washed. 
• Can be re-used for another kit if there was no major mess. 
• The sandwich bag can also fit a diaper for disposal or be re-used for another kit. Alternatively, you can place your hand into the bag and use it as a glove if needed.