Meet the Team - Clarissa from GreenBeans Diapers

Green Beans Diapers offers fun and functional pocket diapers and accessories for your little one. Let's get to know the creative force behind this lovely shop.

What's your name and where do you live?
My name is Clarissa and I live in Circleville, Ohio.

Where did you get the name for your shop?

The name for my shop came from my first child. When I was pregnant with her, I went in for my first ultrasound and she was so small! My husband said she looked just like a little bean. The name stuck and we called her that until she was born. We are a "green" family and started using cloth diapers, growing and canning our own food, band beekeeping when our daughter was born. Since my shop is primarily things for babies, the two just seemed to words just seemed to fit.

Please share what is unique about your products.

My products are unique because I make diapers, bags and changing pads that express my personal style through my choice of materials, colors and patterns. I love to use fabrics and notions made in the USA. I love to offer different color snaps, ribbon, velcro and fabrics to my customers so they too can create a diaper or bag that is special and unique for them.

What are your most popular products, and why are they so appealing?

My most popular items are my medium wet bags. I sell a lot of them because they are so versatile. They fold down to virtually nothing when empty, but are still large enough to hold a couple pocket diapers or several inserts and a cover. Everyone loves that they are available to coordinate with any of my diapers too.

How did you get the idea for your products/business?

I wanted to make something that I personally would use and needed. Cloth diapers and accessories seemed like the most logical thing for me to make since I relied on my cloth diapers so much, but found there were things I wanted to change about them. I started making my own patterns and eventually came up with diaper covers and pocket diapers that I liked better than what I currently owned. I showed them to some friends and they suggested I sell them online. So I did.

What have you found most challenging about running your own business?

Budgeting my time between my children, my husband, our home and my day job (another home business). There are never enough hours in the day to do all that I want to get done!

Has anything been easier than you expected? More difficult?

The actual making of the diapers is much easier than I thought it would be, that's why I held off on making diapers for so long. I thought that it would be very complicated, but it's not as much as I thought it would be. The most difficult part is keeping my children out of all of my supplies, and finding room to store everything!

Why do you like selling on Etsy?

I like selling on Etsy because I reach a large group of customers all at once from a much larger area that selling just locally at craft shows or online classifieds.

How long have you been sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc.?

I have been sewing since I was 11 years old, almost 16 years. I have tried knitting and crocheting over the years, and I just stink so I stick with sewing!

What is your favorite thing to make at the moment?

Hands down, scrappy pocket diapers! I just love matching up the different colors or patterns of PUL pieces and putting them together to see what unique and new thing I can make.

Why is cloth diapering important to you?

Cloth diapering is important to our family because we care about our environmental impact. Raising children is a dirty, messy and sometimes wasteful time. Cloth diapering is one way that we can offset the waste our family produces. Plus it saves money! And passing the same diapers down to our younger daughter saved us even more money, then we'll resell them when we are done and have diapered two children for almost nothing at all!

What is the kind of diaper you like the best at home?

None! We are almost through potty training our youngest now and I look forward to our completely diaper free days! We EC during the day at home, but use one-size pocket diapers during naps and nighttime. I personally like covers and hemp inserts for daytime when using diapers, but the husband loves pockets...

What is your favorite cloth diapering memory?

Telling our friends and family that we were going to use cloth diapers while pregnant with our first child. Everyone thought we were crazy, that we'd never stick with it. Some just thought it was plain disgusting! LOL!  When I brought in one of our cloth diapers to work one day to show some co-workers they were amazed. Cloth diapers weren't at all what they expected or remembered.

Who or what is your inspiration?

My girls! They have shown me what works, and what doesn't! We have tried so many kinds and brand of cloth diapers before finally deciding to make my own. I also realized what other items I wish I would have had when my girls were infants, like machine washable travel changing pads and coordinating wet bags, so now I make them for others.

Do you have anything new going on now, or upcoming, such as new products or promotions?

For the month of May I will be offering fleece diaper liners as a new product in my shop. Great to have when using rash creams or if your baby fusses over a wet diaper feeling. I'll also have some new color and print pocket diapers and covers on display. As far as promotions, I will continue to offer a discount on package deals of pocket diapers (buy 6, save $10) and covers (buy 6, get 7th free).

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Try cloth diapering! It may seem overwhelming or like too much work at first, but it really isn't. It has become a joy for me, not just to use them and make them, but also to share the experience and information with others.

Where can we find your products?
My items are available through my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreenBeansDiapers or       locally by contacting me through my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Beans-Diapers/211405962273240.