How to Add Rise Snaps to a Cloth Diaper Pattern

In this tutorial, we’re going to walk through how to add rise snaps to a cloth diaper pattern. Rise snaps let you adjust the height of the diaper, which means one diaper can fit for a longer period of time or work for different situations. While not necessary, rise snaps on a cloth diaper can extend the use of a cloth diaper for babies, youth, and adults.

For babies, rise snaps are a must-have because they allow the same diaper to grow with your child. For adults or older children, they add flexibility—maybe you prefer a lower rise during the day for comfort and discretion, and a higher rise at night for extra coverage.

Rise snaps are most commonly found on pocket style diapers and diaper covers.

Where to Place Rise Snaps

How far apart the rows of rise snaps sit from the waist snaps varies across diaper brands. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the snaps in the rows need to be even distributed across the crotch width to prevent sagging.

In this Thirstie’s style pattern that I’ve created, the waist snaps are placed on a fairly sharp diagonal. Some diaper patterns use straight rows of snaps—often two rows for baby diapers and three rows for adult products.

To start your rise snaps, measure 1 to 1½ inches below the lowest waist snap. For this pattern, I’m choosing to start 1¼ inches below the lowest snap.

Line up your straight edge and mark your first rise snap. Remember, this is on the fold of the pattern, so whatever you place here will be mirrored on the other side.

Measuring for Even Snap Placement

Next, you’ll want to measure the width of the crotch area where the rise snaps will go. This ensures your snaps are evenly spaced.

In the video, the crotch width measures 3½ inches on the fold. I’m doing 3 snaps, so the center snap will be placed on the fold.

To find the snap placement:

Divide the width in half
3½ ÷ 2 = 1.75 inches

Mark 1.75 inches from the center fold in each direction. These marks indicate where your two rise snaps will be placed.

If you want to do 4 snaps in a row, then you will have 2 snaps on each side and none on the fold. A good rule of thumb is to divide your full crotch width by # of snaps + 1. For example, with 4 snaps, there will actually be 5 spaces between the snaps and you want the spaces between the snaps to be evenly distributed.

Spacing Between Snap Rows

The vertical spacing between rows of rise snaps can vary. Typically, rise snaps are placed 1 to 2 inches apart for baby diapers. Adult diapers can be up to 3” apart.

Since I’m using a baby pattern, I’m choosing to space the snap rows 1½ inches apart, which gives a good balance between adjustability and bulk.

Choosing Studs and Sockets

When working with plastic snaps, you’ll often end up with more studs than sockets. Rise snaps are a great place to use up extra studs.

For example, you can use sockets for your top row of snaps and then use studs for the bottom two rows.

Either option works—this is mostly about using your snap supplies efficiently.

Final Thoughts

And that’s it! Adding rise snaps to a cloth diaper pattern is a simple adjustment that adds a lot of versatility. Whether you’re sewing for babies, older children, or adults, rise snaps help you customize the fit for different body types and different times of day.