booster alternatives?

Wondering if anyone uses old flat nappies to boost their MCN's? We're on quite a tight budget at the moment and I didn't get any boosters when I bought Cian's stash but really want to boost his night nappy so I can quit doing a 3am change! I've chopped up one of our old towells to use but doesn't seem to give me that much extra absorbency...

anyone got any creative ideas?

Do you have access to a sewing machine or overlocker? and can you afford to get some fabric from GreenBeans - microfibre, hemp or bamboo? Works out really cheap and boosters/inserts are really straightforward to make, if you need a pattern you could use part of the Wee Weka pattern on The Nappy Network site.

Even if you chopped up the old towels or flat nappies to sew together to make an insert, that way you get the extra layers without the bulkiness you get from folding it...

Two folded flats in a pocket nappy last all night for my 2 1/2 year old, and I use one during the day, so if you are using fitteds you could pad fold the flat and lay it in a cover like bizzy said then put that over the fitted.

Of course it depends what kind of fitteds you are using and how absorbant they are. IMO I could never find a fitted that lasted as long as a flanny flat in a pocket nappy

We're using pockets part-time and only bought 2 inserts for the 5 MCNs we have, so I've been using flats as inserts regularly. I fold then in half one way, in half the other and then into quarters or thirds depending which nappy I put it into to. I'm probably going to get more inserts made up, but it's nice to have the backups needed, ie don't dry in time