INSIDE: Make a DIY Moby wrap for pennies with our no-sew instructions. Babywearing is an easy way to give infants the snuggles and contact they need!

I did it! I did it! So ever since I got hooked on the Solly wrap for wearing Andrew as a newborn, I've become obsessed with all the other...

Hi all! This time I decided to try my hand at an SSC. I had an awesome Kinderpack but the straps were too long (I bought it hoping Hubby would wear it, but no dice) so I sold it. But then I missed it. So I made my own. I don't know why, but the idea of webbing and buckles was really intimidating to me! But I figured, how bad could it be? I've already made three mei tais and three ring slings. So here's the free pattern that I downloaded. http://www.mediafire.com/view/whdfr3hbm9t/A+SSC+Pattern.pdf It's a great pattern and the authors of this deserve a huge round of thanks! But for me, a visual learner, the directions were hard to follow. Plus I'm still a newbie when it comes to sewing. There are no illustrations or photos along the way to show you the steps so I am writing this to help you guys out if you decide to try one. I messed up a few times and had to improvise here and there but all in all, it looks and feels great! Ok, first some details: It cost me about $40 to make this. I bought 3 yards of sturdy cotton twill on sale at Joann's Fabrics and I used it for everything except the interior panel. I could have used it for that too but I used a bright red cotton duck because otherwise I couldn't tell my panels apart. They all looked the same! I bought the webbing and buckles from Strapworks.com and it came to about $10 including shipping. I cut up an old yoga mat for the waist padding and an old fleece receiving blanket for the shoulder padding. If you don't have that lying around the house you'll need to buy some padding too. I also made it 2" taller and 2" wider for my toddler. The first panel I cut out just looked way too small (thank god I bought 3 yards of fabric instead of 2!) And the second panel I cut out was sideways, as DH pointed out to me. He said, "Aren't trees supposed to grow up and down instead of sideways?" Damned camo print! As I said, I'm a newbie so I estimate it took me about 6 hours to make this, including cutting out the fabric. Considering that a Tula or Kinderpack costs upwards of $159, $40 and 6 hours is not too shabby! Ok, let's get started. I'm going to copy and paste the directions from the pattern and clarify where needed and add a few photos. I made the straight shoulder straps. I'm told curved straps are better for back carries. They seem to stay on your shoulders better if your straps are always sliding off, but for this project I went with the tried and true strap style I'd used in the past. 6/12/15 UPDATE: I am now making a preschool sized version of this carrier and I read somewhere that if you make the body of the carrier taller you have to reduce the length of the shoulder straps. DUH! This seems so obvious to me now in retrospect but when I made this toddler version it never occurred to me. The only reason I think I got away with keeping them the same length is that a) I'm 6'1", and b) I almost always cross the straps so I don't need to use the chest clip, which I never got around to making. I wore my 2 1/2 year old to Six Flags last week (and after a very lengthy wearing strike he FINALLY allowed me to wear him because he was pooped, so I was beyond thrilled!) He's got to be 35 lbs now and good lord, that kid was heavy. I crossed the straps in front but I have also done knots in the front like this: After you tie it in a half knot you just clip it on the sides. No need for a chest clip this way. I've also done ring finishes with a large ring. Ok, so be warned - if you make the carrier taller you should probably shorten the straps by an equal amount unless you need the extra length. Assemble the Straight Shoulder straps: 1. Assemble shoulder strap pattern and place on fold as indicated. Cut two pieces. 2. Cut two 13” by 16” pieces of fleece and fold into four layers lengthwise, final size about 3.5” x 16” a. If you are adding a hood attach the D-ring to one layer of the shoulder strap using either a short piece of webbing or a length of hemmed fabric (see pattern) 3. Fold over 1/2” and sew the tapered end (hem). 4. Cut two 2” pieces of 1.5” webbing and use them to attach the female half of the 1.5” buckles to one layer of the tapered end with a single line of stitching. 5. Fold over the strap pieces lengthwise, right sides together and sew lengthwise stopping at the tapered end. 6. Turn right side out. 7. Insert the fleece into the tube of the shoulder strap, leaving 5-6” unpadded at the top. 8. Make sure the fleece is laying flat and top stitch down the middle lengthwise start/stopping about 1” into the fleece 9. Top stitch the tapered ends closed and finish attaching the webbing, using re-enforced (x-box) stitching to secure the webbing. When I got to step #3, I had no idea if she meant to fold under all three edges of the taper or just the one. I guessed and did just the one. When I got to step #4, I got stumped. When you cut a piece of webbing only 2" long, once you thread it through the buckle and fold it in half it's now less than 1" long. How the hell are you supposed to sew that to the fabric and put an Xbox through it? She says to do a straight line of stitching and then later, in step 9, you'll finish securely attaching that same piece by doing an Xbox through all the layers of fabric. But it's still only protruding into the straps by 1/2". I'm holding the first piece I cut to show you how damned near impossible this is. Unless you have magic fairies who are going to sew it for you during the night on their itty bitty fairy machines. So I cut a piece 6" long instead. I sank it about 3" into the fabric and you can sort of see my Xbox (I used brown thread so it's hard to see, but it's there.) A word about Xboxes - they're really no big deal. I sew a line, leave the needle down, lift the presser foot, rotate the fabric, and sew the next side of the box. Repeat until you've gone all the way around. Then do it again two more times sewing just to one side of the thread you've already sewn. You don't want to go EXACTLY over the same line as putting multiple holes in the same exact spot will weaken your fabric, not strengthen it. After three boxes, stop at your original starting point and spin the fabric so you'll sew a diagonal line. Go back and forth three times, then sew along one outer edge to get to the opposite corner and repeat going the other way. It truly takes all of 5 minutes to make a decent looking Xbox. I was worried I'd run out of webbing by using 12" total instead of 4" total but I was ok, just barely. HOWEVER, next time I will definitely buy another foot of webbing. It costs something like 39 cents per foot. Definitely buy extra if you are fluffy, if this is for your big and tall husband, if your arms aren't flexible enough to reach behind you and grab the tiny bit of strap sticking out of the buckle unless there's a good bit hanging down for you to grab a hold of. I always have the straps just about as long as they can go when I put the carrier on, then snug up after the baby is in. There was not much sticking out of the buckle so you may want to err on the side of caution and just buy more webbing to be safe. Also note, I did not lengthen the shoulder straps. I made them the same size as the pattern since my Kinderpack straps were too long. I'm still able to cross in back (ridiculously comfortable, by the way!) and I'm 6'1" and a size 12. Melting the webbing - very important!!! When I first cut that 2" long piece and tried pinning it in place, within 3 minutes the ends were frayed and shredded. Grab a match or a lighter and run the flame along the edge back and forth a couple of times. You can actually see it melting right before your eyes, which was fun! Burning your fingers is not fun though, so please be careful. Cut the webbing to length and immediately melt it before you start messing with it. I also don't like that you cut the strap on a fold. If you look closely at my strap, one taper is longer than the other. That's because when you fold the strap in half and sew it lengthwise along that open edge, you've now made it 1/2" narrower but only on one side. So the tapers at the end are now not the same length. Does that make sense? Next time I would sew along the folded edge too just to make the strap evenly taken in on both sides, not just the one. I'm anal like that. I didn't make a hood because I rarely use it. My baby will not keep anything on his head for longer than .4 seconds - sun hats, winter hats, hoodie hoods, carrier hoods, doesn't matter. Ain't gonna happen. So I just modified the pattern for the body to add an arch along the top. If, by some miracle, he actually allows himself to fall asleep in this the arch should help with head flop. I cut four layers of fleece in the same arch shape and stuffed them in there before sewing the panels all together. Assemble the Body: 1. Assemble body pattern and cut out 3 body pieces laying the pattern along the fold as indicated. 2. Sew the darts on each piece 3. Attach the shoulder straps and hood, as illustrated, on the center layer. 4. Cut the remaining 1.5” webbing in half, melt ends and attach as illustrated 5. Place the outside layer on top of the middle layer right side up 6. Place the inner lay on top of that right side down. 7. Pin the three layers together 8. Sew around the edge of the three layers, do not sew the bottom or over the four straps 9. Turn right side out and pull the straps through. 10. Topstitch around the edge, turning under the edges around the straps. This part was pretty straightforward. For the darts, I did NOT cut out that little triangle of fabric. I just traced the outline of the triangle with chalk onto the wrong side of each panel piece. Then I pinched the fabric together and lined up the chalk lines. Pin in place, especially at the very point, so they'll all be the same length. Then sew it starting at the bottom edge of the body panel. When you get close to the point reduce the length of your stitch so you don't have to backtack (reverse stitch) to keep it from coming undone. I used a 2.5 length stitch for the whole project except for here, when I reduced it to 1.6 about half an inch before I came to the point. Then just sew right off the edge of the fabric when you get to the point. Attach the shoulder straps to the interior panel, which won't show. Sink the straps down onto the body panel as far as it shows on the pattern, about 4" as I recall. Sew a nice big, fat Xbox and go over it three times. It doesn't matter if it's pretty because no one will see it. So you're attaching the 1 1/2" webbing on the sides of the body panel. These are the pieces that will be threaded through the male end of the buckles that will clip into the buckles on your shoulder straps. Do Xboxes on these too. If you want to add padding to the neck and leg areas, cut four layers of fleece in a rectangle for the legs (about 2" wide by 6-8" tall) and the same shape as the neck arch, just smaller by 1/2" all the way around. Pin the four layers to the inner panel and sew around the perimeter, just to hold it in place. The legs out padding I made goes from 1/2" from the bottom edge to 1/2" below the side pieces of webbing. When you pin all three layers together, it's a good idea to put 2 pins in a big X on either side of your webbing and shoulder straps. YOU DO NOT SEW ACROSS THESE or you can't turn it right side out. I had to rip out some stitching because I was trying to hurry and do it during nap time and sewed right across my webbing. Crap! The pins in an X is a pretty big visual sign that says, "Hey stupid, stop sewing now." ;) If you decide to make an arch on top like I did, cut around the shape of the arch making little triangular notches every inch or so. It should look like a stegosauras (did I spell that right?) Then turn it all right side out. I started with the shoulder strap buckles and pulled them through, then the webbing, and then the rest. You can stick a ruler inside and push it against the seams to make sure it's all fully turned out or just use your hand. Turning under around the straps always kicks my butt. Why is this so hard for me? I fold the fabric under one time, not twice, or it gets too thick to sew easily. But the corners always look messy. I usually do a 45 degree angle at the sides so that no raw fabric is sticking out, but if anyone has a better method please share it with me in the comments. Seriously, please!!! After all the raw edges are turned under and sewn, I go around the entire thing - up one side, over the straps, across the top, and down the other side. Makes it not only finished and pretty looking but gives it one more layer of reinforcement. You can also outline the padding. Just make straight lines around the leg padding and a horizontal line below the neck padding. I tried to do a fancy decorative stitch that looked like leaves. On my scrap test piece it looked great! But on my three layers of body panels with a camo print it didn't even show up. :( Assemble the waist belt: 1. Assemble the waist belt pattern and cut out the padding and fabric according to instructions. 2. Cut one 6” piece of 2” webbing, melt the ends and use it to attach the female end of the buckle on one end of one waist piece where indicated on the “right” side 3. Attach the remaining 18” of 2” webbing to the other end of the same piece where indicated on the “right” side. 4. Attach the body, inner lining to the wrong side of the other waist piece overlapping 2” as indicated, with two lines of stitching, 1/4” from the bottom edge of the body and an x-box on each end 5. sew the two waist pieces right sides together except where the body is 6. Turn right side out 7. Insert the padding, if using batting or fleece place on the inner side. 8. Tuck in the edges and topstitch along the waist strap where the body overlaps the body. I used two layers of a yoga mat. I had to cut the pieces much smaller than the pattern. First I couldn't stuff them in the waistband because they were too long, and then I couldn't fold under the top edge to sew it to the body panel because they were too tall. So be prepared to do lots of trimming. You don't want to sew through them and break 17 needles for this part. Attaching the webbing - why would I want to attach it on the right side of the fabric? I totally don't get this part. I attached it to the wrong side of the fabric with big ol' Xboxes. These WILL be visible so try to do them neatly. In the photo above I have my two pieces of waistband fabric right sides together. The top layer is folded back to show you how I attached the buckle and webbing the first time. If you do it like this, when you turn it right side out the webbing will be on the outside of your waist band. Not very aesthetically pleasing in my opinion. I sewed it to the wrong side and then when I turned it right side out I folded under the raw edges (remember, don't sew across the webbing!) and topstitched a couple of times. Step #4: Don't forget to make a tiny Xbox right where the body panel meets the waist band BEFORE you sew the waistband pieces right side together. I forgot to take a picture of this but here's a photo of the Kinderpack I used to have. See how tiny it is, right below the mustache fabric? It will only show on the inside of the waistband so don't worry if it's not pretty. Once you complete the waistband you're done! Just thread the webbing through the male end of the buckles and give it a test run. You can also make a chest clip but I still haven't gotten around to doing that yet. Look at that knee-to-knee coverage, baby!!! It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. If you've made a mei tai or onbu, or if you even have basic sewing skills you can do this. Good luck! ***UPDATE 09/01/2015*** I ended up making a preschool sized carrier to be 20" x 20" when it was finished. Mr. Man is now 35 pounds and 41" tall and it worked great for him (when he'd allow himself to go up!) on our recent trip to Disneyworld. Luckily we got the cast off his leg right before our trip! Talk about good timing... phew. I bought the appliqué off Etsy and I got the Olaf fabric from Fabric.com. The black and white polka dot fabric is duck and was used for the shoulder straps, waistband, inner panel, and the panel that touches his back. Only the outer Olaf fabric is a lighter weight cotton. Everything else is super heavy duty.

I saw this video on youtube for how to make a no-sew Baby K'tan wrap style carrier, but it seems to be the only one of its kind on the ...

Looking to make your own moby wrap. Check out our super simple DIY Baby Wraps - Super Easy No Sew Moby Baby Wraps! #baby #pregnant #babywrap #mobywrap

My first sewing tutorial! Let’s be real, I’m not a big sewer but this little DIY is super simple – and if I can do it, you can for sure!! I spied a ring sling on Instagram the oth…

My very first (and very belated, I might add!!) tutorial!! This one is long over due, that's for sure! I had every intention of writing up this tute, but completely forgot cause, well...life happens, especially when you've got a baby! But after many comments and emails (and some of those emails weren't really nice...some were downright demanding and mean about it!), I decided to pick up where I had left off. I would like to apologize to those that have been waiting very patiently for this! Oh, and sorry for the quality of some photos...the day I did this the weather was all over the map so the lighting changed quite a bit! Ok, so here we go!! ****Please feel free to make these carriers for your own use or for gift-giving, but please do not use these instructions to make carriers to sell or print any part of this tutorial to sell. Thank you!**** The ingredients: 1.5 meters (or 1 3/4 yards) of fabric Matching thread 35cm (or 14 1/2") long piece of 1/2" wide elastic A little note about fabric: you can pretty much use anything, except I don't recommend anything with stretch in it. But whatever you use, please, please, please wash it first!! As babies tend to drool a lot, I'm sure the carrier will be washed a few times and the last thing you need is for the carrier to shrink! Not to mention that fabric mills are absolutely filthy, and if your baby is anything like mine, he'll try to suck on an edge! Also, if you plan on using denim, make sure you wash it several times to ensure that there is no excess dye. A friend of mine didn't think of this, or the stretch factor, when making her carrier and had blue dye all over her favorite shirt after the first use! Then after a few more wears the lycra in the denim she used lost all of its elasticity and stretched so much to the point where she can't use it anymore because it's too big! Also, a note about the elastic, you can use whatever width you want or whatever you have in your sewing room. I recommend the 1/2" wide solely for the comfort factor for the child. Using elastic thread is not recommended as it's not strong enough and I've found that 1/4" wide elastic can dig into the child's neck or back. Ok, now for the deets on how to make your own carrier: 1. Lay out your fabric. To get the most out of the fabric, I unfolded the fabric, then folded one of the selvage edges towards the middle - enough so that I can get 2 strips of fabric cut from it like this: You'll want to cut 2 long strips that are 30cm x 142cm (11 3/4" x 56"), and 1 square piece that is 30cm x 30 cm (11 3/4" x 11 3/4"). You can make the carrier any size, I'm 5' and a bit tall and this fits perfectly. My cousin is 5'7" and she used these measurements too and it fit her perfectly as well. To get the size you want, I suggest draping a length of fabric around your body sling-style and then measuring from there. Just make sure you leave an extra 5cm (2") at the ends for seam allowance. 2. On one strip of fabric, fold one end down 5cm (2"), wrong sides facing. Press. Repeat with the other strip. You should have, on each strip, one end folded, the other end the raw cut. Like this: 3. On each strip unfold the end and then fold and pin the fabric lengthwise with right sides facing. Your pinned strips should look like this: 4. Now it's time to sew up these bad boys! Sew the lengths using a 2cm (3/4") seam allowance. 5. Turn each strip right side out and press, being careful with the creased end that was previously folded. Then re-fold that end and press again, making sure it is still measuring 5cm (2"). To make sure I'm being clear, each strip should have ends that look like this: 6. Now fold each strip in half lengthwise to find the middle. Either use pins or a fabric marker and mark the middle. Measure the width of your strip and measure half of that on each side of the marked middle. Again, using either pins or a fabric marker to mark the halves. You should be forming little "boxes" with your pins or fabric marker, like this: Repeat with the other strip. 7. Lay one strip on top of the other, matching "boxes" to form a cross. If you are using a patterned fabric, make sure the pattern on both strips are going the correct way (imagine wearing the carrier and how the pattern would be)! Make sure you have both folded ends on one side. If you look at the photo below, the top and the left part of the strips are the straps that will be on my shoulders. To make life a bit easier, before sewing I used a fabric marker and I drew the "x" pattern and the edges of the strip on the bottom so that I had something to follow when sewing the 2 strips together. My method for sewing the strips together is to sew a square around the edges of the joined strips, then another square 1/8" away on the the inside of the first for extra security. Then I sew the "x" inside the square. 8. With right side facing down, place the carrier so that it looks like an "x". Bring the opposite straps together so that one folded end meets a raw edge end. Tuck 5cm (2") of the raw edge end into the folded end. To make life easier (again!), measure 5cm (2") on the raw edge end so that you know just how far to tuck in the strap. Pin through all layers. Repeat with other side. You carrier should now look like this: 9. Sew through all layers on both straps. You can either just sew where the 2 straps meet, or if you're paranoid (like I am) about the straps somehow coming apart, you can sew all around the area where the 2 straps meet, like this: Or if you're lucky enough to own a sewing machine that does embroidery, you can embroider a funky line across the layers. If you have a toddler or a kidlet that doesn't need extra back/neck support, you can definitely stop here and enjoy the carrier now! I took a few photos of what the toddler version looks like in action. But if you have a younger child or a baby that needs that support, continue on... 10. With right side facing, fold square to form a triangle. Pin and mark a 5cm (2") opening. Using a 1cm (3/8") seam allowance, sew all around except for the opening. Turn right side out and press, tucking in the seams at the opening. You can handsew the opening close if you want, I usually leave it and it gets sewn closed when I topstitch and edgestitch the piece to the carrier. 11. With wrong side facing, fold down the top wide edge 1.5cm (5/8"). Press, pin, and edgestitch close to the folded edge. This is forming the elastic casing, so leave the sides open. 12. Thread the elastic through the casing and pin one opening through all layers to anchor the elastic, and then pull enough of it out to make the piece as gathered as you want. Mine is 27cm (10 1/2") wide, in case you need an idea as to how big/small to make this piece. Baste the elastic at openings and trim off excess. 13. Place the carrier on a table so that the wrong side is facing up and the "top" of the carrier is nice and smooth. Either feel the sandwiched seam allowance to use as a guide, or use a fabric marker and mark a line 1cm (1/2") from the edge like this along the "v" neck part of the carrier: 14. Pin the triangle to the carrier with wrong side facing, using the line you just made as your placement guide. To make life a little easier: move all the gathers in the triangle piece to the middle to make pinning and sewing onto the carrier easier! 15. Ok, so I didn't mention what to do with the weird "wings" made when you formed the elastic casing in the triangle piece, don't pin down that part yet, leave that part free. For this part you have 2 options: you can either leave it and just sew over it, or (and this is the method that I use, cause if you know me well you'd know that I totally hate unfinished seams and messy finishes!) you can fold the "wing" under... ...and then snip off the excess tip. When you sew the piece onto the carrier the cut part will be enclosed in the seam, so no fraying or messy business will happen. 16. And the last step: sew the edge of the triangle piece to the carrier! You can either just edgestitch along the edge of the carrier, catching the support triangle piece along the way, or you can sew along both the edge of the carrier and the edge of the triangle like this: I know the above and the following photos show a carrier in a different colorway, but I decided to keep the carrier in the toddler version since my son no longer needs the extra support. But this is the carrier that I made and have used when he did need it. Here's a closer look at how I had sewn the tips of the triangle to the carrier to make it look cleaner: Voilà! You are done! Now enjoy wearing your little one! I hope you guys enjoyed the tutorial! If you need any help, feel free to leave a comment or email me!

Back in September, I guest posted for Tasha over I Seam Stressed, while she was adjusting to her new life as mom of two. For that post, I've put up a tutorial on how to do your own pocket sling. Today's, I am bringing it home, since all we think about now is Christmas and all the handmade presents we have to make, i think this should be a good idea to gift a new mom or a pregnant relative/friend in your life. Enjoy! Since my appearence here is due to Tasha's baby boy's birth, I thought I'd come up with something every mom should have. Especially when they are still newborns (even though I used mine until my little one was around one year old, then she just wanted to walk everywhere and we slowly left it aside). I am talking about a baby pocket sling, of course. I prefer pocket slings over ring slings by far, it gives me a better sense of security, but that might be just me. And today I will share a tutorial on how to do your own. So, the first thing you have to do is take your measurements! - a bad thing about the pocket sling is that it will only fit you, in my case I had to make one for me and one for hubby, since he's much bigger than I am. To take the measurements correctly, you should use a sewing tape, place the edge on your shoulder's bone (the highest on your shoulder, it is), and cross the tape from your shoulder to the opposite hip bone. Like in the picture below. For my sling I used a 28" measurement because I made it for a friend, and she's a large size, contrary to me, I believe my sling is 22", so if your measurements are somewhere between these, you probably got them right. That is important so your sling won't become uncomfortable when you use it.* You'll need two cordinate or contrastic fabrics. I used linen for the lining and a plaid cotton for the main (though it is reversible, you can pick pretty fabrics and use them both ways - my advice is use as much natural fabrics as you can, because the skin of your newborn will be highly in touch with the fabric and you'll want the baby's skin to breath (I would often use flannel for winter babies). Start by folding your fabric (check image 1). The black arrows measurement should be at least 4" longer than your measurements (the one we took above). And between those two white arrows it should be 21" long. Fold again, this time the 21" in half (clearer on image 4 I believe). Start from the first fold and mark your measurements, in my case it was 28", add seam allowance (3/8" is enough - image 2). In the raw edge, the other one is folded. You should measure it in that side too, and add about 3" more (image 3). If you plan to make a few of these than it could be a good idea to make a pattern, I made one out of cereals cardbox (image 4) a while ago when I was selling slings and would make a lot of them. This was really handy. Pin it and cut off excess fabric (image 5). Unpin and open that last fold. Pin rounded edges and sew with a 3/8" seam allowance. Repeat it all over again with the other fabric. Press seams open. The next step is optional, you might just skip it. I don't usually add loops to my slings but I thought I should show you that option and besides, for people who get really confused (first times) on how to use your sling, it might help to know how to place it. Cut a small stripe of fabric (really as long as you wish, and about 1 1/2 wide). Fold it in half, and press. Open, fold one edge towards the center, press with your iron, do the same with the other edge (image 6). Fold in half again, press and sew as close to the edge as possible (image 7). You can do another row of stitches in the folded edge, but it's up to you. Place your loop and fold like shown in pictures 8 & 9. Press it. After sewing your two pieces of fabric you have created two tubes. Turn them to the right side, and pin your loop on the stitched line (image 10). Put fabric together wrong sides (one will be inside the other), pin and sew all around (image 11). Turn it right sides again. One edge will be sewn together the other will look like picture 12. This can get tricky now, you have to put the seams together (right sides), but not turning the pieces inside out. I really don't know how to explain this in a better way, but I hope the pictures help (image 13 & 14), it will look all twisted but that's how it should be. Just keep pinning all around. We will sew this edge too but you might need to leave a little hole to turn your piece the right wy later. HINT: I usually use two pins together to mark my opening starts and ends (image 16). Sew until you get to your opening, then switch to your longest lenght stitch (image 17) and sew the opening too. This will only be used to help you later, when it comes to hand stitch your opening. Once you've sewn, press your seam (the opening bitonly - image 18), open the seam and press to one side (image 19), and then to the other (image 20). You can rip the stitches from your opening and turn the sling to the right side (image 21). Pin your opening (image 22) and close it with an invisible stitch (image 23). Press your seams flat all around (image 24) and topstitch it (image 25). And you're ready to carry your baby anywhere. I remember I would make household duties with my daughter in the sling, or I would breatfeed her as we walked in a market - no one could tell and she was always so happy. Slings also make a great gift in baby showers. Just make sure you know the correct size for the person you'll be making one to. * you can see in my dress form, the sling is too big for it, so it looks like the baby is about to fall down at anytime. That shouldn't happen when you get the right size.

Learn how to make a Mei Tai baby carrier with this simple tutorial. It costs less than $20 to make and should hold your little one for years to come.

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Learn how to make a baby carrier with your hands. See guidelines on DIY baby carrier making and safety, 11 best tutorials, 3 awesome meh dai patterns.

Looking to make your own moby wrap. Check out our super simple DIY Baby Wraps - Super Easy No Sew Moby Baby Wraps! #baby #pregnant #babywrap #mobywrap

Make your own carriers with our baby patterns and tutorials. We'll walk you through it, every step of the way. AS SEEN IN Babywearing: the magazine

Ring slings are really popular because they are comfortable and so easy to use. I have already used mine to go grocery shopping, go for walks, tour the city, and go out to lunch. I basically u…

Light premium baby carrier - for everyday carrying This light and very soft baby carrier Tiimeless Smiile impresses with our cheerful pattern in the trendy shade of lilac. The baby carrier ensures optimal weight distribution with ... ... a comfortable, padded waist belt ... extra softly padded leg openings ... a padded headrest ... X-shaped, lightly padded shoulder straps that run over the shoulder. The shoulder straps are attached with two buckles. You can put your child down without waking them up (no loud velcro!). The carrier is optimized so that you can put it on and take it off by yourself. From the sitting age you can also use it on your back. Use the included strap for this. Ergonomically correct - for a healthy back The leg bridge can be easily adjusted with the buttons on the inside and ensures that your baby sits in the correct and safe position in the carrier. From infant to toddler Our Tiimeless baby carrier is suitable for newborns from approx. 3 kg and small children up to 15 kg. Certified & hip-healthy baby carriers Our baby carriers have been tested according to the European standard DIN EN 13209-2:2016-07 and are certified by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as a hip-healthy product classified. High quality jacquard fabric for you & your baby The baby carrier is made of high-quality, resilient and easy-care sling fabric made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and is produced in small quantities in Europe. You get for free with your baby carrier ... a headrest, which can be attached to the stretcher from the inside with buttons. Rolled up, it can serve as an additional "neck pillow", rolled out, it provides protection from the sun, serves as an extended back part and Protects the head from bending while sleeping. The headrest is attached to the holes in the shoulder straps with cords. ... a matching protective bag, which is also made of organic cotton ... a free carrying consultation from our professional babywearing consultant Julia. She will answer your questions and give you tips & tricks for carrying with our baby carrier. You can write her an e-mail or alternatively arrange an online babywearing consultation with Julia. ... a detailed brochure with instructions, tips & tricks

【1 - 48 Month of Age】 Baby sling carrier has adjustable function for height, You can adjust the length of shoulder straps according to your baby's different growth stages. Suitable for children 7 – 45lbs. The shoulder has 0.3 inch padding for added comfort. 【Quick In and Out】 You can put your baby in the baby carrier within 10s. No more messing about and struggling to get your child situated in a carrier, avoid children crying in the waiting process. Please hold the child's back with one hand for safety. 【Convenient for Breastfeeding】 This baby nursing carrier sling also a small nursing cover breastfeeding, You can breastfeed while wearing it without taking your baby out of the wrap. Baby nursing sling carrier enables you to keep your little one close to your heart. 【Soft Breathable】 Enjoy the soft touch of the natural cotton fabric. Baby carrier sling fabric is breathable, soft. Perfect for moisture wicking, absorbs sweat for extra comfort even in hot Summer. 【Easy to Go Out】 With toddler carrier sling, you can pamper your little one on a busy day, even going shopping, traveling, camping. This baby sling is very light, and it only takes up a small space of diaper bag.

Ok, so I have two daughters that are 2 and 3 years old. They are at the age where they are too little to walk far distances, too big to be carried for very long and too little to walk anywhere fast. We have all the equipment needed to get these 2 from point A to point B- jogging stroller, a sit and stand stroller, umbrella strollers and even a bike trailer. But I was stumped when faced with a trip to go hiking with my husband's family. So I got online to buy some type of back carrier for the girls. I wasn't prepared for the cost though, have you ever priced one? Crazy, anyway so I got cracking at making one of my own! The Mei Tai looked to be the best one to replicate, it has no snaps, hooks, etc and it says that it is good for children up to 4 years old. It is just fabric and it ties around you and the baby. Here is the actual brand named one: and here is how it looks with a bigger kid in it: Ok, so here is how I made one... 1. Make pattern: I didn't make a head rest or neck support for mine since my kids are big now. If you are wanting to make this for a baby and grow with your child you might need to make the back arch up instead go straight across. Here are my measurements: This is kind of typical measurements and what I used for the first one I made but for the 2nd, for my oldest daughter, I made the whole thing longer, around 24 inches instead of 20, because I thought it didn't go up high enough on her back. 2. Cut out straps: cut 3 of them (2 shoulder and 1 waist) 10 inches wide by 80 inches long. 3. Cut out the padding for the straps (I used quilting batting): I cut out 8 pieces (4 will be stacked together for each shoulder strap) that are 5 inches by 22 inches long. And 4 pieces that are 5 inches by 28 inches long. 4. Cut out body pieces ON FOLD: you will need 3 of them- one for the inside (where the baby sits), one for the outside (that everyone will see) and an inside layer for durability. 5. Assemble the padding: place 4 pieces of the same size together and sew a basting stitch so they stay in place. You should have 3 padding bundles when you are done. 6. Make straps: Fold straps in half, right sides together and sew the length. When done flip them right side out and iron them flat. You should finish with 3 long straps, one for the waist and 2 for the shoulders. 7. Insert the padding: Place the padding in the two shoulder straps about 5 inches from the opening. Place the last bundle of padding in the waist section in the dead center. (I used a safety pin with a string tied to it to pull the padding into the center) 8. Sew the long strips 2 times lengthwise through the center. 9. Layout body pieces like this: with the straps sticking out the top by 5 inches and right sides of the inside and outside pieces together. 10. Stitch all around the body piece leaving the bottom open: I stitched twice across the straps just for durability. 11. Flip body to right sides out. 12. Tuck in the bottom and sew all around the body piece. 13. Sew the straps inside the body piece: with a square and "x" to help reinforce. 14. Center the waist strap with the center of the body piece and sew a square around the piece. 15. You are done!! They worked great! We are going to take them to a beach trip and camping trip that we have planned for this summer!

The other week, my daughter asked me if she could have some string from Daddy's office. Wondering what she might need string for, I asked h...

This TCMT tutorial will show how to make a Mei Tai Baby Carrier with wrap-style straps from a table cloth!

Car Seat Cover Tutorial: A cute, easy canopy for your baby's car seat that is durable and looks great!

I made my own Baby K'tan type carrier! This carrier is the perfect mix of comfortable, quick to put on, and easy to stash in your bag. If you like your Moby or Boba, you will LOVE this. It is a lot less fabric than the Moby, so you won't get too warm. The only drawback is that you need to have a specific size just for you--you'll have to buy another carrier if your child's other caregivers wear a different size. Hopefully the good people at Baby K'tan will not be upset with me for sharing this. I've included tying instructional photos below. I used these instructions from someone else who made one. I've added my own notes in purple. You'll need: fabric and matching thread, sewing machine, scissors or rotary cutter, and an iron. You'll also need: either 2 large rings (if you want a ring sling type sash), or an extra piece of fabric if you want to tie your sash on with a knot. Here's what I did: 1. Using a soft measuring tape, measure from the tip of your shoulder to your side just under your ribs. Double this measurement and add 2" for a seam and 2" for shrinkage. This is the length of fabric you need to buy. (My measurement was 21". So 21 x 2 = 42". Then add 42 + 2 + 2 = for a final measurement of 46") Note a change to my instructions here: buy approximately 9 ft (3 yds) if you want to make your sash from a solid piece of fabric. Then, you can simply cut your loop pieces to the correct length. 2. Go to Joanns/Hancocks and buy a stretchy fabric of your choice. Don't go for 100% polyester unless you want to be really hot really fast. Also, don't buy something that's super stretchy. You want almost no stretch along the length and a moderate amount of stretch across the fabric. I love their 60% cotton/40% polyester interlock. Go for something that's 60" across too. This will give you enough for the two rings and the support sash. 3. Cut into 3 - 20" pieces along the length. You should end up with three pieces of fabric 20" wide (stretchy) and your measurement from #1 long (non-stretchy). You will have a scrap piece if you bought 3 yards for making the long sash. Prewash (and tumble dry!) 4. Take one piece and sew it together along the short ends with a French seam (gonna have to look that one up, don't have the room to explain it). Repeat with a second piece. The loops are done (unless you want to hem the sides- I didn't). I didn't make the smaller connecting loop because the ktan is actually easier to use without it. Go see babyktan.com to see the smaller loop. She's right, you don't need it. 5. Now the support sash. This uses the third piece. It isn't going to be long enough to tie in the back, so you need to either sew on some fabric to the ends to extend it enough to tie (I used a piece of an old Tshirt in a different color for an accent color. I cut the pieces so my accent fabric would be in the center.) or do what I did: Buy two rings like you would use for a ring sling and sew them onto one end (just like for a ring sling). You use it just like normal except that instead of tying in the back, you thread the free end into the rings like a ring sling. I want to add an additional note regarding the sash: In the photos you see my sash tied in the back, but it will stay put much better if you make the sash longer---long enough to criss-cross in the back, bring it around to the front, and then tie it at your belly. That is why I have give the measurement of approximately 9 ft (3 yds) long to fit most. 6. Download the instructions and start wrapping. I love, love, love this sling. I started with a pouch (hell on the shoulders), a ring sling (ditto on the shoulders) and then wraps (loooooved, but too much time). This sling works just like a wrap, but without the tying. Note: I don't know how long you can use this wrap. I carried my 1 year old nephew in the front carry position and it worked really well, but I don't think the cradle or kangaroo would work at all with the stretch of the fabric. I think a lot depends on whether your fabric stretches along the length. If it does, then the wrap will really sag with a heavy baby. --------------------------------------------- I have been using this carrier with my large 11-month old, and it works great! Here is my French Seam. I used a 3/8" seam allowance, followed by a 5/8" seam allowance. I flattened it down and stitched a third time to hold the little flap down. Here are my two loops of fabric. Slip one loop over your head, and let it rest around your hips. Slip the other loop over your head and diagonally across your upper body. Put your baby in, and spread the fabric across her body. She should be in a seated position--her knees should be at the same level as her hips. Pull the other loop up from your waist to between your baby's legs. Pull it up onto your shoulder. The two loops will now make an X across your back. Spread the fabric across your baby's body. Note: if you have a very young baby, you do not need to put the fabric between her legs. One option at this point: you may choose to shift the whole carrier and baby over to one hip. Here's my sash! You could also use a scarf if you have a very large, sturdy one. Spread it around your baby's back. If you make yours long enough, you'll be able to criss-cross it in back, then bring it around to tie in front. Oops, mine is too short. I just tie mine in the back. Here's the X on my back. You can see how it spreads the pressure across your whole body, so it won't be digging into your shoulders. And we're done! Your baby's body should be above your belly button. You should be able to kiss your baby's head. You may also choose to bunch the fabric up on your shoulders. Whatever is comfy for you. You may even be able to breastfeed your baby without taking her out of the carrier. Enjoy! I look forward to your comments.

I saw this video on youtube for how to make a no-sew Baby K'tan wrap style carrier, but it seems to be the only one of its kind on the ...

How to make a simple pouch sling baby carrier. This style is great for new babies through toddlers! Great for new moms and baby wearing

There’s something sweet about a toddler with her baby doll (his, too—my son loves his doll and animals as much as his sisters). When we were preparing for baby number two, I made a baby carrier for my two-year-old daughter. I had loved wearing her in my handmade mei-tai, a gift from my sister-in-law, and wanted a simpler version for her to use with her favorite Molly the Dolly. Now that my third baby is almost two, she’s at that perfect age for babydoll-wearing. She loves hanging out in the Er

Malama Bebe carriers are beautifully designed, and aside from being incredibly eye-catching they are worth the fair price tag. First and foremost, the quality, design and craftsmanship are unreal. …

A blog about attachment parenting and natural family living.

Looking for the best baby carriers in Australia 2023? We cover our top picks, why we love baby wearing and more!

Today’s project is my first onbu but my 11th diy carrier at this point. I am not a professional seamstress I do no sell my carriers. I have simply combined things I have found in other tutori…

Learn how to make a woven wrap for any size baby. This DIY woven wrap tutorial couldn't be any simpler, and is a great way to wear your baby on a budget.

It started like any other time they let me loose in Gymboree unsupervised: I had an armful of things I didn't really need to buy in no time...

Make your own baby ring sling wrap! This free sewing pattern includes fabric dimensions and step-by-step instructions for making a ring sling for baby!

Make your own carriers with our baby patterns and tutorials. We'll walk you through it, every step of the way. AS SEEN IN Babywearing: the magazine

Ring slings are really popular because they are comfortable and so easy to use. I have already used mine to go grocery shopping, go for walks, tour the city, and go out to lunch. I basically u…

Instructions, how-to, tips & tricks, breastfeeding, and support for the Boba Wrap.

I don’t know how I would’ve made it through the baby years with all three of my kids without using a baby carrier of some sort. I used the non-adjustable, pouch sling with Sebastian, the linen ring sling with Ruby, and both a jersey fabric wrap carrier and backpack-style carrier with Smith. Each type of sling…

Only when you’re familiar with baby carriers safety rules, babywearing can be beneficial, comfortable and enjoyable for you and your little one.

Teaching your first-time mama friend how to wrap. 🫶🏽. sollybaby · Solly Baby

Not long after my oldest sister was born, in the days before Baby Bjorns and the like, my dad dreamed up the first (to his knowledge) front-facing baby carrier. He sketched out his design, complete…

Ok, so I have two daughters that are 2 and 3 years old. They are at the age where they are too little to walk far distances, too big to be carried for very long and too little to walk anywhere fast. We have all the equipment needed to get these 2 from point A to point B- jogging stroller, a sit and stand stroller, umbrella strollers and even a bike trailer. But I was stumped when faced with a trip to go hiking with my husband's family. So I got online to buy some type of back carrier for the girls. I wasn't prepared for the cost though, have you ever priced one? Crazy, anyway so I got cracking at making one of my own! The Mei Tai looked to be the best one to replicate, it has no snaps, hooks, etc and it says that it is good for children up to 4 years old. It is just fabric and it ties around you and the baby. Here is the actual brand named one: and here is how it looks with a bigger kid in it: Ok, so here is how I made one... 1. Make pattern: I didn't make a head rest or neck support for mine since my kids are big now. If you are wanting to make this for a baby and grow with your child you might need to make the back arch up instead go straight across. Here are my measurements: This is kind of typical measurements and what I used for the first one I made but for the 2nd, for my oldest daughter, I made the whole thing longer, around 24 inches instead of 20, because I thought it didn't go up high enough on her back. 2. Cut out straps: cut 3 of them (2 shoulder and 1 waist) 10 inches wide by 80 inches long. 3. Cut out the padding for the straps (I used quilting batting): I cut out 8 pieces (4 will be stacked together for each shoulder strap) that are 5 inches by 22 inches long. And 4 pieces that are 5 inches by 28 inches long. 4. Cut out body pieces ON FOLD: you will need 3 of them- one for the inside (where the baby sits), one for the outside (that everyone will see) and an inside layer for durability. 5. Assemble the padding: place 4 pieces of the same size together and sew a basting stitch so they stay in place. You should have 3 padding bundles when you are done. 6. Make straps: Fold straps in half, right sides together and sew the length. When done flip them right side out and iron them flat. You should finish with 3 long straps, one for the waist and 2 for the shoulders. 7. Insert the padding: Place the padding in the two shoulder straps about 5 inches from the opening. Place the last bundle of padding in the waist section in the dead center. (I used a safety pin with a string tied to it to pull the padding into the center) 8. Sew the long strips 2 times lengthwise through the center. 9. Layout body pieces like this: with the straps sticking out the top by 5 inches and right sides of the inside and outside pieces together. 10. Stitch all around the body piece leaving the bottom open: I stitched twice across the straps just for durability. 11. Flip body to right sides out. 12. Tuck in the bottom and sew all around the body piece. 13. Sew the straps inside the body piece: with a square and "x" to help reinforce. 14. Center the waist strap with the center of the body piece and sew a square around the piece. 15. You are done!! They worked great! We are going to take them to a beach trip and camping trip that we have planned for this summer!

INSIDE: Make a DIY Moby wrap for pennies with our no-sew instructions. Babywearing is an easy way to give infants the snuggles and contact they need!