Yes, You Can! -Make Your Own Baby Carrier

Happy Blog Day!

Leader Chris, leading the invasion
of Isle of Palms

Yesterday, some of us headed to Isle of Palms in a Babywearing Beach Invasion; those of us who stayed here appeared to have invaded Soda City - I saw lots of fellow Babywearers there, some I knew and some were new faces. I love seeing people babywearing!

Today's post is a guest post written by Rachael, a local mom who has started making carriers for her own personal use. She's kind enough to write up a guest post detailing the ins and outs of DIY baby carriers.

Even if you don't plan on making your own carriers, I recommend reading this to get an idea of things to look for if you ever shop for carriers on Etsy. The next blog post will go into more detail on Etsy sellers, what to look for, and what it means to be a member of BCIA (which is optional, but open to all), and compliant with CPSIA regulations (which is NOT optional). It's important to pay attention to details like materials and construction when purchasing WAHM (work at home mom) made carriers. Many of the makers out there make quality, safe, products that we'd happily recommend. There are others, I think that perhaps just do not know better, or choose to not educate themselves, that are not worth buying. Educating yourself on DIY carriers gives any consumer at least a basic idea in what to look for in a carrier made by a WAHM/Etsy/Facebook only seller. In addition, it helps to research BCIA/CPSIA compliance and what to look for. These regulations are new, and many sellers are still working on full compliance.

DIY Babywearing

Caution: Continue on at your own risk, DIY babywearing is both fun and addictive.
People DIY for different reasons. It can be for fun, because it's more affordable, or just because you want to. DIY is what really got me into babywearing. I made my first osnaburg wrap and fell in love with wearing and have not stopped since. Helping people wear their babies is very important to me and many other members of Babywearers of the Midlands, so this blog post is here to help you on your journey of DIY babywearing and hopefully answers some frequently asked questions.

Regardless of your reason for wanting to DIY, we can all agree that the number one thing is safety. Always look over your carrier for wear and tear, especially in areas of frequent use like where the fabric slides through the rings on a ring sling. Also, check all seams and stitching for ripped or torn stitches before each use and after each wash. For each DIY category I will list acceptable and non acceptable materials because they can differ from carrier to carrier. You always want to use high quality thread like Gutterman, and a brand new needle appropriate for your fabric and sewing machine.

 

DIY stretchy wrap

Amber, using a DIY stretchy wrap

Materials: Any jersey knit fabric (think Moby wrap)
These are quite possibly the easiest DIY carrier to make. Buy the fabric, cut the fabric to 30 inches wide, hem or serge the edges, which is optional because this knit won't unravel. These wraps are not safe for back carries. I personally did not make one because I had a Moby, but I hear good things from those who have made!

 

 

 

 

DIY Woven Wrap

Materials: Jaquard woven tablecloths (Mahogany brand are popular for shorties), cotton gauze, 100% linen (not the thin stuff, the thick kind you use for making pants), or Osnaburg found in the muslin section of most craft stores.

Not acceptable: quilter's cotton, regular muslin, anything thin that can pull apart easily.

These are also extremely easy to make if you can sew a straight line. If it's a little crooked no one will notice, trust me. If you split a Mahogany or any other 60X120 tablecloth, you only have to make one hem and you're done. Any other material can be tricky because you have to buy more length than you'd like to end up with. It will shrink after the initial wash. I don't like to think too hard about it. If I want 5 yards (roughly a size 6 wrap) I buy 6 yards, or a little extra, because you can always cut it smaller.  Fabric generally comes 45-60 inches wide on the bolt so you will have to cut it down in width too. I prefer wider wraps so I shoot for around 30 inches, but anywhere from 26-30 inches is normal. I currently have three different DIY wraps. I have an osnaburg wrap dyed purple and pink, a 100% linen wrap in a size 5, and a Mahogany table cloth shorty.

Mahogany Table Cloth (TC) shorty

The top is a 100% linen wrap and the bottom is an osnaburg wrap.

Ring Slings

Materials: Jaquard woven fabric (Mahogany tablecloths), 100% linen or 100% cotton woven tablecloths (Target tablecloths are popular in the DIY babywearing world), osnaburg  fabric, 100% silk, or athletic mesh (water ring slings)

DON'T USE: quilters cotton, gauze, anything that rips or tears easily or is thin.

Tablecloth Ring Sling

When it comes to making ring slings, Jan's tutorial at Sleeping Baby Productions (http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/sling.html) is considered to be one of the best. She even includes video tutorials for those visual learners like me. Her website includes information on materials to use. In my opinion, you should only use rings from Slingrings.com as they are made specifically for babywearing ring slings. They are safety tested and made smooth so they won't snag and jeopardize the baby's safety. They are affordable, come in many sizes and colors, and will be delivered to your mailbox within a week. I prefer to use the steel rings for everything but athletic mesh, but that is mostly personal preference.

 

Here's where I admit my tablecloth addiction. I ADORE my tablecloth ring slings. I find myself buying tablecloths when I don't even have rings on hand to make a sling. If I know you and you're pregnant, don't ask me about babywearing because I will make you a ring sling. But really, ask me about it because I want to make you a ring sling.
 

 

Mei Tai's, SSCs, and more.

Rachael and her DIY mei-tai

These I am grouping into the same category because they use the same main material for support. You always want to use a heavy duty bottom weight fabric, like duck canvas, for the straps and body pieces of  mei tai's and SSCs. I have never ventured into the SSC creating realm because I am too lazy to find the proper buckles, but I absolutely adore my home made mei tais.

There are a handful of good tutorials out there. I picked two I liked and combined them together. I will list a few good ones below.

Aside from the materials, the next most important part of making a mei tair or SSC is understanding which parts are weight bearing and need reinforcement. The straps should be attached with x-box stitching and the bottom should include multiple rows of stitching.

 I really enjoy the mei tai because you can have fun with it and customize it how you want.

This is the first mei tai I made. It's duck canvas for the body and straps with a decorative quilters cotton panel on the front, with a fleece lining to make it soft and snuggly for baby. We rocked this thing all winter long.

 

Hobo Mama's mei tai tutorial http://www.hobomama.com/2012/03/how-to-sew-mei-tai-baby-carrier.html

You're Sew Crafty's mei tai tutorial. Shows a contoured waist, straight waist, and wrap straps. http://youre-sew-crafty.blogspot.com/2012/12/table-cloth-mei-tai-tcmt.html

 

Resources

If you have any questions about DIYing your own carrier please do not hesitate to ask us at Babywears of the Midlands, but you can also find valuable information at:

DIY babywearing facebook page for info about all things DIY.
 

Dyed baby carriers facebook page for info about dying your own carriers.  
 

Sleeping baby productions

 

Thanks for reading this blog post. Happy babywearing!

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

Tuesday, July 29th - Come play with us at the Clemson Children's Garden. This is a great play area with lots for kids to discover and plenty of shade.

 

 

Rachel - Ring Sling

Laura - Rebozo

Saturday August 9th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion on Assembly Street - we'll be demonstrating and trouble shooting how to do a rebozo knot and how to use ring slings - both great options for short carries that don't use much fabric and are therefore great carries/carriers in the summer heat.