I've had two people ask me this week about making a ring sling without a sewing machine. I figured I would go ahead and post my instructions on how to do this.
Materials:
2 to 2 1/2 yards of fabric (100% cotton, stretch cotton sateen, silk brocade)
Stitch Witchery (tape that you use to make a hem)
Iron
1 pair Medium Aluminum Sling Rings (www.slingrings.com)
1. Use the Stitch Witchery to hem the raw ends of the fabric.
2. Fold the fabric in half like a hot-dog (lengthwise).
3. Thread the fabric onto the rings following the video instructions here.
That's it! And the nice thing about not sewing the fabric into a long strip is that you can take it off the rings and use it as a cover or a blanket.
How to Make a Pouch Sling
Ta-Da! I have finally made a video on how to make a pouch sling. Here are the materials you will need:
2 yards of pretty fabric (this could be just about anything: calico, corduroy, silk brocade, etc)
2 yards of baby flannel in coordinating color
A friend to share your fabric with (this will make two slings)
**update: After a few questions about this, I wanted to let everyone know that you do not HAVE to use baby flannel for the lining. You can use the same fabric you are using on the outside or anything else you'd like. Also, if you want your pouch to just be one layer, choose a fabric that is double sided (like seersucker) and just hem the edges after you cut it down the middle. I choose baby flannel b/c it is soft, that's the only reason really**
**second update added March 2010: The width of your fabric should be 45". If you really like a wider fabric, by all means get it! Just trim down the side before you start. The wider the fabric you start with, the deeper the pouch will be.**
The video will walk you through all the steps. Please let me know if you need more help. Good luck!
2 yards of pretty fabric (this could be just about anything: calico, corduroy, silk brocade, etc)
2 yards of baby flannel in coordinating color
A friend to share your fabric with (this will make two slings)
**update: After a few questions about this, I wanted to let everyone know that you do not HAVE to use baby flannel for the lining. You can use the same fabric you are using on the outside or anything else you'd like. Also, if you want your pouch to just be one layer, choose a fabric that is double sided (like seersucker) and just hem the edges after you cut it down the middle. I choose baby flannel b/c it is soft, that's the only reason really**
**second update added March 2010: The width of your fabric should be 45". If you really like a wider fabric, by all means get it! Just trim down the side before you start. The wider the fabric you start with, the deeper the pouch will be.**
The video will walk you through all the steps. Please let me know if you need more help. Good luck!
How to Make a Woven Wrap
This is a similar wrap to the Cotton Wrap that I showed below, but because it does not have any stretch to it, you can do a wider variety of holds. You will need:
5 yards of heavy woven fabric (100% cotton or a heavy linen)
A friend to share
(As with the Cotton Wrap instructions, you may decide you don't want a full 5 yards - this is completely personal preference.)
Cut the fabric down the middle, length-wise, so that you have two 5 yard strips. You will need to hem the sides of the wrap because these will fray. Now, my mother would roll them over, measuring the entire time, pinning them down, then ironing before she sewed - a real seamstress. I am a hack seamstress, however, and I just roll the edge over twice and run it through the machine. I figure it's close enough and no one is going to be looking at your perfect (imperfect) edges when you have it wrapped around an adorable baby. :)
That's it! You're done! Hem up the other piece of fabric and give it to a friend. There is probably a little more cost in this sling because of the price of the fabric - but keep your eye open for sales at Joann's or a 40% coupon.
To wrap your sling, check out the free instructions posted on: www.didymos.com. And, as always, if you don't want to make this yourself, I highly recommend the wraps they sell at www.didymos.com.
5 yards of heavy woven fabric (100% cotton or a heavy linen)
A friend to share
(As with the Cotton Wrap instructions, you may decide you don't want a full 5 yards - this is completely personal preference.)
Cut the fabric down the middle, length-wise, so that you have two 5 yard strips. You will need to hem the sides of the wrap because these will fray. Now, my mother would roll them over, measuring the entire time, pinning them down, then ironing before she sewed - a real seamstress. I am a hack seamstress, however, and I just roll the edge over twice and run it through the machine. I figure it's close enough and no one is going to be looking at your perfect (imperfect) edges when you have it wrapped around an adorable baby. :)
That's it! You're done! Hem up the other piece of fabric and give it to a friend. There is probably a little more cost in this sling because of the price of the fabric - but keep your eye open for sales at Joann's or a 40% coupon.
To wrap your sling, check out the free instructions posted on: www.didymos.com. And, as always, if you don't want to make this yourself, I highly recommend the wraps they sell at www.didymos.com.
How to Make a Cotton Wrap (NO SEWING)
You will need:
5 yards of t-shirt cotton material
A friend to share with
This is almost silly to post instructions on because there is one step:
1. Cut the fabric down the middle, length-wise, so you have two 5 yard strips of fabric.
That's it! Because of the type of fabric, you don't have to sew anything because the edges will not fray - they just roll up a bit. You can experiment with the length of fabric. I say 5 yards because you can do any of the holds with 5 yards of fabric. If you find that shorter is better for you, guess what - just chop it off!
FYI - I purchased my material at Walmart for $1/yard. That means I made TWO wraps for just $5. A great deal!
For how to use instructions, check out the free instructions Moby Wrap has placed on their website: http://www.mobywrap.com/instructions.php.
5 yards of t-shirt cotton material
A friend to share with
This is almost silly to post instructions on because there is one step:
1. Cut the fabric down the middle, length-wise, so you have two 5 yard strips of fabric.
That's it! Because of the type of fabric, you don't have to sew anything because the edges will not fray - they just roll up a bit. You can experiment with the length of fabric. I say 5 yards because you can do any of the holds with 5 yards of fabric. If you find that shorter is better for you, guess what - just chop it off!
FYI - I purchased my material at Walmart for $1/yard. That means I made TWO wraps for just $5. A great deal!
For how to use instructions, check out the free instructions Moby Wrap has placed on their website: http://www.mobywrap.com/instructions.php.
How to Make a Ring Sling
To make your own ring sling you will need to purchase:
1 3/4 - 2 1/2 yards of fabric
1 pair of sling rings
As for the length of fabric, it all depends on how long you want the "tail" of your ring sling to hang down, as well as how big of a person will be wearing the sling. For example, I am a small person and I like a short tail, so I usually only buy 2 yards of fabric. If you want a feel for how long you should buy, wrap the fabric around yourself with extra fabric for the tail.
As for the type of fabric, the absolute best is something that is 97% cotton, 3% spandex. The little bit of stretch is really nice. That said, I very rarely buy this because I mostly base my purchases on how cute the fabric is! The type of fabric I buy most often is 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend. You want a fabric that is 54/55 inches wide - but if you love something wider, get it and just cut it down to size. Also, once you've experimented, you can make a gorgeous, fancy sling out of duponai silk - but I wouldn't make that your first try.
As for the sling rings, I only purchase mine from www.SlingRings.com. These are great rings and made specifically for slings. You can buy all sorts of colors. I always purchase the aluminum rings. Medium size is good for a normal weight fabric. If you have a thicker fabric, I would purchase size Large.
That should be it! Watch the video below for the how-to. If you have questions, PLEASE post them. This seems clear to me, but may be mud for someone else.
Good luck!
1 3/4 - 2 1/2 yards of fabric
1 pair of sling rings
As for the length of fabric, it all depends on how long you want the "tail" of your ring sling to hang down, as well as how big of a person will be wearing the sling. For example, I am a small person and I like a short tail, so I usually only buy 2 yards of fabric. If you want a feel for how long you should buy, wrap the fabric around yourself with extra fabric for the tail.
As for the type of fabric, the absolute best is something that is 97% cotton, 3% spandex. The little bit of stretch is really nice. That said, I very rarely buy this because I mostly base my purchases on how cute the fabric is! The type of fabric I buy most often is 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend. You want a fabric that is 54/55 inches wide - but if you love something wider, get it and just cut it down to size. Also, once you've experimented, you can make a gorgeous, fancy sling out of duponai silk - but I wouldn't make that your first try.
As for the sling rings, I only purchase mine from www.SlingRings.com. These are great rings and made specifically for slings. You can buy all sorts of colors. I always purchase the aluminum rings. Medium size is good for a normal weight fabric. If you have a thicker fabric, I would purchase size Large.
That should be it! Watch the video below for the how-to. If you have questions, PLEASE post them. This seems clear to me, but may be mud for someone else.
Good luck!
Naptime/Cleantime
Samuel is dozing away right now, even as I type this post. I put him in a wrap today b/c he was acting fussy and wanted "mommy time", but I needed to get the house picked up. He fell asleep before I could even get it tied up all the way! So Samuel is sleeping soundly while I pick up and get things in order around here. (Do you notice that I am also updating the blog, even though there are still dishes in the sink?!).
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