Tutorial: Make the World's Easiest-to-Make Baby Carrier: the Moby Wrap, for $12!

As I've mentioned before, I'm expecting my sixth baby - any day now, really.  And since there's a 5 1/2 year gap between this one and my current youngest, I didn't have much in the way of "baby stuff".  Most of it has been given away to friends, or loaned and forgotten, or donated in an effort to combat the crazy amount of "stuff" a household of seven collects without even trying.

I've been trying to keep it simple; after having "so many" kids, I think I have a pretty good handle on what I need and what I don't, what is worth buying and what I should make myself.  And I've come to the conclusion that something to carry this baby around in, leaving my hands free for the rest of my crazy, wonderful kids, is both something I need and something I should make myself.

In the past, I've always used a regular pouch-style sling (some people call them seven slings?), but this time I wanted to try out a different one, a Moby-style wrap.  They always looked so comfortable, and simple.  Little did I know just how simple it would be to make.  This seriously took me less than 20 minutes to make.  Easiest thing EVER.

First step was to find a 40% off coupon and head to my local fabric store.  I couldn't find the "knits" section, so I asked.  Turns out I was blind.  It was two whole rows, of every kind of stretch knit fabric I could imagine.  I knew I wanted it to be soft, and not too thick, definitely cotton and not that nasty stiff polyester stuff.  A little stretch to it, but not too much so it would hold it's shape.  I ended up with a lovely dark purple (like in the first and last photos - don't ask me why the other photos make it look pink).

So.  Now onto making the thing.  I only needed to make one, so I bought 2.75 yards of my fabric (using my coupon, a little less than $12, instead of $50 or more to buy a wrap!).  If I were making two, I'd buy 5 1/2 yards. 

And fyi, here's the directions for making two: lay your fabric out, and cut it in half the long way.  Trim the selvage (sides) off so that each piece is 20 inches wide.  Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.  I'm serious.  That's all you do.  You just need to end up with a piece of stretchy knit fabric that is 20 inches by 5 1/2 yards.

But since I only needed one, I would need to make a seam.  Don't worry, still simple as pie.  Just not quite as simple as only having to cut the fabric.

Here is my fabric, laid out on the floor.  It's currently half as long, and a little more than twice as wide, as it needs to end up.

In this photo, I folded my fabric in half four times, to make it more manageable, and trimmed the selvage edge off.  I should have measured it and cut it to 20 inches wide, because I had to re-fold everything later and cut it again, because it was too wide. 

That's what I get for not researching the end dimensions of my wrap ahead of time.

So do yourself a favor, and cut it right the first time!

Here's an action shot of me using a pair of kitchen shears (not recommended) to cut down the fold line, all the way down the whole length of the fabric.

At this point, I have taken two of the short ends (in your case, two of the 20 inch sides) and pinned them together, wrong sides together.

Yep, I said wrong sides together.  We're going to make a French Seam here - much stronger and neater than just making a regular seam with the unfinished edges hanging out.








*Right here should be one more photo - I apparently forgot to take it.  Sorry.
So after you sew your seam the first time, wrong sides together, turn it the other way, and sew the same seam AGAIN, with your edges trapped inside.

This is what it looks like after you've sewn that second seam, with the unfinished edges trapped inside it.

Now sew one last seam, to hold your seam allowance down flat onto your fabric.

This is what it looks like, on the "right side", or the outside, of your wrap.

Aaaaand, you're done!!!  Tie that thing around you and stick your cute little baby inside!

Or, if you're still pregnant like me, get a friend with a cute little baby to model for you. :)







Okay, so I totally admit that I have a serious case of the pregnant-woman-stupids.  So I'll take pity on you and not make you be completely reliant on my lame description of a French seam.  Here's a video that demonstrates how to sew a French seam way better than I did.

How to Sew a French Seam

And because I still haven't ever tied this wrap around myself, and am thus not a good candidate to show you how to do that one either, here's a few helpful videos for you.

Newborn Wrap
Three Different Ways to Wrap

Enjoy!

Kate