Homemade Baby Slings - How to Make Your Own Baby Sling!
As many hip parents know, baby slings have become an increasingly popular mode of transporting your infant or toddler around - from A-list celebrities spotted wearing a designer Baby Bjorn with baby in tow, to everyday moms and dads on the go who choose to use a variety of baby slings and carriers, the baby carrier is the way to carry your little one in style!
Saving Greena
With today's ever-tightening economy, some parents are choosing to get crafty - and get sewing! While there are many gifted homemakers who enjoy making their own baby clothes, others are merely looking to save a penny or two and design their own easy-to-sew or no-sew baby wrap.
Going Greena
There are also environmentally-conscious parents who would prefer to start their child's life on a green note - and organic baby slings are easily made, using natural fibers and textiles (such as hemp and unbleached cotton) as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic materials used in traditional baby carriers.
Making a Scene!
Still others choose to express their creative side - crocheting, knitting and hand-stitching hip baby slings to suit their own personal style, crafty folks everywhere can consult a multitude of craft magazines and websites for how-to's and blogs when creating their own original baby sling designs.
Ready, SetaSew!
So, whether you're on a budget, looking to express your artistic or creative side, or simply trying to live a greener lifestyle, it's easy to make your own cheap baby slings - below, DIY instructions to sew your own baby wrap!
HOW TO MAKE BABY SLINGS:
For anyone who has basic sewing skills, this is a fairly simple project:
1. First, choose your fabric at a local fabric store - since you will be sewing (or serging) the edges, you may choose woven cloth that is unfinished, as well as fleeces and cotton knits, as long as they don't curl up when cut.
2. Next, cut your cloth to the proper dimension - if you're purchasing your fabric in person, the salesperson can cut the cloth to your specifications; we recommend 20 to 35a wide and at least 5 yards (15 feet) long.
3. Finally, you will finish the edges by serging all four sides of the material.
If you do not have your own serger, we recommend hemming all the way around the four sides of the baby wrap. You may also choose to visit your local sewing machine store, which might let you borrow their serger for free or for a small fee; visiting a tailor or dry cleaners is another affordable option for finishing your baby wrap.
IMPORTANT TIP: DO NOT buy 2.5 yards of 2 different materials & sew them together to create 5 yards - this will result in a WEIGHT-BEARING seam, weakening your baby wrap & making it less safe!
Although this is a moderately easy sling project for some, sewing isn't quite an option for everyone, especially when you consider what you're transporting! For the rest of us less-than-crafty folks who want to carry their precious cargo stylishly (and safely!), it's not difficult to find inexpensive and cheap baby slings. There are many online sources, including Babysling.com, where you can find a great assortment of affordable baby slings & infant slings, including the ERGO baby carrier, Hotslings brand, Moby Wrap, Maya, Ellaroo, Baby K'Tan baby carrier and more! Whether you're looking for a baby backpack, a linen baby sling, a Velcro sling, organic slings or any other type of kid sling, you're sure to find a wonderful selection of moderately-priced, eco-friendly and stylish options at Babysling.com!
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
What should I use to make homemade baby food?
What have you found works best to make homemade baby food? Blender, food processor, food mill? I'm assuming blender but I'd like to know other peoples experience with making baby food. Thanks!!!
My daughter is 5 months old and currently eats cereal. I'm going to start feeding her baby food when she's 6 months old.-
ANSWER:
When both my kids were small would cook the veggies and fruit and puree them in a blender. Once they got older i used a food mill and ground it up. Munchkin makes a good handheld food mill that's not that expensive. Some thing i would just cut into chunks and let the eat it.If you make a lot, you can freeze it in ice cube trays. one cube is about a 1oz portion.
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QUESTION:
If I make homemade baby food how long can I store it in the refrigerator?
I want to make homemade baby food for my baby, he is eating us out of house and home and I think I can save money making it for him. I want to make a mixture of fruits and cereal, and veggies and cereal and store it in the fridge. Does anyone have any idea how long it can be stored in the fridge or if I can store it in the freezer?-
ANSWER:
I make home-made food, and I keep it in the fride for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It's easier on you if you make up a pot full of food and then put baby-meal sized amounts into little containers or ziplock bags, and store them in the freezer. Take out tomorrow's and defrost it in the fridge overnight. Have several meals cooked this way so you can change what he or she eats each day. Another great thing is to have "easy" foods on hand, like bananas - just mash one and hey-presto! Another great food is Avocado ( I think they're called Alligator Pears in America), they are such perfect foods and ready-wrapped in their natural skins. Have some jars for emergencies, and some dried baby rice and baby porridge. Dairy products are also useful if your bub is old enough, and many of them last a good while in the frigde (eg yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc). I also would chop up a couple of Dates into little slices for my son, to keep him occupied while I quickly cooked apple or sweet potato! Grated cheese works the same way, they just pick it up so carefully and it takes them ages to finish! This is how I manage to eat my tea before I have to feed my son, no more cold meals
Have fun!
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QUESTION:
What do I need to make homemade baby food?
If I want to make homemade baby food, what utensils will I need? Do you have any recipe ideas for all of the stages or any helpful links? I appreciate your help.-
ANSWER:
I made my own baby food with a hand blender. I only made enough for one or two days at a time. It was fast and easy to do so there was no real reason to make more than that.I put freshly steamed fruit and veggies in the processor and mashed it with a few splashes of prepared baby formula. I made bananas, carrots and whatever else. I did not add salt or sugar, just the splash of formula.
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QUESTION:
How do I make homemade baby food smooth like store bought stage one?
I have a baby food grinder but it doesnt get the food really smooth and my baby isnt very impressed and I dont want to buy her baby food, I want to make it myself. Any tips on what to use or how to make her food smooth like stage one??? Thanks everyone!
p.s. She is 6 months old and never had baby food before to know that she prefers it smooth but everytime I try to feed her, she spits most of it out unless its smooth enough-
ANSWER:
I steam the veggies then put them in the blender with a little water and blend until smooth. I usually stop it a few times to mix it up with a spoon so no chunks get stuck to the sides or at the bottom. It always gets pretty smooth for me. Then when I go to feed it I mix in a little formula to smooth it out a little more. You can also run it through a strainer to get the lumps.
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QUESTION:
does anyone know how to make homemade baby food?
my daughter has alot of health problems and i wanted to make her homemade baby food but i don't know how?please let me know if you do or any good recipes.-
ANSWER:
I make all my own baby food and it is really easy and cheaper in the long run. Steam or bake your vegi's until soft, blend them up with breast milk/formula and store them in the freezer in ice cube trays. One cube is a serving and just microwave them as you need them. I make about 8 trays at once and this lasts for almost 3 weeks of food. Just put in homemade baby food under google and you'll find all kinds of recipes. Due to the nitrates you can't make carrots, turnips, spinich or beets, baby food companies remove them in the manufactoring process. Nature's Best makes a great organic spinich and carrots, plus it's good to keep some jars on hand when you have to go. Good luck
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