DIY babywearing - a good idea?

[songbird45]

Dh has an unstable job situation so I do not want to spend a lot on carriers if I can help it. If I have a DIY pouch sling (maybe 2, if DH needs a different size than me) and a DIY wrap or two (5 ft of woven fabric) am I likely to hate babywearing and give it up within the first week? What advice do you have for me so I set myself up for success?

[skueppers]

My first sling was a Maya Wrap, but all of the other slings I've had I've made myself.

One of the wonderful things about doing it yourself is that if whatever you've made doesn't work out quite the way you'd hoped, you can figure out what you'd like to have different, and make another one! My first pouch sling was too long and the material wasn't quite right -- the second one was perfect and I used it for two children.

[MoonStarFalling]

A ring sling is much easier to make than a pouch. You could also use it for both you and your dh.

As long as you choose the right material you'll love your DIY carriers.

[songbird45]

I'm thinking lightweight cotton (woven, not stretchy) for material.

I must be nesting, because I'm seriously considering making pocket fitted diapers instead of just buying BG's. Dh is going to think I lost my mind.

[skueppers]

Originally Posted by MoonStarFalling

A ring sling is much easier to make than a pouch. You could also use it for both you and your dh.

Now that's interesting -- I would rather sew a pouch sling any day of the week.

A ring sling is easier to size, as the length doesn't have to be nearly as precise, but I always get annoyed sewing the fabric up by the rings. With a pouch, you never have to deal with that.

[skueppers]

Originally Posted by songbird45

I'm thinking lightweight cotton (woven, not stretchy) for material.

I find that for a pouch sling, my ideal material is a twill fabric with a little bit of widthwise (not lengthwise) stretch. In my experience, a lightweight cotton stretches too much lengthwise, but of course, your mileage may vary.

[PiesandAbrosmama]

Wraps are super easy and super cheap to make and they work great!:
STretchy cotten materials for early on like a moby style are easy to get at even places like Walmart. Dye them if you want a little more custom look for a few bucks. about 4-5 yards is all you need, sew if you want to the edges anyway or don't. Remember woman have been wearing babies for ever! and not paying expensive prices for it

[maymorales]

have you checked out www.sleepingbaby.net?
Jan has awesome DIY tutorials.
good luck!

[MittensKittens]

Most carriers are not difficult to make. I don't personally use ring slings, but podaegis and mei tais are not too tricky either! It is important to find a carrier you like, and once you have, DIY-ing it should be no problem. All my favorites are ones I made myself .

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by skueppers

Now that's interesting -- I would rather sew a pouch sling any day of the week.

A ring sling is easier to size, as the length doesn't have to be nearly as precise, but I always get annoyed sewing the fabric up by the rings. With a pouch, you never have to deal with that.

:
My reversible pouch sling was super-easy to make and used only 60" x 30" of fabric. My attempts at a ring sling was a total failure, plus I had to buy rings.

Songbird, make at least one pouch of thinner fabric, like a cotton broadcloth or old sheet. You can wear your baby in the shower in that and hang it on your towel rack and it'll be dry by the next day.

[pixiepunk]

everyone has their preferences in terms of which type of carrier (and fabric) they prefer.

for a newborn i'd do a ring sling with a linen or linen blend (i make these for every baby shower gift!). depending on your size you'll need 2-2.5 yards. there are a lot of different shoulder styles, as someone mentioned there are lots of good directions on the sleeping baby website.

for a newborn wrap the best is either a stretchy jersey t-shirt type of material, or else cotton gauze/crinkle cotton. depending on your size you'll need somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 yards. best to buy more, you can always hem it down. then you can cut it length-wise down the middle and have two carriers for the price of one.

mei tai's and podaegis aren't hard to make either, and will probably be more comfortable for the long-haul with heavier/older babies.

i will say, however, that sometimes it's a good idea to also look around and see what gently used carriers are going for. you can often get a used babyhawk or kozy for $40-$45ppd and i see ring slings for $15-$25 and pouches for like $10-$15 all the time. i saw an ellaroo woven wrap here on the TP the other day for $25. i'm prone to buy really nice fabric when i go to a fabric store, so sometimes i think my DIY's cost more than gently used commercial carriers LOL

[funkymamajoy]

I'm a DIY babywearer (and diaperer too).

I have a cotton ring sling, Osnaburg wrap and a cotton/linen blend wrap. All homemade. My favorite is the cotton/linen blend, its so soft with great cushion and support.

[prettymatty]

I am also a DIY baby carrier. My first wrap was a stretchy t-shirt like material the I got about 5 yards of and then I got a light gauzy ish material for a summer wrap. Then I heard about a fabric called Onsanburg. A friend & I split the $17 cost of a one year membership from Fabricland and I got the fabric for 50% off. It would regularly have cost me about $60 but I got the 6 yards of Onsaburg for just under $30. It is a very good quality light weight material. The stretchy material I bought was wide enough that I got two carriers out of it for $11. The gauzy material was about $8.
There are so many websites that show you exactly how to make a Mei Tai. A friend borrowed mine and learned how to make them. It takes her about 5 hours to make one and she was two kids to deal with.
I am all for saving money where I can and if I can do these carriers myself then I'm all for it!

[LianneM]

I love my pouches I've made with sateen (found with bottomweights)

I've used a ring sling made with regular cotton fabric and didn't like it nearly as much as my Maya.

[lifeguard]

I have a stretchy wrap & two ring slings that I made myself. I LOVE my ring sling & couldn't imagine doing it without it. Dh loves it too. I don't think you need to spend a lot of money to have carries that work (& look) great.