Making Your Own Wrap Carrier

Wrapping your baby is one of the most easy ways to carry your son/daughter now days! Not only is it comfortable for both mother and child; it is a simple way to comfort your child and keep him close to your heart. Wraps can be taken anywhere with you and may be folded to fit in the diaper bag or stashed in the car. They take mintues to put on, so no more pushing your way through a store with a stroller.

Below you will find simple ways for you to create your own no-sew way/ or sew way to wrap carrier in less then an hour! and best of all you can find fabric cheap ($3-$15 dollars!). So this carrier will not leave a hole in your pocket! ( who knows, you may even have change left!)

Needed:

* Sewing machine if you want to sew one!

*You need three to five yards (9 to 15 feet) of cloth that meets these criteria:
* Cotton or mostly cotton
(You may also like a very lightweight linen or a very lightweight hemp)
- I personally found that a Cotton/Polyester blend is soft and makes a great material for a wrap.

* You also need to look for fabric that is:
*Breathable, flexible, soft
* Washable (you want something you can easily throw into the wash, without having special washing directions)
*Is at least 20 inches wide (for a lightweight gauze, 45 inches is fine!)
-The thinner the cloth, the wider it should be if you plan to do the Strap carry or the Rucksack -- that extra width translates to shoulder padding.
*Does not have a "wrong" side
* Has a little diagonal "give or stretch" you want a fabric that is stretchy enough for you to move in, yet that is not like spandex and stretches so much that it causes strain on your back or shoulders.
*Is not slippery, your child may slide out if not wrapped tightly enough
*Has a finished selvage (meaning it has no frays coming from the ends of the fabric)

*NOTE: ALL cotton JERSEY is cotton knit. Some cotton knit is also cotton jersey. And both jersey and non-jersey work just fine.

How much cloth should you buy?
A longer cloth can be used for a greater variety of positions, such as a back carry or ruck sack carry. Yet, a shorter cloth is easier to work with and may be easier for a beginner. My personal favorite is 4 yards long (12 feet) and 28 inches wide. With that length, I can do any carry I want, but still not have too much cloth left over (I tend to bring the left over fabric back around front and tie near my belly button. ) It may help you to know that I am a women's size 10-12. (wearyourbaby.com)

*Note: If you need help finding a good fabric for your wrap you may always ask a sales person at your local fabric store. Most sales people in the fabric department have a lot of experince with sewing projects and I am sure would be glad to offer their services to you. I do not recomend buying fabric at Walmart. While some of their fabric is higher quality a lot of the fabric you may find is not. Walmart carries a lot of cheaper fabric that may not be suitable to carry your child in. Safety should be your first concern in choosing fabric for your wrap. Good fabric stores to look at are Joann's and Hancock Fabrics.

A No-sew wrap!

When creating a no sew wrap start with a strip of fabric that is 60 inches wide (or wider) and 5 yards (15 feet) long. You may start with a fabric that is slightly shorter if you perfer a shorter styled wrap. But make the wrap at least 4 yards long so that you can probably wrap your child. Cut the fabric into three separate strips that are 20 inches wide and 5 yards long. Give away two wraps. Keep one for yourself! (wearyourbaby.com)

*Note: When making a no-sew wrap, cotton knit fabric that curls up at the edges works best. Also a soft fleece may work great. I recommend a fleece that is medium in weight and not too thin or too thick.

Creating a wrap, with sewed edges

Sewing a wrap is a simple matter. It may feel as if it nerve racking at first and you may not know where to begin, but I promise you it is quite easy and you will come up with a beautiful wrap in less then a hour. The complicated part is choosing just ONE cloth to buy at the fabric store. (wearyourbaby.com)

Fabric choices for sewn wraps are the same as for no-sew wraps with one exception, since you will be sewing (or serging) the edges, you can choose woven cloth that has unfinished selvages, fleeces that don't necessarily curl when cut, and cotton knits that don't necessarily curl when cut. (wearyourbaby.com) Again, I recommend a cotton/polyester blend to create your wrap. I find this material is soft against your babies skin, is very breathable, and has just enough stretch, but not too much that it will cause strain on your back or shoulders. PLEASE read the instructions for No-Sew Wraps before proceeding.

Okay, after you have chosen your cloth, cut the fabric as you would a no-sew wrap. Again, the longer your wrap, the more carries you will be able to do. Normal wraps range from 4 to 6 yards of fabric long and are at least 20 inches or more wide. People who are heavier built may need to make their wraps a little longer then those who are thinner built. The extra material will give you enough fabric to properly wrap your child close to your body. If you are plus sized you may want to start at 6 yards, use it for a while, trim off 6 inches at a time, and stop when it gets to a size that works for you. (wearyourbaby.com) My husband is a 4x in men's and a 6 yard wrap is just the perfect fit for him and he can do almost all the carries with our one year old son.

Once you have your fabric cut the next step is using your sewing machine to serge all the way around the four sides This pervents your wrap from coming undone and having fabrics fray. If your personal sewing machine doesn't have a serger, you can hem all the way around the four sides. Although this may take more of your personal time. Some moms have had success going to a sewing machine store and borrowing the serger for 5 minutes, maybe for free, maybe for $2- $5. (wearyourbaby.com) Serging the four sides may be overwhelming at first. You will have a lot of fabric to work with. My advice is to take it slow. I like to tuck extra fabric between my legs or under a book on the table so it does not get in the way of my sewing. If you hurry the extra fabric may bunch up and get stuck in your sewing machine. Take your time, it will be worth it in the end, I promise you that.

NOTE: I strongly recommend against buying 2.5 yards, cutting it in half and stitching it together to make 5 yards. This is not only a pain in the toukas, it also gives you a seam to worry about -- a weight-bearing seam, no less. If you MUST do this, then be sure to use a French Seam. (wearyourbaby.com)I found that these wraps give away a lot more then those who have started out with 5 yards from the start. If you want a carrier that is going to last you through the years and even through a few children. I recommend starting off with the 5 yards of fabric.

THERE YOU GO, A PERFECT WRAP! now you can wrap your baby close to you and head out for the day!

How to wear your wrap???
Having troubles on how to wrap your child? http://ellaroo.com/WrapCarrierBrochure.pdf is a great resource on wrapping your child correctly and safetly.

< www.wearyourbaby.com. 2006. The Mamatoto Project. 4 November 2007. http://www.wearyourbaby.com/ >