How to Sew Ring Slings

Babywearing is an old practice in which mothers and other caregivers wear, or carry, an infant on their bodies and go about their day. Ring slings are popular baby carriers of simple construction, consisting of nothing more than a large piece of fabric and two sturdy rings. Those with even a slight knowledge of sewing can make a ring sling.

Things You'll Need

• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 yards of fabric 36-45 inches wide
• Two 3-inch sturdy metal or plastic rings
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Hem one cut edge of the fabric to create the tail of the sling.

2. Check the selvage edges of the fabric. Hem the selvages if necessary.

3. Lay the fabric on a flat surface, with the unhemmed edge at the top. The entire piece of fabric does not need to be laid out; about 10 or 12 inches of fabric suffices.

4. Fold this unhemmed edge of fabric like a fan, folding one direction and then folding back in the opposite direction, making pleats 4 to 6 inches wide. The pleats do not need to go through the entire length of fabric; the top 10 to 12 inches of the fabric is enough. Flatten the pleats against the working surface so they are slightly stacked on top of one another. The top portion of the fabric should be about half the width of the remaining portion of the fabric.

5. Starting about 1/2 inch from the top edge of your pleated fabric, sew a straight line from the left edge to the right edge. Be sure to sew the line so the pleats still lie flat. This step secures the pleats and makes this end of the fabric smaller than the other end.

6. Thread the folded end of fabric through both rings, and pull through 3 to 4 inches.

7. Fold the fabric over itself and the rings, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches on either side of the rings. Sew through both sections of fabric, approximately 1/2 inch below the seam you just made through the pleated fabric. Be sure to backstitch on both ends of the seam, as this seam will absorb most of the stress of the pulled fabric once you use the sling. If your sewing machine cannot handle this fabric thickness, you may have to hand-sew this seam.

Tips & Warnings

• 2 1/4 yards of fabric makes a medium-size sling, suitable for wearers between 5'2" and 5'9" tall. Taller wearers should use 2 1/2 yards of fabric for a longer sling.

• Both sides of the fabric will show in your finished sling, so consider purchasing a solid-colored fabric or a fabric that is patterned on both sides.

• Cotton or cotton/polyester fabrics are best for this project. More slippery fabrics, such as silk, may be more difficult for the rings to hold once you put a baby inside the sling.

References

• Maya Wrap: Baby Sling Sewing Instructions
• Jan Andrea at home on the web: A Simple, Un-padded Sling