Recent Projects, Part 3: Hybrid Ring-Sling

I'm a big fan of baby slings. When Eowyn was tiny, I used a ring sling. This type of sling, though it can be difficult and/or tedious to adjust, offers the most versatility in terms of positions you can wear your baby. Eowyn loved being curled upright against my chest in those early months, so this sling was quite a boon for those times when, for example, I wanted to use the bathroom or eat without incessant crying.

After Eowyn gained head, neck, and back control, I began using a pouch sling.The pouch sling accommodates fewer positions, but there's no adjusting so it's easy to slip on and off quickly. Eowyn sat in the forward-facing hold (also called the kangaroo carry) and then spent months on my hip with this sling.

But, I discovered such a thing as a hybrid ring sling. Like a normal ring sling, you can use it in all kinds of different positions. But, it has a curved seam sewn into it like a pouch does, so theoretically it takes less time to adjust than a regular ring sling. Rather than paying a gazillion dollars to buy one, I decided to make one myself. The UpMama site provides instructions on how to make one yourself. Online, I purchased three yards of bottom weight cotton sateen fabric and some sling rings. One length of fabric yields enough for two slings.

The most time-consuming part of the project, for me, was cutting the three yards of fabric evenly, and hemming it. It's a lot of hemming! On the first one I made, I rather obsessively ironed a half-inch hem on the entire length of the sling (that's six yards total) before sewing. The second time, I just rolled the hem in my fingers as I sewed. It saved a bunch of time, and the results are practically the same. As far as saving time on cutting goes, I think I just need more experience in that area to accomplish accurate and quick cuts. Does anyone have any cutting tips? I use a cutting mat and a rotary blade, and I still have problems with the fabric shifting.

One more tip, if you attempt to make this sling, is to make sure to take the extra few minutes to hand-baste and then machine-baste the fabric folded over the rings before putting in the permanent stitch. There's so much fabric sewn down in such a small area, that it's almost impossible to keep it lined up evenly otherwise.

The finished hybrid sling hasn't seen any action yet. I'll report back on its usefulness after Espen's been born and I've had opportunity to use it with him.

The finished sling

Recent Projects, Part 2: Upholstered Headboard

In the course of redecorating Espen's room, I decided to reuse the decades-old headboard instead of simply throwing it out as I was tempted. Christian helped me reupholster it, and I'm quite happy with the transformation.

I started off by buying a few yards of cheap cotton duck cloth at Walmart, and a quarter yard of duck cloth in a contrasting color for the buttons. I also purchased a package of queen-size quilt batting there, and some button-making sets (here are some sold at Joann's). At Joann's, I purchased some florist's wire (I think around 22 gauge) to attach the buttons. We tried to use jewelry wire (also from Walmart) at first, but it was too thin and kept snapping. We already owned a heavy-duty stapler and staples.

We stapled two layers of quilt batting over the headboard, pulling it tight (but not too tight) all around. We experimented with just one layer at first, but it wasn't fluffy enough. Then, we stapled the duck cloth over. It took some trial and error to get it to lie mostly right, as the headboard has a lot of curves on top that cause the fabric to wrinkle when it's pulled over. We covered the buttons with fabric, which was very easy to do, then attached them with florist's wire to staples we put on the front of the headboard.

In all, this project cost about $20. It could cost more or less depending on the quality of the fabric you use and how many buttons (if any) you decide to make. If you don't have an old headboard to start with, you can cut a shape out of plywood, attach legs, and cover that.

Recent Projects, Part 1: Charging Station

Perhaps there's some truth to the so-called "nesting instinct" in the final stages of pregnancy, because I've been very uncharacteristically motivated to organize, de-clutter, decorate, and craft in anticipation of the baby's arrival. Since Christmas, every weekend has been taken up with such activities.

Christian has been enthusiastic about helping me in these endeavors, which is a notable occurence in itself. For those who know him well, his enthusiasm usually doesn't extend beyond the couch or the computer.

The first crafty project I feel proud to share is the charging station we made. Over Christmas, I looked for one in stores but found them to be too large, too tacky-looking, too small, or sold-out. That's when I decided to make one myself, because my agitation at seeing masses of unkempt power cord on the counter would not abate.

I found a decorative photo box on clearance at Target (sort of like this one, but brown). It consisted of a slot for a photo album, which I removed, and a lidded compartment on top. We coiled our cell phone power cords and connected them to a small brown extension cord we happened to have lying around. All of this was placed in the lower slot of the photo box. In the lidded compartment, Christian cut two small holes to thread the cell phone plugs through, and attached two decorative scrapbooking "bookplates" to the holes to give it a finished look. I placed some decorative paper in the photo cutout on the top of the box. Presto! An attractive charging station that's just the right size for about $10.

If you can't find a photo box like this one, you could use any fairly deep, decorative box with a lid. Just cut a platform to fit the box out of sturdy cardboard or wood. Use spray adhesive to cover the platform with decorative scrapbooking paper or fabric. Glue pieces of a dowel (which you can pick up at Wal-mart for less than a dollar) in the corners of the box and put the platform on top. Cut holes in the platform for gadget plugs, and a hole in the bottom half of the box for the extension cord.