How to Make a Safe Baby Sling

Babies all over the world have been worn in baby slings. African mothers use a cloth around the torso called a khanga. A rebozo is a Mexican sling worn on the back. In the early part of the 1900s, Americans and Europeans sought to train their children so they wouldn't be spoilt, and baby slings went out of fashion. Rayner Garner invented the ringed baby sling in 1981, and Dr. William Sears bought its rights in 1985. He coined the term "babywearing," and his books promote its use for attachment parenting.

• 1

  Open up your fabric on a table. Fabric that is 2 1/4 yards is ideal for a medium-sized sling, and 2 1/2-yard fabric is for a taller wearer.

• 2

  Hem one of the cut edges of your fabric, which will be the tail of your baby sling. You do not have to hem the other side.

• 3

  Fold the unhemmed side like an accordion fan, with each fold 4 inches to 6 inches wide. Fold from the top of the fabric to about 10 inches to 12 inches. You do not need to fold the entire length of the fabric.

• 4

  Pull the folded fabric through the rings and fold over, leaving the first pleated panel alone. Pin the folded section and sew. This area will take much of the weight of the baby, and you need to back sew a few times.

• 5

  Hold the rings in one hand and gather the loose end of your fabric. Fold like an accordion fan, and push half of the fabric into the two rings. Push the fabric though the outer ring until it reaches the other end.