When my second son was born, I flirted with sewing to create this Moby-style baby wrap (AKA the “fauxby”) to keep little Milo super close. It is the snugliest baby carrier that I’ve ever had.
My mom helped me to hem the edges. Once I saw how legitimately simple it was, I made another two on my own.
Ingredients:
- Muslin fabric, 5 yards (one long piece will usually yield two wraps. Protip: get the lady in the store to cut it for you!)
- A patch made from another material.
- Thread in your sewing machine.
Steps:
- Cut the fabric in half lengthwise so it is 20 inches wide and 5 yards long
- Iron, pin, then hem the edges.
- Adhere your patch to the middle of the wrap so you can easily find it by feel.
Too lazy to sew the edges? Buy a knit fabric that has some stretch. The ends will look raw, but they will not unravel. This is sort of a flashdance-style wrap. Look for 5% spandex or lycra and 95% cotton. You’ll need 5 yards, and the width will be 42 inches. Fold it in half and cut along the fold.
Whitney laid it out for me in her kitchen this morning and took this picture.
Wondering how to wear it? I experimented a bit before I asked the woman at our local baby gear shop to fit me properly. It was a relief to have a pro install Milo for me. Maybe this video will help you.
Wanna just buy one? Voila, le moby wrap on amazon.
Related links:
Rookie Mom Challenge: Go to the fabric store
Wrap your baby and stay warm
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I made my own Moby-style wrap when my baby was new in 2009. Except for dealing with an obscene amount of fabric (I believe it was 60 in wide and 5 yd long, I cut it in thirds lengthwise), it was easy. I went with a jersey knit so it would be no-sew. I also bought it when it was 50% off at JoAnn’s (a regular occurrence worth waiting for), so it was really cheap.
I figured out how to tie it from the website, and Baby and I loved the fauxby! I couldn’t believe how secure it felt. So glad you’re encouraging moms to try this one.
This was so easy to do! I’ve been wanting to try the Moby but couldn’t bring myself to spend the $50 on yet another carrier. The only problem is now that I know how quick and easy this is I want to make a bunch in different fabrics – uh oh, this could become expensive.
@Alyssa, how much did you pay per yard of fabric? Mine was pretty expensive at $8.50 per yard, so nearly $50 – but it made two carriers. I hope others found cheaper sources.
Just printed a 20% off coupon from joann.com good for sale-priced and clearance items. Hoping to find some great clearance fabric so I can make a moby wrap for less than $25. That’s my goal
Love it! I just wanted to let you know I mentioned this on my blog this morning.
Sales and clearances at Jo-Anns are perfect for these! I just bought some fabric (knit, so no-sewing!) there for about $5/yard, and it was enough to make two wraps, so they came out to be around $12.50 each. I’ve been testing it out using my cats since the baby isn’t here yet, ha.
I think these are a really great way for people to try out wrap carriers without having to invest much money. The $50+ for a Moby (and other brands) can be kind of daunting, but being able to very easily make one for less than $15 or $20 is much easier a cost when talking about something that you and baby may decide just doesn’t work.
This is such a wonderful idea. I love the moby wraps but they are a bit expensive. Thank you for this article and easy sewing project!!
So do you use the patch as a substitute for the label? Just to help you make sure you are lining things up right?
Exactly
Thank you for these directions! I’ve tried them twice with great results and now my SIL and I can wear matching wrap slings when we go out with our babies lol. I put different patches on hers
Making a patch from fabric is better than sewing on a machine-made embroidered patch IMO, i tried both. if you have a sewing machine using a zigzag stitch allows more stretch without ripping the seams.
You can find knit sheets at a thrift store for super cheap if you’re lucky. In my town our thrift shop has a free bin and I found an amazing knit sheet for absolutely nothing. It’s big enough that I can make a wrap for myself and a friend. So just the cost of washing and that’s it!