We've reached the final day of Baby Week and we're crying like babies--we have so many more baby crafts to share with you! We're going to squeeze a few more in today, but the rest will have to wait for future posts. Thanks to all our readers for the comments and support this week! We'll draw the winner of our Baby Week giveaway on Monday night, so watch for the announcement Tuesday!
First, we had to show you these incredible baby slings. Another local Seattle mompreneur makes extra cash selling these sweet baby carriers on Etsy. This is another seriously genius product that I didn't have (although I know they were around). Everyone I know who has one swears by them. They can be used from birth up to 35 lbs. just by shifting the position from cradling to hip-sitting.
We were so impressed with Beth's great product at a great price (only $25!), we asked her how her business got started:
"Baby slings really are a great way to keep your baby close to you and free up your hands while shopping, cooking, or walking the floor with a colicky baby! Sling-babies tend to cry less, and benefit physically and psychologically from being held close. I am strong proponent of babywearing!
"I started making slings for myself before my baby Drew was born (Sept. 05); when I started making pouch slings when he was about three months old many of my friends started asking me to make slings for them as well. Then their friends started asking, and their friends started asking, etc. I certainly didn’t mean to start a business when my son was six months old, but when a friend suggested I check out etsy.com, I decided to give it a go. I generally do most of my sewing while Drew sleeps (I am blessed with a toddler who didn’t give up naps) and my marketing department consists of the moms who have bought my slings – I rely on word of mouth to bring business at this point, since I don’t want to overextend myself while Drew’s still at home."
Now on to bibs. One of the most necessary baby items in history. Stacy made this adorable bib using a fun fabric covered with Therm O Web Iron-On Vinyl. Have you used this before? It is so cool! Transform any fabric into wipe-able, waterproof vinyl with your iron and this amazing product. We found it at JoAnn.
So if a bib works to keep a baby's shirt clean, why not a giant bib for your floor? I've seen similar products made from clear or plain colored vinyl, but Stacy made a splat mat to match her bib using the same products. Just a piece of fabric to fit under her baby's high chair covered in iron-on vinyl and finished with some bias tape. Love it. Especially because I'm blessed to have carpet in my dining area. Who was the brilliant designer who thought that was a good idea? Not me.
So I guess that about does it for Baby Week. Seriously so much fun for us, and we hope it was for you, too. And if you just didn't get enough, don't worry, there will be lots more baby crafts in the near future. Now, if you want to win a pair of BabyLegs and a few other items from this week's posts, don't forget to leave us a comment! Add us to your blogroll or link us in a post and you'll be entered twice. This is your last chance! The giveaway ends Monday night at 10:00pm (PST). We'll post our winner Tuesday! Bon chance!
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12 Responses to “baby slings, bibs, and splat mats”
i have thoroughly enjoyed this week-- thank you for ALL the great ideas!!!
Thank for a wonderful week of tips, especially since so many of them can be made/used for baby boys. It's hard to find stuff to make for baby boys, thank you.
i found you on SITS...and i love this!!! so amazing. great ideas...and now, i must take more time to glance around! thanks for the tips!
I've never appreciated splat mats more than now...having a 15 month old and new travertine stone floors makes me a splat mat LOVER! lol
Great blog...found ya on SITS! :-)
~melody~
I will be passing your site onto a new mom I know, she would love that sling.
Thanks for popping by mine today fellow SITSta
I'm so glad to have found your blog this week. I've enjoyed all of your crafty posts on babies. I've got you on my blogroll from now on. Thanks!
Cute blog! I'm so glad you left a comment on Sassy Rooster so I could find you! I'll be checking back - this blog is right up my ally - the kind I love :)
Such a cute baby! ;-) Love all your great ideas!
I just made a splat mat and three bibs using vinyl. I went to Walmart and purchased a vinyl table cloth instead of using vinyl fabric. They turned out great. :) Thank you so much for this great idea. We just shampooed the carpet under our dinning table and can use this.
I have a question about the splat mat. The only thermoweb that I saw online at Joann is 17" wide. Did you overlap it or just match up the seams very closely? Was it a challenge? Does the splat mat lay flat on the floor or keep wrinkles if I were to use it for projects and fold it or roll it for storage? If so, do you have any suggestions for making it a little more firm? I want to make this for a gift at our co-op preschool (for our silent auction fundraiser) along with a couple of matching aprons and want to make sure it turns out nice enough for someone to want to buy it. I'll make one for my house first for practice. We had an evil builder too who put white/vanilla carpet almost everywhere. Thanks!
Brigitte,
You can actually find the iron-on vinyl on the bolt wider than 17". Try Pacific Fabrics--they may have it! I rolled my mat to keep it looking nice. I can't think of anything to make it firmer except to use a thicker fabric, like a home decor weight. Good luck with your auction!
Thanks for your response! I forgot to come back and check. Oops! So I made one and used the 17" kind from Joann's (50% off special). I tested it with overlapping it a little bit, and it works just fine. It sort of melts and the seams aren't visible. I put the iron-on vinyl on the top of the fabric and a little bit thicker vinyl that is sold on a long roll at Joann's too. It's the green label one, and I'm not sure what the gauge is (softest I could find). Below that, I put a layer of shelf liner (floor gripper) which is also sold on a huge roll. I hope that holds up. I've never tried it before. I finished the edges with bias tape that I made with a coordinating color. I made two matching aprons to go with it too, thinking that it could be used at an art station. I hope someone wants to buy it! It was a lot of work, primarily due to my experimenting with tension, threads, types of vinyl, etc. BTW, I used regular Heat N Bond Lite to fuse the plain vinyl to the fabric (on the floor side), and it worked fine! Next time there is a sale on it, I'm going to buy a lot of it and make one for my house and see how it holds up for the top. I think it would be even cheaper. Here are a couple of pics. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ha0XHJ-S16yW20UxB9EsGw?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cGnCb6wJlmX3_5lMMxxqMA?feat=directlink
Thanks again for the tutorial! :-)
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