My ring sling that I made when pregnant with Honeybun is one of the only baby items I’ve used with all four babies and absolutely could not live without. It has carried my babies all around the world and I use it nearly every time we are out. I love the security of having my babies close and having hands available for other things in life. Plus my babies are always so happy when close to me and I can easily nurse in the sling without having to sit and it provides built-in coverage. (Get more information on the different ways I use my sling here).
A ring sling has become one of my favorite items to gift to friends who are becoming mommies for the first time because it’s handmade and oh so handy! But making a ring sling is also super easy and often faster than running to the store to pick out a gift (if I have fabric on hand, if not, the picking out cute fabric part is usually the most time-consuming par part of the whole project!)
For a ring sling, all you need is:
- 2 pieces of fabric, 2 1/2 to 3 yards each (I prefer a flannel for the inside and silk essence on the outside but have used various fabrics for the outside)
- matching thread
- 2 3 or 3 1/2″ metal rings
To put together the ring sling:
- Match the edges of the two fabric pieces with right sides facing each other and pin around the entire perimeter. Trim up the ends to be even and if pieces are not the same width, trim to same width.
- Sew around all four sides, leaving an approximately 6 inch opening in the middle on one end (I start about 3 inches from the middle on one end, sew around the entire perimeter and stop about 3″ from the middle on the opposite side so I have one continuous seam).
- Clip all four corners on the diagonal close to the corner stitching.
- Pull the fabric through the end opening so the right side of the fabric is facing out and the seams are inside.
- Using your pinkie or another skinny object, push out the corners to make them crisp and squared.
- Accordion fold one end of the sling so you have one fabric showing on the top and the other showing on the bottom (this may take a few tries to get the pleats even!)
- Fold the pleated end around both rings and hand stitch using extra securing stitches on the edges.
- Thread the other end through both rings and then back over the top ring and through the bottom ring, pull fabric through until sling is folded in approximately thirds (so if you hold sling at the rings, the tail will be about as long as the pocket which will be folded in half lengthwise).
- Put the sling on and adjust the length of the tail/pocket as necessary by pulling the fabric through the rings.
