So you are handy with a needle and have a wonderful piece of cloth that you would love to convert into a ring sling.
It is fairly easy to sew your own ring sling. The key is to get good sturdy rings. Just get 2 1/4 metres of fabric. If you are tall or if you like having a bit of cloth to use as an an extra layer when it is chilly, then get 2 1/2 metres.
Pleat the cloth and slide 2 rings through it. When you reach 9 inches or so, fold it over and sew it down. This holds the rings in place and also creates a light padding for your shoulder. This is still considered an unpadded sling – padded slings have a thicker, softer shoulder pad.
Here are some diagrams from the ring sling sewing instructions page on the Maya Wrap site:
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- Pleat the cloth – I usually make all the pleats even, but as they show, it is okay if the last one is uneven. Note that (unlike a sari pallu), the edges of the cloth end up facing the same direction.
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- Slide two sturdy rings and fold 6-9 inches of fabric over them.
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- Lift the top layer and sew it down. I usually sew four parallel lines and zig zag across them.
For those who alternate between right and left shoulder, it doesn’t matter which way you fold the cloth. If you think that you will be wearing it primarily on your right shoulder, keeping baby on the left hip, then it will be a bit more convenient if you fold it so that the edges face outward and the fully folded side of the pleats face the center of your chest. This is irrelevant if you are ambi-hip-strous. Even if you aren’t, it doesn’t make a huge difference, but this is what I usually do.
In case you lose this page, remember that you can find these instructions on the Maya Wrap site.
And for the minimalists out there, Rajitha Amma demonstrates the n0-sew ring sling here:
More on slings:
Why I Love my Ring Sling
Nursing in the Sling
Free Sling (without rings)
Ask Amma 