The Sock Monkey Ergo Insert (Picture Tutorial)

It's hard to believe my twins are 3 months old already! We made a second insert for the brown Ergo back in August, but I was soooo pregnant that I didn't feel like sitting at the computer to upload the pics. In celebration of an eight hour block of sleep (thank you dear sweet husband), here are the pics that I promised. I found the monkey fabric at Hobby Lobby...love that place!

Read my previous post and get the pattern here.

Jelma, over at Confessions of a Thriftoholic, posted pictures of her new insert here.

Cutting out the curve

Straightening the edges

Cutting out the batting

Layering before sewing

Wow, I was sooooo preggo!

Stuffing

Making and attaching bias tape

Overlapping the bottom edge & tacking by hand

Cube construction

Insert the cube (it is not attached, because you can remove the pillow to use with olde babies later)

Make Your Own Ergo Infant Insert

We're expecting twins soon, so I decided to buy the Ergo Heart to Heart Insert. After searching for the best price and finding the performance series ones on clearance for $13, I thought I was golden. Then, the email came. "Your order has been cancelled. This item has been discontinued. Sorry."

I'm a cheapskate. Paying $50 to get two inserts for our Ergo carriers just seemed ridiculous. Plus, I wanted one that would compliment the Petunia Pickle Bottom prints.

We went to the fabric store, and there it was...cute cotton print for $2.50 a yard! We bought half a yard to experiment, and a couple hours later, we had this beautiful insert!

  

For $1.25 in fabric + supplies we already had, this worked out great! (I did have to search for something to make the pillow, since I only bought half a yard. That's why the pattern says 3/4yrd of fabric.)

UPDATE: My little girl weighed 5lbs 9oz and was 19in long. My boy weighed in at 7lbs 1oz and was 21in long. Both babies fit great and seem really comfortable in the carrier.

Supplies:

- 3/4 yard fabric (we used cotton, but anything that's not too stretchy...and you probably want something washable)

- Thread to match fabric

- 19in x 19in piece of quilt batting (low or medium loft)

- Poly-fill (about a 1/4 of the small bag)

UPDATE: See the process in pictures! We made a second one out of monkey print.

DIY Dresser Makeover

COST: $25-$50 (assuming you already have the dresser)

SUPPLIES:
Dresser
Paint
Fabric
Iron
Ribbon
Needle & Thread
3M Spray
Glue Gun





SIMPLE STEPS:

#1 Remove the hardware. My round knobs were attached with screws. That was easy.

#2 Paint the dresser. Take the drawers out of the dresser, if you haven't already. I painted the whole thing white (including the drawer fronts). It was dark blue and green, so painting the drawer fronts insured that the color wouldn't show through thin fabric. It took four coats over four days to hide that blue! I chose flat paint for more texture/less gloss on the fronts, since I wanted a tight bond between the fabric and the wood.

#3 Trim and iron the fabric. Leave enough on each edge to wrap around the edges (about an inch). So, if your drawer is 9" x 30", you'd want an 11" x 32" piece of fabric. Iron out all of the wrinkles.

#4 Spray adhesive and position. This stuff is SO sticky! I sprayed my fabric in the backyard on the grass. If you spray it over the patio, it will be sticky for weeks. Hold the can about 6in from the fabric. Spray a nice even coat and make sure you get it on the edges. If you get it on your hands, position the fabric lightly on your drawer, and then go wash them. You don't want to touch the front of the fabric with sticky hands; it will attract dirt later. Smooth the fabric from the center out toward the edge. Carefully wrap the extra fabric around to the back. If there is too much, you can trim it easily with a rotary cutter.

#5 Cut circles for knobs. I thought about painting my knobs, but they weren't in great shape. So, I cut circles large enough to completely wrap the knob. Sew a circle (about an inch bigger than the front of the knob) with a thick thread. Draw it up to make a bag and place your knob inside. Pull thread completely tight, and tie it off.

#6 Trim the knobs. Hot glue ribbon around the base of the knob. It will hide your stitching. Trim off any excess fabric.

#7 Reattach hardware. Cut small holes in the fabric before you try to screw the knobs back on. I used a kitchen knife. Cut from the fabric side. If you try to cut from the back, you will "tent" the fabric and end up with air bubbles. Screw in the knobs.

#8 Put the drawers back in the dresser, and voila! Beautiful, cheap, and unique dressers are awesome!

Thanks for reading!