Before I became pregnant with my little cherub I worked in a pediatric office in a rather wealthy part of town. I saw a lot of parents come in with seemingly unnecessary products that didn't really appear to have any benefit towards the baby and I felt it was almost as if they were using their toys as another status symbol in society. I swore if I ever had children that this would not be me! However; I quickly learned that once you tell people you're pregnant, everyone becomes incredibly generous and wants to give your baby the entire world- just like you do!
My little cherub was an incredible surprise but we soon realized after we got the news that we couldn't afford a two bedroom apartment in the city with one of us being in graduate school. Naturally, this limited the amount of baby items we could have in our tiny apartment...
So we began doing a lot of research on what things were absolutely necessary for not only a newborn baby but an infant as well. I decided to take on the mentality of my mothers sage advice that "all babies need is love" (Ok, that, and a few hundred diapers!) and we became very smart about what we purchased & what were going to ask for on our baby registry. We took our time finding the best deals for the safest products that we absolutely needed- like the crib, stroller and carseat.
We also utilized the wealthy areas around us for their gently used items posted on Craigslist...usually for free or for incredible discounts in the city!
However, so many of our family members were incredibly sweet and generous and gave us so many clothes and toys! One of these that I always scoffed at was Sophie The Giraffe. Sure she's super cute and has lots of friends such as Kiki the elephant and the smaller "Sophie" teether... buttt did we really need this? Wouldn't this money be better put towards a monitor (you know, for ALL the space between us when she's sleeping... ;) or a highchair in the future?
Well, I certainly don't know what it is about this gal but my little one absolutely loves her. Of course, she also loves dropping her... especially on our walks over the Key Bridge in Georgetown. One of our friends with the baby around the same age as ours was not so lucky to find their Sophie after a walk. She mentioned that after they replaced Sophie they went to a high-end baby store that charged an arm and a leg for a pacifier holder that didn't even properly hold her!
Wait, WHAT?! How has no one made this yet? Naturally, this got my hippie DIY wheels turninggg...
After all, you or loved one paid a pretty penny for this adorable little squeaker, don't let it become just another statistic for all the items lost in discovery of object permanence!
I have two tutorials on here. One is SUPER easy for pacifiers or clip on toys and the best part is depending on your skill level or resources, you may not even need to use a sewing machine. The second is designed specifically for Ms Sophie but has a lot of flexibility in sizing and design- making it a pretty forgiving pattern even for a beginner.
Like almost all the fabric I own, I got the pieces here (including the interfacing) in the remnants section when Joann's was having a 50% off sale.
That means I paid next to nothinggg for these fabrics!
My suggestion is to go in with an open mind and make sure you also check Retail Me Not for any additional savings- especially on regularly priced items.
(I used a 40% off coupon for the clips and only paid $2.09!)
What you will need:
Option # 1 (For pacifiers or clip-on toys)
- 1/2 yard ribbon or lace (obviously on sale...)
- One clip (you could use an old hair tie!)
- Snap on clip of your choosing (mine was predicated on sales and coupons)
Option # 2 (For SOPHIE!) :)
- 1/8 yard of fabric (you can choose a pre-cut Fat Quarter if that's easier, but with the remnants sale I paid about $1.25 for 1/4 of fabric)- mine was 19" L x 4"W
- A separate 8" of the same fabric (or different if you're feeling funky!)
- Interfacing- mine was 13"L x 7/8" wide
- One clip (you could use an old hair tie here as well)
- HEAVY DUTY snap on clips- although, honestly, Velcro would have been sooo much easier for me...
I always wash my fabric first to make sure it will not shrink or dry in any strange fashion. I also like to wash anything for the cherrub in Dreft or an all organic laundry detergent.
I will review the steps for Option #1 first.
STEP 1 Take your ribbon or lace from one end and designate that as the "Clip" end.
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| This clip swivels but I suggest checking to make sure the clip faces outward of the hemmed side. |
STEP 2 Fold about 1/4 of an inch under (Make sure its straight) and iron to smooth.
STEP 3 Place your clip or hair tie in the crease and sew!
STEP 4 Fold the other end up about 5-6 inches and tuck the frayed end under as in STEP 2.
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| (Clearly I'm not the best at sewing on clips.) |
STEP 5: Line up your snap on clips or elastic and sew on!
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| Voilà! |
SUPER easy and SUPER cute! <3
Option # 2 (For SPOHIE!) :)
Grab your 1/8 yard of fabric and fold in half!
Yes- I do have the smallest iron in the world.
STEP 1: Fold fabric 1/5" at both ends and iron to even out the crease.
STEP 2: Fold the fabric lengthwise (or 'hotdog') and iron flat as well. I know it may be an amateur trick, but i like to line up the corners first and then iron out the center first. If that helps you, great! (Basically, you just want to try to avoid exposing the frayed ends.)
STEP 3: Place the fabric back on the printed side and fold the top and bottom towards the midline. Iron the length flat- you can use the corner trick again if it works for you! Now get your interfacing ready.
STEP 4: Put the interfacing strip in between your ironed over creases. My interfacing was an iron on type (there is usually a bit more detail on one side for this particular type) so I re-ironed over the entire strip of fabric.
STEP 5: Stitch over both sides at your desired length from the edge, I choose 1/8" but you can do closer to the edge if you are better at sewing than I am! Now line up your clip on one end and choose how long you want the strap to be. I did this by pulling out our stroller and measuring how long I could have the fabric from the side to her tiny little hands and comparing this to how short it had to be before hitting the floor. You can also add some slack here if you think you made the strip too long or if it just makes you feel more comfortable to have more space between the sewing needle and the metal clip.
Sew on desired line.
Step 6: Take the 8" piece of fabric and follow the same instructions for STEPS 1-4. Fold one end under and sew the sides onto the longer piece. Place about 7.5"-8.25" from the bottom and sew on so if forms a little square.
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| Getting excited?! |
STEP 7: Sew on the HEAVY DUTY clips or Velcro (Make sure they line up BEFORE you begin sewing...I...I'm speaking for a friend here....)
The clips should line up like this.
Step 8: Find your Sophie and secure her in!
Warning: She may be feeling anxious, like she's about to jump off on a plane in a parachute. Assure her she is safe in this DIY harness. :)
Hold on tight, Sophie!
My FAVORITE part about DIY in general is all the personal touches you can add on. Since our friend's baby is a sweet boy named "Alex" I found this cute emblem for $1.50 and tucked it under the clip. What fun things have you added to your creations to make them your own?!
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| I sewed the emblem tight and then covered it with super glue to make sure it was not a choke hazard. You don't have to do this unless you're as neurotic as I am :) |
Now feel free to run, jog or shop as you please with piece of mind!
If you have tried this pattern please comment below! We love feedback :)
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| <3 <3 <3 |
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Vulli (Maker of "Sophie the Giraffe"), Amazon or Joann Fabric. All views and opinions expressed are my own. In addition, please be advised that this is a DIY project and has not been tested by any company for the use with infant or toddler. Make sure all clips and clasps are SECURED TIGHTLY and DO NOT let your child play with this unattended.
