Easy as ABC: Asian-style Baby Carrier or Mei Tai

Baby-wearing is easy, convenient and brings you and your baby closer together. A simple mei-tai, or Asian-style baby carrier is easy to use and leaves your hands free while your baby enjoys the closeness of being carried.

Asian-style baby carriers (ABC) are remarkably easy to sew, though they are a bit labor-intensive. They also offer some marked benefits over Snugli- and Baby Bjorn-style carriers which are not ergonomic for either mom or baby. There is no crotch strap in an ABC like there is in Snuglis, Baby Bjorns and other commercially available baby carriers. Crotch straps are thought to contribute to spinal stress in babies. Newborns can be placed in a "frog" position within the carrier which will not contribute to spinal stress, and the bottom of the mei tai will provide a seat for older children who can wrap their legs around the wearer.

Materials Needed:

• 2 Yards of Cotton Canvas, Duck or Denim (You may need more if you have a large waist size)
• 1/2 Yard of Any Complementary Cotton Fabric
• 1 Spool of Matching Thread
• A Short Scrap of Complementary Ribbon or Trim (Optional for Pocket)

Tools Needed:

• Sewing Shears
• Yardstick
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Machine Needles
• Chalk Fabric Pencil
• Iron
• 4 Large Rubber Bands

General Construction Outline
1. Lay up and cut out your pattern using the layout guide.
2. Draft and cut a well rounded curve on the top of the Mei Tai's body.
3. Construct straps.
4. Construct optional pocket and apply it to the complementary print fabric.
5. Sew the straps to the solid fabric.
6. Sew the front and back of the Mei Tai right sides together, but DO NOT sew over straps.
7. Notch the curve on the top of the Mei Tai.
8. Turn the piece out.
9. Straighten straps and topstitch, closing the bottom of the Mei Tai and the strap spaces.
10. Wear your baby!

Check out the mei tai on Etsy here.

Step 1 Laying It Up and Cutting It Out

Please cut out your prewashed fabric according to the layout in the picture. This makes a mei tai for an average sized person and is suitable for newborns through toddlers.

You may prefer a smaller size for the mei tai's body, but if you intend to wear your baby from the newborn stage into toddlerhood a larger body like this one will suit you well.

1. Piece #1: This piece is for the mei tai's body and it will be the back of the mei tai worn closest to the body. Also, it is where you will anchor your straps. It is approximately 16" x 20.5" when sewn, but the piece you cut out will be approximately 18" x 24". Only cut ONE piece of this size from the bottom weight solid colored fabric.

2. Piece #2: You will need to cut TWO of these pieces. They will be your shoulder straps. These directions call for shoulder straps to be cut 12" wide which may seem wide to you, but it makes 4"-wide straps once folded and sewn.

3. Piece #3: You will need to cut ONE of these pieces. Once it is cut into a long 12" wide strip, cut it along the fold-line so that you have two strips of fabric approximately one yard long each. These will be your waist straps.

4. Piece #4: These pieces are optional. Cut them if you want a patch pocket. A patch pocket is a nice feature to keep your cell phone, cash and keys handy and to eliminate the need for carrying a purse while wearing your baby. These should be cut approximately 10" by 8", and you need to cut TWO pieces.

5. Piece #5: This is the second piece that will comprise the body of the mei tai, you only need to cut ONE piece. It should be comparable in size to Piece #1.

Comments

[nelumbo]

Great! Thanks so much, this pattern was so easy to follow! Thanks for all your time and effort; my baby is very happy with the result :)

[mejaka]

Thanks for the great strap construction! I plan to make mine similar, but simply place the padding inside (cut slightly narrower than the strap when the sides are folded to center) and then fold the strap along the center line and double-topstitch along the open edge. One question: If the strap is 12" wide and you fold it into four quadrants, you'll get a 3" strap rather than a 4" strap, won't you? A 4" strap would require a 16" piece, four inches per section folded...

[Pepper Ann]

Fantastic,I love it-- but I use it as a pet carrier! Just modify it so that the animal is facing outward and for my small dog (8lbs) it works. The instructions were extremely concise and very easy to follow-THANKS

[sherrym]

How did you modify it? A friend wants me to make her a carrier for her weiner dog. Thanks

[TraumaComet]

My baby loves this!!

[jessiep]

If you'd like to have your project included in the Sew Useful Contest, be sure to add a link to your carrier's Etsy page.

[thelittlebird]

Curious, I've tried to add it a couple times and it won't take. At any rate, the etsy link is here.

[lkg80126]

This is the most FANTASTIC item I have ever seen on this web site. I rushed right out and bought all the materials. Thank you so much for sharing this!

[Sarendipitous]

I'm not very adept at sewing, but I was able to follow your instructions with no problems whatsoever. The pictures were extremely helpful. Thank you!

[Modev]

I love this carrier!! Thank you for these instructions. I found the pictures very helpful as well!

[ribbitfroggie]

What a beautiful carrier. Your instructions were so easy to follow, can't wait to give this a try! Thanks for sharing with us!

[taintedpink]

I really like the Mei Tai Carrier. So different than anything I have seen. Instructions were very easy to follow. Thanks for posting!

[Zinzara]

What a beautiful and practical carrier. Your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. Thank you for posting this!