The placemat has to be one of the most useful items you can find at the dollar store, and this project proves it! Make a baby carrier with a placemat! Leslie from Love-Knowledge baby sewed an Onbuhimo, which is a Japanese style baby carrier similar to a Mei Tai, out of a placemat and matching table runner. You’ll need to go outside the dollar store to get some heavy-duty rings (you don’t want to chance inferior rings when you are wearing your baby!), but otherwise this project shouldn’t cost too much. [get the placemat baby sling tutorial here]

You probably won’t find a suitable table runner at the dollar store, but you can usually get a decent deal on them at the big box stores, or a thrift store. If you can’t find a table runner, you can make long tubes of stash fabric that should work for straps. Be sure to follow all the sewing reinforcement instructions on the tutorial!

Project Estimate:

  • Heavy-duty placemat, $1
  • Coordinating table runner or a yard or so of stash fabric, $1 and up
  • Two sling rings, $4.49 (including shipping, at Sling Rings)
  • 1/2 yard of accent fabric, on hand
  • Sewing stuff, on hand

Total: $5.50 and up