Websites By Liz

Web Design for Small Businesses

A ‘Toy Bungie’

I don’t know, maybe there’s a better name for it. When working with a baby on your lap, bending over to pick up dropped toys is a constant frustration. I was getting so tired of it one day that I decided to do something about it. So I dug around in my sewing scraps, pulled out my sewing machine and whipped out this thingy in about 20 minutes.

1. Cut a strip about 2″ x 2′ (that’s two inches by two feet), longer if you have large hands.

2. Fold it in half with right-sides together and sew the long-side together leaving a reasonable seem allowance.

3.Cut about a foot and a half of elastic that will fit inside the fabric tube (which you’ve also turned right-side out using a large safety pin to push the end through).

4. Make sure the baby’s happy.

5. Feed the elastic through using a smaller safety pin.

6. Fold the end of the fabric tube inside itself and stitch through the fabric and elastic. Then trim off the extra elastic.

7. Cinch the elastic and make a loop that will just fit over your hand, then stitch.

8. Cinch up the tail until it seems about right.

9. Baby’s still ok.

10. Stitch across the fabric and elastic about two or three inches from the end of the fabric. Trim off the extra elastic.

11. Fold the end of the fabric inside itself to make a nice end, stitch across it and sew on some kind of fastener. I used snaps but you could use velcro, hooks or a button.

12. Attach toy, and you’re ready to get back to work!

13. And… the baby’s still happy, too.

There you go, your very own end to picking up dropped toys! You could even do this without a sewing machine if you don’t have one.