Introducing... 

The Mae Mei Tai 

With interchangeable panels!  

I am very excited to announce that Honeybunch Baby now owns the copyright for the Mae Mei Tai.  If you have wanted a Mae Tai but aren't the sewing type, you can now buy one and choose from a number of interchangeable panels!  Honeybunch Baby is the ONLY place where you can buy this carrier.  Of course you are still free to make your own using my instructions below, but if you would rather buy one, please shop Honeybunch now!

Here it is in all its glory... without a panel (top) and with different panels which each change the look completely!  All in the same carrier!

The following is a set of instructions for the LAST baby carrier you will ever make... because you can change the panels to suit your mood, outfit, or season!  

Note: These instructions are for personal use only; not for selling.

The instructions look complicated and tedious, but they really are not.  I included every detail I could possibly think of to make it understandable.  The steps are basically: cut your fabrics, sew and attach straps to back piece, make frame with Velcro, attach frame to back piece, make panel with Velcro and insert into main carrier.  

You will need: 

These directions are for a carrier that is 16” across by 20” tall (22” at the top of the curved headrest).  You may, of course, adjust the measurements if you want a different body size.  The inside frame is 4” on all sides (except at the curved top it is taller), leaving an opening of 8” wide by 12” tall for your decorative (and interchangeable!) panel.  The straps will be 4.5" wide. 

Cut out your pieces:

Cut and label all pieces as follows (pin a piece of paper to each piece “back piece”, “waist strap”, “top frame”, “side frame”, etc. to make it easy to grab the piece you need as you go).  Note that the following diagram is not to scale.

Cut curve into back piece (yellow): 

Fold the back piece lengthwise and cut a curve through both layers starting at the fold on one end and curving toward the edges.  Try not to cut any length off the fabric at the top of the curve or it will mess you up later when you're sewing the frame to the back piece (the back piece might be shorter).  When you’re done, the edge should be about 4” shorter than the top of the curve.  Open it back up and you have a tombstone-shaped piece: 

 

Note: The curve is so that you can have a headrest to fold up when baby is sleeping and down when baby is not.  If you don't want a headrest you can just cut a rectangle of fabric 17.25" by 19.25" and proceed as follows, adjusting the size of the top frame piece as well.  

Another Note: These measurements will yield a finished carrier body of about 16" x 22" (with curve).  One person wrote to me saying it was too short for her 7 month old.  Others find this a tad too tall.  You may adjust the measurements to make a carrier with different dimensions, but you'll have to do the math to change the size of the frame pieces as well.

Construct your waist and shoulder straps: 

Fold each strap piece lengthwise right sides together (if there is a right side; on some fabrics there is not a right and wrong side) and sew a ½” seam down the length.  Turn right side out and press.  When you have them at the right length for you, turn the ends in 1/2" or so and stitch across to finish them.  Note: See the links at the bottom of this page for instructions on how to make wrap-style straps.  You can make your straps wider or narrower or however you want; this is how I like mine.

Optional – Pad your straps: 

For the waist straps, cut two pieces of polar fleece 8.5” x 6” and two pieces of stiff craft felt (or very thick interfacing) 4.25” x 6”.  The felt is so that the waist straps don't bunch at the sides of your waist and dig in.  For each piece of polar fleece, fold it lengthwise and stitch a ¼” seam down the side and across one end.  Turn right side out.  Insert the piece of craft felt inside the polar fleece “sock”.  Insert this contraption into one end of the waist strap and push it 6” past the end.  Pin in place and stitch widthwise an inch from each end of the polar fleece to keep it in place.   

Photo of the fleece "sock" with felt being inserted for waist strap:

For the shoulder straps, cut two pieces of polar fleece approximately 24” x 8.5”.  For each piece, fold lengthwise.  On one end, cut a sharp angle as shown in the photo below.  The angle is so that the padding will not be sewn into the body of the carrier, but it isn't a tragedy if it does get sewn into it.  Stitch it closed along up the length and along the blunt end (not the angled end).  Turn right side out.  Insert a yard stick into the “sock” and push it into the shoulder straps, about 6” past the end. Stitch across the strap (widthwise) about 1" from each end of where the padding is and about every 12" in between to keep the padding in place.

Pointy thing at bottom of the following photo is fleece folded and sewn and ready to be inserted into a shoulder strap.  This photo shows the strap already attached to the body only to show why the fleece padding has to be cut at an angle.  You won't attach your straps to the body until you insert your fleece padding.

   

Note: You can easily shorten your straps later if you find they are too long.  Also note that this is probably the easiest way to explain padding straps, but it's a bit neater (but more difficult to get it in the right place) if you sew a double layer of fleece lengthwise directly to what will be the back side of your straps BEFORE sewing your straps and turning them.

Attach your straps to the back piece: 

Pin your waist straps to the bottom of the back piece as shown, making sure that the polar fleece padding part of the straps just clears the back piece.  Pin in place securely.  Sew the straps to the body, making sure not to sew within 1.25” of the edges of the back piece (you will need to be able to turn the edges under for a hem).  Sew a square with an “x” inside for both straps. 

Pin your shoulder straps as shown, angling sharply upward and with the padding clearing the edge of the back piece.  A rule of thumb I use for placement is that I line the top edge of the strap to where my curved headrest starts (or where your carrier's top edge is if you did not curve the top).  Pin securely and sew the straps to the body, again making sure not to sew within 1.25” of the raw edge of the back piece.  Sew around the contour of the strap, making an “x” in the middle for reinforcement.  Sew your straps on well, as they will be carrying the weight of your baby (especially the shoulder straps)!

Photo on left shows straps pinned.  Photo on right shows area where optional padding is (red) and where your stitching will go (white):

Finished "x-boxes" on waist straps; note that I did not sew near the edges of the back piece:

Note: I have made carriers with the straps at many different angles.  Some people like all four straps coming off the carrier's four corners at 45 degree angles with waist straps pointing downward.  After much experimentation, I find that I personally like the waist straps at a 90 degree angle and the shoulder straps at a sharp angle as shown in the photos above.  

Construct your frame: 

Fold all frame pieces in half lengthwise and press.   Your finished frame will be two layers of fabric, with folds at the inside of the frame.  Fold the pieces as follows:

Blue: bottom of frame 9.25” x 17.25” (fold in half to make a piece that is 4 and 5/8" by 17.25")

Pink: top of frame 12” x 17.25” (fold in half to make a piece that is 6" x 17.25")

Purple: two side frame pieces 9.25” x 13.25” (fold to make two pieces that are 4 and 5/8" by 13.25")

Attach your Velcro to the two side frame pieces (purple in diagram) as follows.  Open the pressed pieces back up flat with outside of crease facing up.  Cut two 12” pieces of the hooked side of the Velcro and pin them 1/2” from the fold on one side of each frame piece, centered lengthwise along the crease.  Zigzag stitch all around the Velcro (through ONE layer, remember you have opened up your frame piece and are stitching next to the opened crease).  Fold the pieces back the same way lengthwise on the pressed crease.  Optional: you can sew strips of Velcro on the top and bottom pieces of the frame as well.  I did not do that and do not have problems with the fabric gaping out from the top and bottom.  It's up to you. 

Assemble your frame.  First, cut a curve into your folded top frame piece to match the curve in your back panel.  The curve should be cut into both layers OPPOSITE the folded edge (i.e. do not cut the folded edge).  

Lay your top frame piece out with the curve at top and fold at bottom.  Lay the bottom frame piece out with fold at top and cut ends at bottom (remember, your folds are on the inside of the frame).  The two pieces should be 8” apart and the folded edges parallel to each other.  Lay your side pieces perpendicular to the top and bottom pieces, overlapping them equally and with left and right edges lining up.  Make sure your Velcro is facing up and toward the inside edge of the frame.  Pin in place securely.  

Stitch from the front side of the frame across the entire width of the top piece, ¼” from the fold.  Do the same for the bottom piece.  Stitch up the insides of the side frame pieces as well.  You can use a decorative stitching here if you want it to look more fancy.  The stitching around the frame also provides stability so that the Velcro does not pull the two layers of the frame apart, so you may decide to do more stitching through the two layers of the frame than I have called for here.

You should now have a frame that looks like this.  The red dotted line shows where the frame pieces are attached to the side pieces, and the blue dotted line shows where to stitch the side pieces after the frame is assembled.  

Attach your frame to your back piece:

Stack your back piece and frame right sides together (the right side of the back piece is the side OPPOSITE the side that the straps are sewn to).  It is imperative that the frame and back pieces match in size perfectly, as they will be sewn together.  Pin securely all around.  Stitch 5/8" from the edge around the outside of the carrier EXCEPT where the straps meet the body (leave open where straps come out!).  

Notch the curve at top (cut little V’s into the curved part of the seam about ½” into the edges of the curve, making sure not to cut too far in).  The following picture shows where your 5/8" stitching will be as well as the little V's I'm talking about.  Cut these out and remove the little triangles of fabric so that your hem will lay flat when the carrier is turned right side out.

Optional: Pad just the curved part of the top of the carrier with one or two layers of polar fleece.  I like using two layers, and I cut it in the shape shown in the photo above.  Tuck the edges under your pressed-down hem and pin in place. 

Now turn your carrier right side out and make sure the straps come out of their respective holes.  Iron down the outside of the carrier, turning the seam allowance under on the straps and ironing them down as well.  Now topstitch around the outside of the body of the carrier 1/4" from the edge.  Be careful when you get to the strap holes and make sure you're catching the top (frame) and bottom (back piece) in with your stitching.  This will close up the strap holes and give a nice finish to the carrier.  

Make your removable decorative panel:

From your half yard of decorative fabric, cut a rectangle that is 12" x 18" (you want the 18" to be the top-bottom measurement so if there is a pattern it will orient the right way on your carrier).  Turn and stitch a hem on all four sides (you really don't need to do this on the selvage side, because none of the edges will show and the hem is just to prevent fraying).  You could also use an iron-on hem tape if you want.  

Now cut two 12" pieces of Velcro (soft side).  Position them facing up on the RIGHT side of the fabric, centered top to bottom and the same width apart as your frame Velcro (should be about 9" but measure on your frame to make sure).  Pin in place and zigzag stitch all around both strips of Velcro.  

Note: I have tried sticky-back Velcro on the panels but found that it tore right off the fabric when I tried to separate the panel from the frame.  It also isn't machine washable if you use sticky Velcro.  

I know my Velcro isn't centered lengthwise very well, but it still works!  My panel also is not exactly 12" x 18", but that isn't a big deal, you just want to have enough width to attach the Velcro 9" apart and enough height to tuck the ends into the frame several inches at top and bottom.

Now insert your panel into your carrier, Velcro to Velcro, tucking the top and bottom edges up into the carrier.  You are done!  

Disclaimer (we all have to have one!): There are many different ways you can carry your baby in this carrier, and your baby's safety is YOUR responsibility, not mine.  If you make this carrier, please know that I am NOT liable for any injury you or your baby sustains during its use.  This is primarily a site for sewing, not for how to wear a mei tai, but if you want instructions I can point you to some good sites that show you how to wear a baby in a carrier like this.  Also - Velcro is a brand name.  Any hook and loop tape will do.

Photo of finished carrier with removable toile insert:

 

Here's my khaki one I just made.  It has an adjustable bottom so that I can scrunch it together for baby's comfort.  I think I scrunched it too far in the photo on the left, as baby is hanging by his crotch, but the adjustable feature is nice for smaller adjustments.  To make this feature, just sew the waist straps to the back panel closer to the middle, and do not sew the edges of the front and back pieces to the waist straps (or to each other!) when finishing the carrier.

Here are some of the panels I've made recently.  I don't bother hemming the edges, although I'll probably regret that when I wash them!  The edges do not have to be perfect because they aren't seen.  I have fun buying just 1/2 yard of whatever fabric I want and completely changing my carrier!

I used this for my Christmas panel.  It is faux-sequined.  Festive!

 

One of my favorites.  I made a slipcover for my purse to match.

The one on the left is the same fabric I made my fall MT with.  I bought two yards of the fabric on the right.  I had enough for a pouch, a panel (barely as you can see), and a little leftover for a purse slipcover or maybe a pocket or something. 

These are cheapie holiday fabrics awaiting velcro.

I liked this fabric remnant... 67 cents for 1/8 yard x 60".  So I pieced it together and am going to iron it down and make a panel out of it!  

New Mae Mei Tai I made yesterday.  I wanted to experiment with three things: Duck cloth (instead of twill), mitered corners on the frame, and no headrest.  Finished carrier is 16x22, which is two inches too tall.  I like the stiffness of the duck cloth better than the twill, but I like the look of twill better than duck cloth.  Love the mitered corners!  Notice also that I did not stitch around the inside edges of the frame.  It wasn't necessary for duck cloth as it holds its shape well.

Keep in mind that all the panels are interchangeable in all the carriers because I made the inside frame the same dimensions.

Close up of one of the mitered corners.  

If you make this carrier, please email me at tookey73@yahoo.com and let me know how it worked out for you.  Also give me feedback on my instructions and let me know if my measurements don't add up or there are other errors or omissions in the instructions.  I will try to add more pictures with the next one I make so that you visual learners can see more of the actual carrier under construction.

Finally...

I would like to thank the following people for teaching me how to make a mei tai baby carrier in the first place with their wonderful site instructions. 

Sarah's Frankenkozy

Beth's Mei Tai (BMT)

The Baby Wearer

Here is another fabulous set of instructions for making a mei tai.

Who is Mae?

M A E are my initials.  I am a psychology resident and mother of two beautiful boys.  I enjoy photography, crafting, and practice attachment parenting (hence the babywearing!).  Feel free to peruse my family site if you want to know more about me and see my photos!