So the baby gym! Think what an invention!
Ever since Maja was about 1 month old, she has been very interested in looking at things. She has been content and happy for as long as she wants if only she has had something interesting to inspect.
At first we didn't have a baby gym, so we hung various household items from a hanger instead. (For those of you who listen to the Parent Talk podcast and heard about my parent hack in the parent hacks episode , this is the picture I sent in, haha!) This worked as well as it could, but after a month of "hanging out" I felt that maybe it was time she got a proper gym.
There are any number of variations once you start googling, but I got stuck on a completely normal "straight and smooth" variation that I absolutely thought you could DIY. It only took us an evening + drying time for the paint, and the material was very easy to get at a hardware store. Read on to find out how we did it.
Psst..! Don't get confused. We made two different variations, therefore the painted parts are different in the step-by-step pictures and the pictures of the finished product. ;)
You need
- 4 pcs 60cm long ribs, approx. 30mm x 15mm
- Round rod approx. 24mm in diameter, 65 cm
- 2 foot screws
- 2 cap nuts that fit on the foot screws
- 2 spacers (forgot to include them in the picture below)
- Ribbon (cotton, leather etc.), two pieces of approx. 30 cm stumps
- Wooden rings to hang toys in (I used 4)
- Optional: color to match children's toys
Do this
01. Saw all your pieces of wood and sand them well.
02. All ribs must have two holes. Everyone should have one that is 20cm from the bottom end and has the same diameter as the band. Two should have and one that is 11cm from the top end and the same diameter as the foot screws and the other two should have one that is the same distance from the top end but the same diameter as the cap nuts. See image for clarification.
03. If you want to paint the baby gym like I did, you can do it now.
04. Pre-drill small holes in both ends of the round rod.
05. Screw a foot screw into each end of the round rod.
06. Assemble as follows: Thread a rib with a smaller hole onto the foot screw, then a spacer and a rib with a larger hole. Screw the cap nut on the end sufficiently tight.
07. Thread the wooden rings onto the round rod before repeating on the other side.
08. Tape one end of the ribbon to make it easier to thread through the holes on both ribs.
09. Thread the ribbon through the holes so that you can still fold the legs of the baby nest without the ribbon being pinched in between. Tie knots at both ends of the ribbon.
Voila!
We made two baby gyms when we were once busy and gave one as a gift to our friends who also recently had a baby. Tip tip if you are also thinking of something to give away. Giving handmade gifts always feels a little extra good, and this one is guaranteed to be appreciated by both babies and new parents.
Don't forget to tag me in your photos if you make your own baby gym, I love to see how you are inspired by my tips! @BySandramaria and #MadeWithSandramaria
