Tula cover tutorial!!

This is a tutorial on how to make a cover for your Tula baby or toddler carrier.  You should also be able to use it for similar soft structured carriers (SSC).

I recently got really into carriers.  I bought a Tula and a Kinderpack.  I kept seeing more and more gorgeous prints and I started to want them all. I almost went #ByAllTheTulas crazy.  I soon reeled myself back in and realized that I could make a cover instead.

Supplies Needed:
* Atleast 1 yard of fabric (cotton preferable)
*sewing machine
*thread
*fabric scissors
*pencil
*pins

First you will need to go shopping and buy fabric. I chose a 100% cotton print. I got ours at Walmart for about $5 for 1 yard.  I would get at least 1 yard of fabric.  Once you get home, take the fabric and wash it in hot water and dry it on high heat to ensure that the fabric shrinks now and not later.

Once washed and dried, you will want to lay the fabric face down on a flat surface, I chose my kitchen table.  Flatten the fabric out nicely trying to ensure that there are no big wrinkles or bunched areas of fabric. 

Next you will carefully lay your Tula or SSC down on top of the fabric. Again make sure the fabric stays nice and flat as well as your carrier.  Leave approximately 1 inch of fabric around all the sides of the carrier (pictures below).

Not pictured right here, but near the arm area I actually left more like 2 inches, so that I could add snaps or Velcro later.

I carefully folded or flipped up the waist belt to see how much fabric was underneath.  Again you want to leave at least 1 inch of fabric underneath that area.

Now I used a pencil and carefully traced around the whole carrier.

As you can see it left a light & non-permanent line.

Now take some fabric scissors and cut approximately an inch away from that line all the way around.

Here is the arm area that I gave extra room for Velcro or snaps later.

Here is the first cut out that I made. You can see the pencil line and my cut if you look carefully.

I took that piece that I cut and used it as a template on the other part of the fabric so that I can get a second piece one for the front and one for the back. 

I found a few heavier items sitting around and placed those on the fabric to ensure that everything stayed nice and flat while I cut the second piece.

After both pieces are cut lay one piece face up on the table. Then lay your carrier carefully on top of it

As you can see the fabric sticks out approximately an inch to 2 inches around the carrier.

Now take the other piece of fabric and lay it face down on top of your carrier. This second piece of fabric will also need to have the extra fabric all the way around.

This next part you will need some pins to stick the two pieces of fabric together.  I start at the top of the carrier and place one pin right next to the strap then I slowly go across the top placing pins all the way across and again placing a special pin at the other strap.  The first and the last pin at the top indicate where I should start and stop sewing.

First pin....

Pinning across...

Then I sew where those pins are. After I see that, I carefully buckle my carrier on the back of a kitchen chair. Then I slipped the cover over the top of the carrier and slowly start pinning around the carrier and putting pins to indicate where I need to start and stop sewing.

Side of carrier....

Pinch fabric, to feel the carrier and know where to pin.  I personally pin about 1/4-1/2" away from the carrier because you can always sew closer later if need be & the leg pads are thick, so you need the extra room.

Here I pinned a start and stop pin (where my daughters fingers are, at the waist belt & where the arm strap connects).  I also pinned in that side between those two pins.

The area where your arm goes will be similar to a t-shirt, as it'll be open and allow you to put on and take off the cover.  I folded over the edges and pinned them, to get a nice edge that won't unravel.  This is also where you can later add snaps or Velcro.

Once you have done that to both sides, you now want to fold the edges of the bottom & pin those.

Carefully take it off by sliding the arm straps through the "t-shirt" holes and then sew!!

Here's mine finished...

Please always use caution when using a carrier.  Children should never be unsupervised with one.


If you would like to donate anything for the use of this tutorial, please do so below.  I am currently helping a friend get some items (like a Tula) for her foster care.  After that I will be helping a friend with cancer and a foster family (the parents) who just had a horrific car accident.