Of all the ways to wear a baby, I’ve noticed that woven wraps are the least popular among new babywearers. Yes, there is definitely a learning curve with woven wraps, but honestly, I feel like they aren’t used as much because you don’t really hear about them! It’s sort of this underground world. Today I’m here to shed some light on woven wraps.
I’ll address commonly asked questions, explain the ins and outs of woven wraps, and share almost all of the knowledge I know! So, here you have it: my beginner’s guide to woven wraps.
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WOVEN WRAPS
What is a woven wrap?
A woven wrap is a long piece of material that you can manipulate into different carries to carry your child. Women have been wearing their children in wraps (or sometimes towels/pieces of cloth) for centuries! It’s one of the oldest forms of babywearing.
There are two types of woven wraps. Machine-woven and handwoven. Some wraps are woven by machine, and they typically cost less (since it’s less labor), and some are woven by hand on a loom by hand (see photo below). The process of weaving a wrap by hand is very time-consuming, so that is typically why you’ll see them cost around $500 U.S. dollars (and some are way more!)
Woven Wrap Sizing
If you are beginner it’s a good idea to start with a simple, base size 6 (4.6 meters) wrap, as the carries are easier for beginners to master. Once you master longer carries, you might see the need to try out other sizes/carries, and you can go for a shorter wrap if you want!
I explain sizing in depth in this post here: Woven Wrap Sizing.
Woven Wrap Material/Fabric
Woven wraps are made out of several different types of materials. Some are made out of 100% cotton. Some are a cotton/linen blend. Others are made with fibers like hemp, silk, or wool. Each weaver decided when they sit down to weave what they’ll use.
The cool thing is that different fibers mean different levels of support. For example, hemp or linen blend wovens can be light and airy; great for summer or hot weather. Wool wovens can be cozy and heavy; great for winter!
The type of fiber (or warp) you have will give you a different type of wrap quality. Some wraps are more “glidey” and others are “grippy”. Wrap qualities are what us woven nerds like to chat about hahaha.
SEE MY COMPREHENSIVE BABYWEARING BEGINNER’S GUIDE HERE
Woven Wrap Carries (How to Use Them)
So, there are several different carries for woven wraps. Like A LOT. But the single most used one I believe is the Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC). I have shared how to do it many times on my Instagram, and you can see a video on my IGTV channel here. It’s fairly simple once you practice a few times!
I explain sizing in depth in this post here: Woven Wrap Carries.
Where do you buy a woven wrap?
What are your favorite brands?
Woven Wraps FAQ’s
GENERAL:
Why are they so dang expensive?
See the above answer!
SIZING:
CARRIES:
VIDEO TUTORIALS
Pamela says
Love this!! Wearing my baby in a carrier right now but want to use my wrap from my last baby. Thank you for doing the videos!! It will take some practice remembering how to use my wrap. Lol! -Pamela “TheSparkleMomma”
Pamela Wineinger says
Thank you for all the info. My niece sent me a picture of the wrap you are wearing standing in front of the dresser. I am a weaver just for friends and family and she wants me to weave her this wrap. Do you know where I could get the pattern draft for this wrap. She is absolutely in love with it!